Meghan Markle has paid tribute to Prince Harry for giving her a ‘lifetime of stories’ as she celebrates her seventh wedding anniversary.
The Duchess of Sussex, 43, thanked people who ‘have supported and loved’ herself and Prince Harry, 40, since they married in 2018 as she shared a mood board full of memories of their time together.
Posting on her Instagram account, she wrote: ‘Seven years of marriage. A lifetime of stories.
‘Thanks to all of you (whether by our side, or from afar) who have loved and supported us throughout our love story – we appreciate you.
‘Happy anniversary!’
The board was full of previously unseen photographs marking milestones on Harry and Meghan’s love story that began in 2016.
One of the earliest photos showed the Duke and Duchess pose for a selfie taken in London that year.
Another snap showed a shirtless Harry and Meghan elephant watching during their holiday to Botswana for their second date.
One of the most intimate photos was an image of their son Archie’s ultrasound scan that the couple first shared with the world in their 2022 Netflix series, Harry & Meghan, as they spoke about how they ‘connected early on’ about their desire to be parents.
Also pinned onto Meghan’s mood board was a photo of Harry and Meghan taken in Norfolk during what appears to be a visit to Holkham Bay – the Sandringham beach frequented by Prince William and Princess Catherine.
The comment could be considered a dig at the royal family, with whom relations have been frosty since the Sussexes stepped down as working royals in 2020 and moved to the US.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have taken several swipes at The Firm since moving to their $14 million Montecito mansion during the Covid pandemic.
Among the sensational accusations levelled at Harry’s family were that ‘concerns and conversations’ were voiced when Meghan was pregnant with Prince Archie, now six, as to what colour his skin would be when he was born.
Meghan’s post comes after royal fans noticed she had reversed the order of her wedding rings back to the conventionally held placement. Last week, the Duchess showcased her stack of rings, estimated to be worth £210,000, in a post for her lifestyle brand As Ever.
One of the most noticeable elements of her stack was its unconventional order – with the Duchess opting to wear her the three-stone engagement ring first, followed by her eternity ring and then her Welsh gold wedding band.
Meghan has posted intimate family photos of the Sussex family as she celebrates her seventh wedding anniversary
Typically, the wedding band is worn first as an American jewellery expert told The Knot it should be positioned ‘closest to the heart’.
Meanwhile, eternity bands are added last, according to British jeweler Beaverbrooks because the rings are traditionally given to celebrate relationship milestones, People reported. The order these days, however, is a matter of preference, they added.
However, in her latest As Ever Instagram post, she switched her rings back. Meghan, while holding a white rose, donned her wedding band and eternity rings first, before adding her engagement ring.
Again, her face was not visible, but the mother-of-two strolled outdoors in a mid-length cream denim skirt and white shirt in the image. She added in the caption, ‘Heading into the weekend’.
As the Duke and Duchess mark seven years of marriage today, one thing that has remained constant is that they are not afraid to stray from convention.
Harry didn’t ask Meghan’s father for permission to marry her, Meghan walked down part of the aisle alone and the ceremony was a fusion of two cultures.
The Duchess’s ‘fairytale wedding’ at St George’s Chapel couldn’t have been more different from royal weddings of the past, with guests calling it the most diverse major event in Queen Elizabeth’s reign.
At the time MailOnline reported that Meghan had launched her own ‘mini-revolution’ with her multicultural and US-influenced wedding, the likes of which Britain’s royals and the millions watching had never seen before.
Meghan even decided to give a speech at the reception, breaking protocol.
In America it is common for the couple, their best man, the maid of honour and parents to give speeches.
However for British royal weddings this honour is usually reserved for the best man, the host and the groom – letting the bride off the hook.
In the Netflix docuseries Harry & Meghan, the couple shared the speech in full for the first time.
She read from her notes: ‘Let’s call this a modern fairytale. Once upon a time, there was a girl from LA. Some people called her an actress.
‘And there was a guy from London. Some people called him a prince.
‘All of those people didn’t fully get it. Because this is the love story of a boy and a girl who were meant to be together.’
She spoke about their first dates and their memorable trip to Botswana.
‘They would love and garden and travel and laugh, and rack up more air miles than any couple could have,’ she added.
‘I’ve always valued independence. I’ve always been outspoken, especially about women’s rights, and that’s the sad irony of the last four years, I’ve advocated for so long for women to use their voice. And then I was silent.’
As they look back on their wedding at St George’s Chapel seven years ago today, Harry and Meghan remain united in their desire to live a different life away from the Royal Family, but they are not on the same page in every single sense.
During their brief period as working royals where they appeared to be the perfect double act.
Even during the drama of ‘Megxit’, Harry and Meghan’s early business ventures were almost entirely joint which included the formation of their non-profit organisation Archewell and a lucrative Netflix deal which saw the pair star in a documentary.
However, as the couple celebrate their seventh wedding anniversary, there appears to be a growing career chasm between the Sussexes in their business ventures with both taking on more solo projects.
According to one royal insider, the couple could be suffering from a so-called ‘seven-year glitch’ where by they are still very much happily married but are separating their professional lives.
Speaking to MailOnline, royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams said that Meghan has ambitions to become a billionaire with her various projects including TV and investing in start-ups, but Harry lacks the same ‘ruthlessness’.
‘Harry is increasingly finding himself as the spare in a relationship with Meghan which undoubtedly involves mutual affection, but where their priorities differ widely.
‘Meghan likes glitz and glamour and is absolutely ruthless as the interview on Oprah showed so clearly. Because she married Harry, her brand does have reach.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle share a kiss on their wedding day. It was a picture perfect wedding when the new Duke and Duchess of Sussex tied the knot at St George’s Chapel, Windsor, seven years ago today
Meghan during an episode of With Love, Meghan. There appears to be a growing chasm between the Sussexes business ventures with both taking on more solo projects
‘She would like to be a billionaire influencer and an A-list celebrity but she has very few A-list friends.’
Richard said that Harry’s comfort zone is his charity work, and this is the direction in which he naturally finds himself leaning.
‘Invictus means a lot to him, it was a joy to see him at the WellChild Awards last year. He genuinely enjoyed being with the children, it seemed as though the “old Harry” was temporarily back,’ he said.
However, he cautioned that the Duke has made a ‘large number of mistakes’.
These include his ‘angry and resentful half hour interview with the BBC after he lost his court case over security and his ill-judged memoir Spare’.
He added: However, though often emotional, he lacks Meghan’s ruthlessness, which was so apparent in the Oprah interview.’
As for Meghan’s hopes of reaching her billionaire goal, Richard said that her public image could be problematic.
‘Her declining popularity in the United States is partly due to the bullying allegations which have dogged her though she strongly denies them, and partly because, as was pointed out by critics of her With Love, Meghan cookery show, she is too self-obsessed,’ he explained.
Meghan’s new podcast is one of her latest solo business ventures
‘She should take advice from the infamous but pragmatic 16th century diplomat Nicolo Machiavelli who wrote “It is not necessary that a prince (in her case a princess) be just. It is very necessary that he (she) appear to be”.
‘The talent isn’t there, the ambition is boundless, the self-love infinite and it shows far too obviously. The novelty has worn off, too. If you preach love but rubbish the royal family, which you married into, you might not make the fortune you seek!’
Indeed, Meghan does appear to have focused much of her energy on her solo business projects in recent years.
In March 2024, she soft-launched American Riviera Orchard before changing the companies name to As Ever.
Announcing the new venture, Meghan said: ‘This new chapter is an extension of what has always been my love language, beautifully weaving together everything I cherish – food, gardening, entertaining, thoughtful living, and finding joy in the everyday.’
The food products sold by the brand include an assortment of teas, edible flower sprinkles and a £20 jar of honey.
Meghan has also invested in a number of companies including the vegan coffee brand Clevr Blends and haircare line Highbrow Hippie.
She has also invested in asset manager Ethic, which focuses on sustainable investments.
Harry and Meghan signed a lucrative £18million deal with Spotify in 2020. However despite appearing to be a joint venture, the only show they produced was hosted by Meghan.
In the series, titled Archetypes, Meghan interviewed various celebrities from Serena Williams to Paris Hilton.
Prince Harry and Meghan in 2022. Even during the drama of ‘Megxit’, Harry and Meghan’s early business ventures were almost entirely joint
In 2022, the first Netflix series about the Sussexes was released aptly named Harry and Meghan. While it holds the record for the biggest debut for a Netflix documentary it received mixed reviews from critics
Harry speaks at the HALO Trust in September last year. He remains focused on his charity work
The deal was ‘mutually ended’ in June 2023 with sources claiming the music streaming giant did not see a enough content to warrant the full payout.
Earlier this year, the duchess launched her Confessions of a Female Founder with Meghan podcast which saw the royal chat with female business owners from an array of successful companies.
In a slight career change, Meghan also penned a children’s book in 2021 titles The Bench.
The book follows the relationship of a father and son through the eyes of the mother.
It received mixed reviews from critics.
Harry remains focused on his charity work. He is still involved heavily with the Invictus Games and the foundation which supports the tournament as well as the HALO Trust – a charity working to remove landmines which Princess Diana was supportive of.
The Duke of Sussex also launched more new projects in recent years including an eco-travel campaign through his non-profit Travalyst, aimed at encouraging sustainable travel.
In November 2023 he became the global ambassador for Scotty’s Little Soldiers – a charity which cares for children whose parents died while serving in the armed forces.
Harry’s brief cameo at the end of Meghan’s Netflix lifestyle programme. A source from the show has since reported that neither Harry nor their children will appear in the next season of the show
A jar of honey for sale on As Ever which sells an array of food products
Prince Harry and Meghan on their wedding day in May 2018
In their television projects, Harry and Meghan have kept a much more united front but even so the couple do now appear to be doing much more separate projects.
Although an official figure was never announced, Harry and Meghan’s deal with Netflix was allegedly worth around £80million and seen the couple produce multiple shows.
In 2022, the first Netflix series about the Sussexes was released aptly named Harry and Meghan.
While it holds the record for the biggest debut for a Netflix documentary it received mixed reviews.
The pair were also executive producers on the Polo sports documentary series which followed athletes at the US Open Polo Championship.
In 2023, Meghan did not join Harry as an executive producer on the Heart of Invictus series, although the duke and duchess did appear together during the show.
Meghan’s first major solo television project was her lifestyle programme called With Love Meghan which saw the duchess team up with a number of famous guests to cook and create homeware products.
Harry was almost entirely absent from the series aside from a very brief cameo in the last episode.
A source from the show has since reported that neither Harry nor their children will appear in the next season of the show.
