Prince Harry to Marry American Actress Meghan Markle Next Spring
Britain's Prince Harry and his American girlfriend, actress Meghan Markle, are engaged and slated to be married next spring, Clarence House, the official residence of the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall, announced Monday.
"His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales is delighted to announced the engagement of Prince Harry to Ms. Meghan Markle," Harry's father and stepmother said in a statement. "The wedding will take place in Spring 2018. Further details about the wedding day will be announced in due course."
The statement further explained that the couple got engaged in London earlier this month and Queen Elizabeth II and other close members of the royal family were informed.
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"The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh are delighted for the couple and wish them every happiness," a statement from The Royal Family said.
Prince Harry is said to have also sought and received the blessing of Markle's parents, Thomas Markle and Doria Ragland.
"We are incredibly happy for Meghan and Harry. Our daughter has always been a kind and loving person. To see her union with Harry, who shares the same qualities, is a source of great joy for us as parents. We wish them a lifetime of happiness and are very excited for their future together," Markle's parents said in a statement.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were equally excited.
"We are very excited for Harry and Meghan. It has been wonderful getting to know Meghan and to see how happy she and Harry are together," William and Kate said.
Prince Harry, 33, who is fifth in line to the throne, and Markle, 36, are expected to take part in a broadcast interview to be aired later today. They will also appear for a photo call at Kensington Palace where they are expected to live at Nottingham Cottage.
Justin Welby, the archbishop of Canterbury, whose predecessor officiated at the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's wedding in 2011, wished them "many years of love, happiness and fulfilment," the BBC reported.
Prime Minister Theresa May also congratulated the couple.
"I would like to offer my very warmest congratulations to HRH Prince Harry and Meghan Markle upon their engagement. This is a time of huge celebration for two people in love and, on behalf of myself, the Government and the country, I wish them great happiness for the future," she said in a statement on Twitter.
According to CNN, Prince Harry and Markle, who is biracial and best known for her role on TV show "Suits," were introduced in July 2016 by mutual friends in London.
"We're two people who are really happy and in love," Markle told Vanity Fair earlier this year of her relationship. "We were very quietly dating for about six months before it became news, and I was working during that whole time, and the only thing that changed was people's perception.
She added: "Nothing about me changed. I'm still the same person that I am, and I've never defined myself by my relationship."
