Since news hit yesterday morning that Prince William and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge are expecting their third child, we've been ready and waiting for an announcement that Prince Harry has finally proposed to his girlfriend of just over a year, Meghan Markle.
And now for the first time ever – seriously, ever – Meghan has opened up about her relationship with Harry and let's just say, it's everything we hoped it would be.
In a candid interview with Vanity Fair, the Suits star revealed that the press attention since dating Prince Harry has been somewhat "challenging".
"It has its challenges, and it comes in waves – some days it can feel more challenging than others," she said.
"And right out of the gate it was surprising the way things changed. But I still have this support system all around me, and, of course, my boyfriend's support," she added.
Following a press release by Kensington Palace early on in their relationship last November that warned the media against "harassment" and "abuse" of Meghan, the California-born star explained the tabloid attention isn't worth getting upset about.
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"I can tell you that at the end of the day I think it's really simple," she revealed.
"We're two people who are really happy and in love. 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. Nothing about me changed.
"I'm still the same person that I am, and I've never defined myself by my relationship," she added.
Besides, it's not like she reads what the press claims to be true anyway.
"I don't read any press. I haven't even read press for Suits. The people who are close to me anchor me in knowing who I am. The rest is noise," she added.
Meghan first met Harry in London through friends in July 2016, and the pair have since spent the last year jetting across the world to see each other (Harry is based in London while Meghan is living in Toronto, Canada) and attending numerous weddings of close friends.
Discussing her relationship with Harry – where Meghan reportedly texted the VF journalist from Botswana, Africa – she pointed out: "We're a couple. We're in love.
"I'm sure there will be a time when we will have to come forward and present ourselves and have stories to tell, but I hope what people will understand is that this is our time. This is for us. It's part of what makes it so special, that it's just ours. But we're happy. Personally, I love a great love story."
Opening up about her career as an actress, Markle – who wrote about the challenges she's faced over the years as a result of her "biracial identity" for ELLE UK in 2015 – thanked her parents for their continuous support of her dreams.
"My parents had been so supportive," she told the publication. Watching me audition, trying to make ends meet, taking all the odds-and-ends jobs to pay my bills. I was doing calligraphy, and I was a hostess at a restaurant – and all those things that actors do.
"My father knew how hard it is for an actor to get work, so he above all people was so proud that I was able to beat the odds," she added.
In the interview, journalist Sam Kashner called on Meghan's close friends, including tennis champion and new mum Serena Williams, to shed light on her as a person.
Having first struck up a friendship at the Super Bowl seven years ago, Serena said: "Her personality just shines."
Advising her friend on how to handle the public scrutiny of her new relationship, Serena explained: "I told her, 'You've got to be who you are, Meghan. You can't hide'."
Meanwhile, Meghan's Suits co-star Abigail Spencer said her friend had "a warm elegance, though her style is hard to pin down".
"It's classy and timeless. When you're talking to her, you feel like you're the only person on the planet. And it's just wonderful to see her so in love," she added.
We couldn't agree more.
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Katie O'Malley is the Site Director on ELLE UK. On a daily basis you’ll find Katie managing all digital workflow, editing site, video and newsletter content, liaising with commercial and sales teams on new partnerships and deals (eg Nike, Tiffany & Co., Cartier etc), implementing new digital strategies and compiling in-depth data traffic, SEO and ecomm reports. In addition to appearing on the radio and on TV, as well as interviewing everyone from Oprah Winfrey to Rishi Sunak PM, Katie enjoys writing about lifestyle, culture, wellness, fitness, fashion, and more.
