What Will Happen When Harry and Meghan Announce Their Engagement

Disha Ağustos 10, 2022

Reports of the imminent engagement of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have been swirling all over the internet and news outlets for some time now. Of course, many of these stories are wishful thinking and entirely unsubstantiated. Others appear to contain more information and sources, such as The Sunday Times article which reported "the couple are expected to marry in summer 2018", and E! Online's stories which have consistently been a step ahead in their coverage of the royal relationship. They have reported an engagement announcement is "soon" and "she has a packed schedule between now and November with Suits, but after that will be an exciting time for them and a new chapter in their relationship". Many believe the couple are already engaged. It would make sense to me on a number of levels: Meghan's still completing filming on Suits season 7, so it would be impossible to go about her work routine with any normality if an announcement had been made. My own feeling is, Meghan will wrap up filming, move to London, where she and Harry are expected to reside at Nottingham Cottage at Kensington Palace for the time being, and share the big news then! The most telling signs have come from the couple themselves. Meghan's words in Vanity Fair seemed rather telling, and I doubt such a statement would have been made were she and Harry not sure of their long-term plans: "I’m sure there will be a time when we will have to come forward and present ourselves and have stories to tell." Another telltale sign was Harry's open affection and kissing of Meghan at the Invictus Games Closing Ceremony. That level of public affection at an official event is incredibly unusual within the Royal family. I took it as another sign of the seriousness of the engagement.

What will happen when the official engagement is announced? Well, the one and only way we will know for certain is when the Palace confirm it; keep an eye on the Kensington Palace Twitter Feed. Looking back at the way William and Kate's engagement announcement was handled offers us the best indication of the plan for Harry and Meghan.

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On the day of William and Kate's announcement, the Palace released this statement early in the day:

'The Prince of Wales is delighted to announce the engagement of Prince William to Miss Catherine Middleton. The wedding will take place in the Spring or Summer of 2011, in London. Further details about the wedding day will be announced in due course.'

An announcement was also made by Mike and Carole Middleton. Meghan's parents will most likely do the same. Harry is said to be incredibly close to her mother Doria, I think we'll be seeing a lot more of her in London, in the months to come.

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As you can imagine social media was buzzing; it was an incredibly exciting day. Soon after the announcement was made, photographers and media were summoned to St James's Palace where William and Kate posed for a photocall. We had our first look at the happy couple and of course Kate's dazzling sapphire and diamond ring, belonging to her late mother-in-law Diana, Princess of Wales.

Immediately afterwards they sat down with Tom Bradby for the all-important pre-engagement interview.

The interview is a staple for the Royal family. Below, we see Charles and Diana's in 1981. It turned out to be incredibly awkward when Diana was left shocked by Charles's response to the question about whether they were in love. Diana replied "of course" and Charles gave his famous response, "whatever in love means". Diana later said it traumatised her.

It's going to be simply fascinating to see Harry and Meghan's interview. It will be planned in advance with a journalist/presenter of their choosing at the helm and will cover an array of topics from how the couple met, to the progression of their relationship and the ring. Because Meghan is already a known face, I expect a portion of it to cover her career and existing philanthropic endeavours. There will also be discussion on Meghan's feeling about joining the Royal family and perhaps the role she sees for herself. The interview can prove a nerve-wracking experience, but dealing with the media is something Meghan is well accustomed to. I don't think it will daunt her at all. Diana and Kate chose blue dresses to match their rings; Meghan will likely complement her sparkler too.

From there, I believe a series of pre-wedding engagements around the UK will take place. It will provide a wonderful opportunity for Meghan to get experience 'on the royal beat' and it's the perfect way to introduce Prince Harry's soon-to-be wife to the British public. Below we see Princess Diana with Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson (before they married) visiting HMS Brazen with an adorable Prince William. I could very easily see Harry and Meghan carrying out an appearance with William and Kate for instance, before the big day.

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Aside from official business, there will be a flurry of excitement and anticipation in the months before the big day. Who will design the dress? Meghan's parents and friends coming and going for fittings and rehearsals. If the rumours are true, and they are already engaged, I suspect they are taking a deep breath before the global spotlight shines firmly on them. When will they announce? Harry's schedule is incredibly busy at the moment, with official trips to Denmark and Chicago for the Obama Foundation Summit pencilled in for this month.