Meghan Markle and Prince Harry Anniversary: Here's when the couple *actually* got married (no, it's not the royal ceremony)

Meghan Markle is in the seventh heaven! The Duke and Duchess of Sussex marked seven years of marriage on May 19.

The Duchess of Sussex is celebrating her seventh marriage anniversary with her husband, Prince Harry. To mark the special day, Markle took to social media and posted a collage of moments on Instagram with a sweet note.

"Seven years of marriage. A lifetime of stories," she wrote in a bulletin board-style post set to The Proclaimers' hit "I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)" and featuring several never-before-seen photos of the couple together.

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"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!" Meghan wrote, adding a red heart emoji.

Some of those photos are previously unseen shots of the Sussex family, including pictures of their children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet as babies, a few pictures of them kissing and a photo from their royal wedding day.

Although Meghan and Harry celebrate their wedding anniversary on May 19, unknown to many, the couple actually tied the knot on a different date.


Read on to find out.


The wedding day:

Meghan Markle walked down the aisle at St. George's Chapel on Windsor Castle and said ‘I do’ to Prince Harry on May 19, 2018. The ceremony was attended by approximately 600 guests and was watched by nearly 2 billion people worldwide.


Meghan wore a custom white Givenchy gown designed by then-director Clare Waight Keller, paired with Queen Mary's Diamond Bandeau Tiara and a 16.5-foot veil embroidered with flowers representing all 53 Commonwealth countries. Prince Harry donned the frock coat uniform of the Household Cavalry.


However, after nearly three years, the couple revealed that they were already married before they walked down the aisle on May 19!


The *real* wedding day:

In early 2020, the Sussex family (Meghan and Harry, along with Prince Archie) announced the decision to step down as working senior royals and thereafter relocated to Montecito, California, from the United Kingdom. Over a year later, a pregnant Meghan (with Princess Lilibet) appeared in an interview with Oprah Winfrey, along with her husband, Prince Harry.


During that interview, Meghan revealed that she and Prince Harry secretly got married three days ahead of their ceremony at St. George's Chapel on Windsor Castle on May 19, 2018.

The Duchess of Sussex shared that the Archbishop of Canterbury performed a ceremony where they exchanged vows in their backyard.

"Three days before our wedding, we got married — no one knows that — but we called the Archbishop and said, 'This thing, this spectacle is for the world, but we want our union between us,' " Meghan shared. "So the vows that we have framed in our room are just the two of us in our backyard with the Archbishop of Canterbury."


So, as per that calculation, Meghan and Harry’s *real* anniversary falls on May 16, although the couple never revealed the date of their ‘backyard marriage’.


The romance timeline:

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry started dating in mid-2016. According to the couple, they first connected with each other via Instagram, and they have also said that they were set up on a blind date by a mutual friend in July 2016. In November 2017, Kensington Palace announced that the pair had officially gotten engaged following about a year of dating.


Almost a year later, in May 2018, Prince Harry and Meghan married at St. George's Chapel at Windsor Castle in a star-studded ceremony.

Notably, Meghan walked down the aisle alone and was met halfway by Prince Charles, who accompanied her the rest of the way. The couple was given the titles Duke and Duchess of Sussex by Queen Elizabeth II on the day of their marriage.

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In 2019, Meghan and Harry welcomed their first child, a son, Prince Archie.

In early 2020, Meghan and Prince Harry announced that they were stepping down as Senior Royals and relocated to Montecito, California.

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In 2021, the couple welcomed their second child, a daughter, Princess Lilibet.