Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's relationship has been going from strength to strength ever since they started dating last summer. The couple have gone the extra mile to make their transatlantic relationship work, jetting between Harry's hometown of London and Meghan's base of Toronto to see each other as often as they can. And with just one day to go before they attend Pippa Middleton's wedding, royal watchers are certain more than ever that the couple are destined for their own fairy tale ending.
There have been signs – some subtle and others not so subtle – that point to Meghan preparing for a royal life. In April, the Suits actress closed her lifestyle blog The Tig, which focused on food, travel, beauty and fashion. A week later, Meghan, 35, also ended her role as ambassador to Canadian clothing company Reitmans. Personal blogs and endorsement deals are not deemed appropriate for royals, as they focus their time on carrying out official duties on behalf of Her Majesty. Meghan has also been keeping a lower profile on social media, and has noticeably been posting less and less on her Instagram account, which boasts 1.6m followers.
The couple are set to attend Pippa Middleton's wedding
Harry and Meghan: the royal protocol they would need to follow for an engagement
Meghan and Harry have been taking gradual steps to go public. In January they attended the wedding of Harry's best friend Tom Inskip in Jamaica, where Meghan was introduced to many members of Harry's inner circle. Earlier this month the couple were also pictured kissing at the Audi Polo Cup Challenge at Coworth Park in Ascot. It was the first time that Harry, 32, had taken his girlfriend to such a public event and he didn't seem to care who was watching as he embraced his other half.
It seems high society sporting events provide the perfect backdrop to royal romances. Prince William's appearance at Coworth Park with the then Kate Middleton in 2009 drew attention because it was the first time they'd been seen in public for some time. They announced their engagement the following year. Indeed, an invitation to watch polo appears to be a rite of passage for any would-be royal bride, and Meghan's latest outing with her Prince is the surest sign yet that wedding bells could soon be ringing. The actress looked perfectly at ease among the polo set and VIP guests, perhaps a hint of more society events to come.
An invitation to watch polo appears to be a rite of passage for any would-be royal bride
GALLERY: Unknown facts about Meghan Markle
It was clear from the very start that Meghan is different to Harry's previous girlfriends. He dated lawyer Chelsy Davy for seven years and actress Cressida Bonas for a couple, but only made high-profile public outings with Cressida two years into their relationship. It only took Harry a couple of months of dating Meghan to take a stand. The romantic Prince released a truly heartfelt and lengthy statement via Kensington Palace, asking for privacy for himself and Meghan. He also said he was "worried" and "deeply disappointed that he has not been able to protect" the Toronto-based actress from harassment, "sexism and racism". The very public statement was a rare move for the Prince, who is clearly head over heels in love with his girlfriend.