Meghan Markle and Harry’s time as a senior royal family member didn’t exactly go to plan. A few years after she and Prince Harry tied the knot, the couple decided enough was enough and left the royal family.

The fact that the Sussexes did leave royal life was one thing, as several of the Firm’s members were hurt and shocked by their decision. However, what they did after, revealing all sorts of things about the royals, created a situation that has been terrible since.

Harry and Meghan’s relationship with the royal family is destroyed today, and no one knows if they will make amends. The Duchess had to stand in Kate Middleton’s shadow, and according to one royal expert, that was not what she expected. A new claim suggests that Meghan didn’t only think she’d be in the spotlight – but even becoming the UK’s new Princess Diana.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s relationship began with a brief, one-hour date in London in 2016. The then Suits star described how she was in London for the Wimbledon tennis tournament when she and Harry made plans to meet.

Meghan Markle – journey towards royal life

They scheduled a dinner, though things could have gotten off to a better start. Harry and Meghan were to meet at the Soho House in London, but the actress was forced to wait on her date for 30 minutes as Harry was running late.

“I couldn’t understand why he would be late,” Meghan said in the series. “But he kept texting. He was like, ‘I’m in traffic. I’m so sorry.’”

“I was panicking, I was freaking out,” Harry added. “I was, like, sweating.”

Meghan revealed that because she didn’t know Harry, she wondered if he was usually late.

“I was like, ‘Oh, is this what he does?’ Got it. Like this, I’m not doing. I’m not gonna sit…..”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Harry interfered.

“Like you’re one of those guys who have so much of an ego that any girl would sit waiting for a half hour for you,” Meghan continued. “I was just not interested in that.”

Once Harry walked into the restaurant, though, Meghan quickly realized that his being late wasn’t part of any strategy or plan.

“I was a hot, sweaty, red ball of mess,” Harry recalled.

“You were just so sweet,” Meghan added. “You were genuinely so embarrassed and late.”

“We just met but I think she’s the one”

The first date, which Meghan said was “refreshingly fun,” lasted about an hour. The next day, the couple met again – coincidentally, Meghan was five minutes late.

“I was like, ‘You can be as late as you want cause I ain’t moving,’” Harry reminisced.

He added: “That was when it just hit me like, this woman is amazing. She is everything that I’ve been looking for.”

Harry was over the moon when he started dating Meghan. It didn’t take long for the couple to begin a serious relationship.

A friend who appeared in the couple’s documentary explained how happy and excited the Prince was.

“Guys, I met a girl,” the friend recalled Harry saying. “We just met, but I think she’s the one.”

Meghan, meanwhile, explained how she and Harry shared a special connection from the beginning. Though their relationship was initially long-distance – and a secret to the world – it never stopped them.

“Everything was text and FaceTime, we’d talk for hours. It felt exciting but not in the way people would assume it would be,” Meghan said. “It was just relaxed and easy.”

In 2018, the two tied the knot in St. George’s Chapel at Windsor. At that stage, many believed the couple would be a vital part of the Royal Family’s future. Of course, we now know just how wrong those predictions were.

Meghan Markle’s short stint as a royal family member

Barely two years later, Harry and Meghan left the royal family for good. On January 8, 2020, the couple released a statement explaining that they no longer wished to be working royal family members.

“After many months of reflection and internal discussions, we have chosen to make a transition this year in starting to carve out a progressive new role within this institution,” they said.

“We intend to step back as ‘senior’ members of the Royal Family and work to become financially independent, while continuing to fully support Her Majesty The Queen. It is with your encouragement, particularly over the last few years, that we feel prepared to make this adjustment. We now plan to balance our time between the United Kingdom and North America, continuing to honour our duty to The Queen, the Commonwealth, and our patronages.”

“This geographic balance will enable us to raise our son with an appreciation for the royal tradition into which he was born, while also providing our family with the space to focus on the next chapter, including the launch of our new charitable entity.”