Entertainment

Is This the Real Reason Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Got Married So Fast?

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s love story has been considered by some to be a whirlwind romance. They dated for a little more than a year before getting engaged in November 2017. They were then married in May 2018. Some fans think this was a bit fast. Here’s why Harry and Meghan might have tied …

by Sheiresa Ngo

Published on June 18, 2019

2 min read

How Prince Harry and Meghan Markle met

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle on their wedding day. | Jane Barlow/PA Images via Getty Images

Prince Harry and Meghan first met like a lot of regular folks. The couple was introduced on a blind date in July 2016. “We were introduced actually by a mutual friend,” said Prince Harry in an interview with the BBC after their engagement announcement. He spoke about their early dates in London and the one special date they had when they camped under the stars in Botswana for five days. Prince Harry said that date was when they were completely alone for an extended period and they were able to really get to know each other.

Meghan Markle doesn’t consider her relationship with Prince Harry to be a whirlwind

Prince Harry and Meghan looked so much in love as they told the BBC host their story. At one point, the host asked if the couple thought their romance was a whirlwind, and they said they didn’t. Here’s what Meghan had to say:

I don’t think that I would call it a whirlwind in terms of our relationship. Obviously there have been layers attached to how public it has become after we had a good five or six months almost of just privacy, which was amazing. I think we were able to really have so much time just to connect. And we never went longer than two weeks without seeing each other even though we were obviously doing a long-distance relationship. So, we made it work.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s royal wedding | Jane Barlow/PA Images via Getty Images

This could be why Meghan Markle and Prince Harry got married so quickly

It’s possible Meghan’s citizenship might have played a role in the wedding timeline. Jason Knauf, Prince Harry’s communication secretary, told the BBC that despite Meghan’s fame, she wouldn’t get special treatment when it came to applying for U.K. citizenship. Part of the process requires securing a visa to stay in the country before citizenship can even be discussed. Furthermore, it is required for a couple to get married within six months to maintain visa eligibility.