Meghan Markle has made a special Instagram post to mark her seventh wedding anniversary with Prince Harry.
The Montecito-based Duchess of Sussex, 43, paid tribute to her husband for giving her a ‘lifetime of stories’ and thanked people who ‘have supported and loved’ herself and Harry, 40, since they wed in 2018.
She shared a mood board full of memories of their time together with the caption: ‘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.
She added a piece of paper with the handwritten lyrics of Ben E King’s Stand by Me – that was performed at their 2018 wedding.
Here, Femail takes a look at the photographs included in Meghan’s collage.
Here, Femail takes a look at the images shared by Duchess of Sussex in her anniversary Instagram post to Prince Harry
ONE
Meghan shared a loved-up early photograph of herself and Harry from the early days of their relationship
One of the earliest photos featured on the board showed the Duke and Duchess pose for a selfie taken in London in 2016, when they first started dating.
In the photograph, which is tabbed up as ‘2016’ in ‘London’, Meghan posed in a flannel shirt while Harry stood behind smiling.
Prince Harry opened up about the early days of his relationship with Meghan in his bombshell memoir Spare.
He recounted the moment he first laid eyes on his future wife, and later when they first met at 76 Dean Street, one of Soho House’s private member clubs in London.
Though he’d had a long-distance crush on her for a couple of years, as they shared a bottle of well-chilled rosé with friends, it became clear that her allure was more than just physical.
Harry listened intently while Meghan spoke about Rwanda, where she had been campaigning for clean water.
He was captivated by her altruism, and from the moment they said their goodbyes, he bombarded her with texts asking to see her again. Meghan, who was staying in London for most of the summer, agreed.
TWO
Meghan and Harry watched elephants during a trip to Botswana in another photograph shared to Instagram
The next photograph showed Meghan and Harry observing an elephant in sunny Botswana.
The image, which was tabbed up with the location, showed a shirtless Harry and Meghan during their holiday for their second date in 2016.
The African country holds a special place in the couple’s hearts. Harry took Meghan to his favourite luxury camp Meno a Kwena to celebrate Meghan’s 36th birthday and mark their first year together.
Meghan’s engagement ring includes a center diamond from Botswana, which is cushioned by two smaller diamonds from Princess Diana’s collection.
THREE
Meghan included a romantic photograph from 2017 near the time that Harry proposed to her
Meghan also shared a photograph taken near the time that Harry proposed to her in 2017.
The Duchess labelled the group ‘engagement photos’ in her cursive handwriting, with the snaps showing Harry and Meghan lovingly staring into each other’s eyes after the former Suits actress said ‘yes’ to the Prince.
He popped the question on a ‘typical’ night at Nottingham Cottage, his home in Kensington Palace, on November 4, 2017.
Meghan was ‘trying’ to cook a roast chicken for dinner – a recipe likely inspired by her love for the Barefoot Contessa host Ina Garten – when Harry popped open a bottle of champagne.
In Spare, Harry shared how he surprised Meghan – and her rescue beagle Guy – with a candle-lit scene on the grass outside the Nott Cott walled garden.
‘I wanted it to look like Botswana, where I’d first thought of proposing,’ he wrote.
Harry got on one knee and said: ‘Spend your life with me? Make me the happiest guy on the planet?’
Before he could present her with the two-and-a-half-carat ring, Meghan interrupted saying: ‘Can I say yes? Can I say yes?’
FOUR
Meghan included a photograph of herself and Harry on their wedding day in May 2018
Next, Meghan shared a sweet photograph from her royal wedding to Prince Harry in 2018.
It was a picture perfect wedding when Prince Harry and Meghan tied the knot at St George’s Chapel, Windsor, in May 2018.
The then-newly minted Duke and Duchess of Sussex were joined by all the leading members of the Royal Family who gathered to celebrate their marriage.
Prince William was best man and the then- Prince Charles walked Meghan down the aisle.
FIVE
The duchess wrote out the lyrics to Ben E King’s Stand by Me, which was performed at their 2018 wedding
The board included a piece of paper with the handwritten lyrics of Ben E King’s Stand by Me, which was performed at their 2018 wedding.
The conductor of the choir who performed at the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan revealed the group went through a lot of tries to perfect their performance.
Conductor of The Kingdom Choir Karen Gibson revealed that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex rejected ten different versions of Stand By Me before they found a version they liked.
Speaking to Notebook magazine, Ms Gibson said the couple asked for a ‘stripped back’ gospel rendition of the pop song, but the choir kept ‘missing the mark’ as they didn’t understand what the couple wanted.
She said: ‘After the sixth version they suggested we had a meeting so I took a few members of the choice to Kensington Palace. When they walked in, it was surreal. But they were lovely, smiley, warm, welcoming and very much in love.’
The choir spent an hour with the couple but it would still take a few more tries to get it right and the couple were pleased with attempt number 11.
SIX
She also included an image of what appears to be a photo of her coat of arms
Controversially, Meghan also displayed what appears to be a photo of her coat of arms approved by the late Queen Elizabeth II when she became Duchess upon her wedding in May 2018.
Meghan worked with the College of Arms to design the coat of arms with the aim of representing her and her American roots.
The late Queen signed off on Meghan’s design, which features more detail than the one given to the then-Duchess of Cambridge in 2011.
The blue background of the shield represents the Pacific Ocean off the California coast, while the two golden rays across the shield are symbolic of the sunshine of the Duchess’s home state. The three quills represent communication and the power of words.
The coat of arms also included what is understood to be Meghan’s cypher, or letterhead, featuring the letter ‘M’ with a crown on top.
Beneath the shield on the grass sits a collection of golden poppies, California’s state flower, and wintersweet, which grows at Kensington Palace.
SEVEN
Meghan shared a snap of herself and Harry at the Mountbatten Festival of Music at Royal Albert Hall
Meghan also included photographs of one of their final engagements as senior members of the Royal Family – the Mountbatten Festival of Music at Royal Albert Hall on March 8, 2020.
Meghan wore a red full-length £1,295 Safiyaa dress, jewelled Simone Rocha earrings, and gorgeous red Stuart Weitzman heels.
Prince Harry, who attended the event at the South Kensington venue in his role as Captain General of the Royal Marines, wore a mess dress uniform complete with medals awarded from two tours of Afghanistan.
EIGHT
The couple stood kissing in the kitchen of Frogmore Cottage, which they renovated
The mother-of-two provided her three million Instagram followers with a sneak peak into her previous UK residence that she shared with Prince Harry – Frogmore Cottage.
Harry and Meghan haven’t lived in Frogmore Cottage on the Windsor estate since they moved to the US in 2020.
In the image, Harry and Meghan stood kissing in the home’s kitchen on the Windsor estate.
Frogmore Cottage was renovated – initially at the taxpayer’s expense – after the Duke and Duchess of Sussex were given use of the property by the late Queen in 2018.
But public outcry over the use of public money via the Sovereign Grant prompted Harry and Meghan to cover the cost themselves.
The property boasts a rich history – it was once the home of Queen Victoria’s loyal Indian attendant Abdul Karim.
And from 1925 until 1934, the home was a place of sanctuary for Grand Duchess Xenia, the sister of Tsar Nicholas II.
NINE
Harry, Archie, and Lilibet enjoyed a sunset stroll on the beach in a different image
The next photograph showed Harry, Archie, and Lillibet at the beach, during a holiday that likely took place this year.
In April, Harry and Meghan whisked their children away on a celebratory Spring holiday.
The Duchess of Sussex celebrated her recent business ventures – including her Netflix cookery show, launch of her As Ever products and recent podcast – with a family trip away.
According to People, the family has enjoyed a ‘sunsoaked getaway’ with Archie, five, and Lilibet, three – though the exact destination was not confirmed.
In the snap, the trio walked along the beach wrapped up in coats and hats during the sunset.
TEN
The mother-of-two added a tab in her calligraphy that read ‘Love Wins’
Also on the board was a tab that appeared to read the phrase, ‘Love wins’ in Meghan’s calligraphy.
Meghan wrote about her love of handwritten notes on her former lifestyle blog, The Tig saying: ‘I think handwritten notes are a lost art form.
‘When I booked my first [TV] pilot, my dad wrote me a letter that I still have. The idea of someone taking the time to put pen to paper is really special.’
Meghan taught calligraphy, gift-wrapping and book-binding at the Paper Source store in Beverly Hills from 2004 to 2005 when she was a jobbing actress trying to make ends meet.
And she appeared to have prompted a surge in sales of calligraphy craft kits with a 2018 trends report from Hobbycraft detailing an increase in interest in calligraphy kits, up 40 per cent from 2017.
ELEVEN
The Sussex family enjoyed arts and crafts in the garden in another sweet photograph
Another image showed Harry, Meghan, Archie, and Lilibet enjoying an arts and crafts party in what appears to be the backyard of their $14 million Montecito mansion.
The family sat at a children’s table in the sunny garden while getting creative with paints.
Archie and Lilibet, dressed in casual clothes, played with the crafts as Harry and Meghan helped with their creations.
The Duchess put on a casual display in a brown shirt and jeans as she enjoyed the family downtime.
TWELVE
In a surprising move, the mother-of-two shared an image of her children that showed Archie’s face
Elsewhere, Meghan shared a sweet snap of her eldest child Archie, which showed his face.
While the Sussex children have been photographed, it has become increasingly rare that Meghan shares images of her children’s faces.
For instance, in the Sussex’s 2024 Christmas card, Archie and Lilibet’s faces were not visible.
The image included in the card showed Lilibet running into her father’s waiting arms, while her brother makes a beeline for Meghan.
The last official photograph of Princess Lilibet was released on the occasion of her first birthday, when the Sussexes gave the world a rare glimpse of their daughter.
Little has been seen of the princess since photos released to mark her first birthday at Frogmore Cottage during the Platinum Jubilee in 2022.
The then toddler was captured on film at her tea party in the Windsor estate, she was seen with reddish locks, smiling and dressed in a pale blue frock with a white bow in her hair.
Archie has been photographed more regularly since his birth at the Portland Hospital in London in May 2019.
Both him and his younger sister appeared in Harry and Meghan’s Netflix documentary series, but Archie took more of a starring role.
Footage of Archie included the then toddler chasing seagulls at the beach, helping his parents pick oranges in their Montecito garden and playing with his two beloved family dogs – Labrador Pula and a Beagle called Guy.
THIRTEEN
Meghan included a sweet snap of herself and Harry during a trip to Norfolk’s Holkham Bay – a favourite of the Prince and Princess of Wales
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 Norfolk beach was featured prominently in Kate’s video confirming she had completed a preventative course of chemotherapy last September.
Holkham Bay is described as offering miles of unspoilt beach – which is accessed by walking through a small forest.
The seaside village of Holkham is not far from the Wales’ Norfolk residence, Anmer Hall.
Numerous lists featuring the UK’s best beaches include the location, thanks to its miles of unspoilt sandy stretches, as well as its expansive dunes, and wildlife.
Being just a short drive from the Royal Family’s Sandringham Estate, it has also been reported that the late Queen Elizabeth II used to enjoy talking her corgis for a stroll along the shore.
FOURTEEN
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were snapped in the rain during their Australia royal tour in 2018
Next, Meghan shared a snap from her 2018 Australia royal tour with Prince Harry.
The couple shielded themselves from torrential rain on the second day of the couple’s Australian tour in Dubbo, New South Wales.
But the torrential downpour did little to deter the Dubbo community, with a crowd of 15,000 people turning out to greet the royal couple.
Harry said the rain was ‘a gift’ for drought-hit local farmers, and spoke of how visiting the rural town reminded him of his time working as a jackaroo on a remote cattle property in Australia during his gap year.
He also urged drought-stricken farmers to seek help battling their mental struggles, just like he did when tackling his own demons following the death of his mother Princess Diana.
‘Sixty-four years ago my grandparents, the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh were right here visiting all of you.
‘It’s a great pleasure to be able to visit this area now and be able to report back how much life has changed in the Great Western plains region since then,’ Prince Harry said in his speech at Dubbo’s Victoria Park.
FIFTEEN
Meghan shared a photograph of Prince Harry with Archie on the day he was born – May 6, 2019
Meghan also shared an intimate photo of Harry and Archie taken after the then-newborn’s birth on May 6, 2019.
From the glimpses Meghan has revealed on social media, six-year-old Archie has unsurprisingly changed a lot since we last saw him as a baby.
Most of the snaps of the children show them in the garden with their faces hidden.
There has been a huge reaction to these posts – with many followers expressing delight that the children have both inherited their father’s red hair.
The family moved to California with Archie, who was less than a year old at the time, and their daughter Lilibet was born in 2021.
Meghan and Harry have worked hard to keep their children out of the spotlight by carefully controlling their public image.
Vanity Fair reported last month that after years of treading a fine line between privacy and publicity, Meghan seems to have worked out out how to balance them both.
