EXCLUSIVE DIGITAL EDITION PRINCE HARRY AND MEGHAN MARKLE: BEFORE THE WEDDING THE PROPOSAL, THE PREPARATIONS, THE VENUE AND MUCH MORE! HELLOMAGAZINE.CA ON THE COVER: MAX MUMBY/INDIGO/GETTY IMAGES 1 OF 21 OYAL ENGAGEM THE R ENT THE BIG NEWS THE WORLD WAS WAITING FOR! IN THEIR FIRST INTERVIEW TOGETHER, HARRY AND MEGHAN REVEAL HOW HE PROPOSED – AND HOW SHE REACTED HELLOMAGAZINE.CA PHOTO: DOMINIC LIPINSKI/PA IMAGES/GETTY IMAGES 2 OF 21 hen Prince Harry and his W fiancée, Meghan Markle, cuddled up on the steps of Kensington Palace’s Sunken Garden to announce their en- gagement on Monday, Nov. 27, they were clearly a couple very much in love. Beginning with a 5 a.m. an- nouncement from Clarence House – “His Royal Highness Prince Henry of Wales and Ms. Meghan Markle are engaged to be married” – it was a whirlwind day – fittingly, given their seem- ingly whirlwind romance – and a welcome one, too, as it of- fered the happy couple the opportunity to come out of hiding and share their joy with the world. joint interview to discuss their weeks ago, earlier this month, On those steps, the fifth in love affair, their plans for the here at our cottage – just a stan- line to the British throne – for- future and how the prince pro- dard, typical night for us. merly the world’s most eligible posed! Read on for an excerpt Meghan: Just a cozy night … bachelor – proclaimed he knew of the couple’s memorable first What were we doing? Just roast- the American actress was “the interview together. ing chicken. one” from the very first time Harry: Trying to roast a chicken. they were introduced on a blind Congratulations to you both! Meghan: Trying to roast a chick- date. Soon afterwards, hands Can we start with the proposal en, and it [was] just an amazing still firmly clasped, Harry, 33, – when did it happen? surprise – so sweet and natural and Meghan, 36, gave their first Prince Harry: It happened a few and very romantic. He got HELLOMAGAZINE.CA PHOTO: CHRIS JACKSON/GETTY IMAGES 3 OF 21 ‘It was an amazing surprise, so sweet and romantic. He got down on one knee’ – MEGHAN on one knee. Which for most people would privacy and not reveal too Harry: Of course. be quite a whirlwind. Is that much. how it’s felt to you? I don’t think Harry: We’ll protect her privacy, Was it an instant yes from you? I would call it a whirlwind in yeah. And then we met once and Meghan: Yes. As a matter of fact terms of our relationship. We then twice back to back – two [looks at Harry], I could barely had a good five, six months al- dates in London, last July. let you finish proposing. I said, most with just privacy, which Meghan: Yes. “Can I say yes now?” was amazing. But no, I think we Harry: The beginning of July. Harry: She didn’t even let me were able to have so much time And then it was, I think, about finish. She said, “Can I say yes? just to connect, and we never three, maybe four weeks later Can I say yes?” and then there went longer than two weeks that I managed to persuade her were hugs, and I had the ring without seeing each other, even to come and join me in Bot- [on] my finger and I was like, though we were obviously do- swana. And we camped out with “Can I – can I give you the ing a long-distance relation- each other under the stars – she ring?” She goes, “Oh yes, the ship. So we made it work. came and joined me for five ring!” days out there, which was abso- How did you first meet? lutely fantastic. So then we were And this is how long after you Harry: Ah yes, we first met – we really by ourselves, which was first met? were introduced, actually, by a crucial to me to make sure we Meghan: A year and a half, a mutual friend, who … had a chance to get to know little bit more than that? Meghan: We should protect her each other. HELLOMAGAZINE.CA PHOTO: TIM ROOKE/REX/SHUTTERSTOCK 4 OF 21 Romantic Harry designed Meghan’s stunning engagement ring himself. It’s a yellow-gold band with a diamond the prince sourced from Botswana, and two smaller diamonds from the jewelry collection of his late mother Diana, Princess of Wales. Meghan: For both of us, though, it was really refreshing because, given that I didn’t know a lot about him, everything I’ve learned about him I’ve learned through him, as opposed to hav- ing grown up around different news stories, tabloids or what- ever else. So for both of us, it was a really authentic and or- ganic way to get to know each other. And was that quite refreshing The friend who introduced you going to make this work,” be- for you, Harry, in the way that – was she trying to set you up? cause I was off to Africa for a you’ve been brought up, with a Meghan: Yes, it was definitely a month and she was working. lot of people knowing a lot set-up. It was a blind date. And we just said, “Right, where’s about you … Or thinking they Harry: It was a blind date for the gap?” And the gap hap- know. sure. pened to be in the perfect Meghan: Exactly. Meghan: And it’s so interest- place. Harry: Yeah, it was hugely re- ing … because I’m from the freshing, to be able to know States, you don’t grow up with So how much did you, Harry, someone who isn’t necessarily the same understanding of the know about Meghan? Had you within your circle – [she] Royal Family. And so … I didn’t seen her on TV? No, I’d never doesn’t know much about me; I know much about him. So the even heard about her until this don’t know much about her – only thing I had asked her when friend said, “Meghan!” I was so to be able to start almost she said she wanted to set us up like, “Right, give me a bit of afresh, right from the begin- was, “Well, is he nice?” Because background – what’s going on ning, getting to know each if he wasn’t kind, it just didn’t here?” I’d never watched Suits; other step by step. And then seem like it would make sense. I’d never heard of Meghan be- taking that huge leap of only And so we went and met for a fore. And I was beautifully sur- two dates and then effectively drink, and then very quickly prised when I walked into that going on holiday together … into that, we said, “What are we room and saw her, and there Meghan: In the middle of no- doing tomorrow? We should she was, sitting there. I was like, where … meet again.” OK, well, I’m going to have to real- Harry: In the middle of no- Harry: And then it was like, ly up my game here [grins sheepish- where and, you know, sharing a “Right, we need to get the diar- ly]. And make sure I’ve got a tent together and all that kind ies out and find out how we’re good [line of] chat. of stuff, it was fantastic. It HELLOMAGAZINE.CA PHOTOS FROM TOP: CHRIS JACKSON/GETTY IMAGES; SAMIR HUSSEIN/WIREIMAGE/GETTY IMAGES 5 OF 21 was absolutely amazing to get having gone through this learn- of mistruths that I made the to know her as quickly as I did. ing curve in the past year and a choice to not read anything, half, I did not have any under- positive or negative – it just And starting a long-distance re- standing of just what it would didn’t make sense. And instead lationship – how hard was it to be like. I don’t think either of we focused all of our energies keep things going? us did. just on nurturing our relation- Meghan: It was just a choice, Harry: You know [to Meghan], I ship. right? I think that very early on, tried to warn you as much as Harry: On us, yeah. when we realized we were go- possible, but I think both of us Meghan: On us, yeah. ing to commit to each other, we were totally surprised by the re- knew we had to invest the time action, after the first five or six Now that it is all official, Harry, and the energy and whatever it months of when we had [the re- do you have that sense that took to make that happen. And lationship] to ourselves. You [with] your different back- so yes, with the filming sched- can have as many conversations grounds, you represent some- ule, it was not the easiest, be- as you want, and try and pre- thing new for the Royal Family? cause it, of course, included a pare as much as possible, but Harry: I don’t know if it’s some- lot of travel back and forth, we were totally unprepared for thing new. For me, it’s an add- but … what happened after that. ed member of the family; it’s Harry: I don’t think you had another team player as part of any idea what time zone you’ve the bigger team … All we want been on for the past year and a to do is carry out our work, and half? Harry chose his late try and encourage others and Meghan: No! mother’s diamonds for the younger generation to be Harry: Coming over here for able to see the world in the four days or a week and then the ring ‘to make sure correct sense, rather than per- going back and then straight haps having a distorted view.