Meghan Markle's Subtle Hints at Prince Harry Romance

Ten years ago this month, Prince Harry's secret romance with American actress Meghan Markle was revealed to the world. While the relationship was officially announced in October 2016, the Duchess of Sussex had been subtly hinting at their connection for months across social media and through conversations with friends.

The couple met on a blind date in July 2016 and quickly began dating. According to Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand's 2020 book "Finding Freedom," they spent three hours together on their second date at London's Dean Street Townhouse.

Meghan, then 45, began sharing what appeared to be breadcrumb trails of their budding relationship. On July 1, 2016, she posted a picture of a large bunch of peonies with the caption "Swooning over these. #London #peonies #spoiledrotten." Just two days later, an image of a Love Heart sweet with the words 'kiss me' on it was shared, captioned 'Lovehearts in #London.' A photo on July 17 featured two interlocking matches, forming a heart shape, with the caption 'Sunday kind of love.'

Around this time, Meghan traveled to Botswana to stay with Prince Harry for five days. In their engagement interview, Harry described the trip as crucial for them to get to know each other, camping under the stars. He later revealed in their Netflix series that they had only met twice before this intimate getaway, and it was then he realized Meghan was his 'soulmate.'

On her now-deactivated Instagram, Meghan posted an image of two cuddling bananas with the caption 'Sleep tight xx.' She later shared more pictures of peonies, writing, 'Because I’m spoiled rotten. #thankyou #peonies #theynevergetold.' IMAGE4

Meghan also shared details of her romance with others. While filming a makeup tutorial with Bobbi Brown, she mentioned she was 'dating a fellow from the UK.' Brown later recounted that Meghan had spoken about a man she had started dating from the United Kingdom.

Fashion designer Roland Mouret recalled Meghan telling him she had met a 'nice British guy' on the phone in 2016. When asked about his profession, she hesitated before saying, 'He's a prince.' Mouret recognized this referred to Prince Harry, noting, 'There was only one British prince.' IMAGE1

Meghan also confided in former "Made In Chelsea" star Millie Mackintosh. During a girls' weekend at Soho Farmhouse in September 2016, Mackintosh recalled Meghan messaging Harry. Mackintosh stated that after the relationship went public, Meghan 'cut her dead.' IMAGE6

Her "Suits" co-star Abigail Spencer revealed on Netflix's "Harry & Meghan" that Meghan had excitedly told her in a New York tearoom, 'I think I met someone and I'm in love. It's Prince Harry.' Spencer described Meghan's body 'vibrating' with excitement, adding, 'It was very clear... they were in love and they were going to go to the ends of the earth to be together.' IMAGE3

Another "Suits" co-star, Rick Hoffman, also learned about the relationship early on, expressing disbelief and excitement with Meghan in their trailer. IMAGE2

Perhaps the most telling clues involved jewelry. In photos from mid-October, Meghan was seen wearing a distinctive blue-and-white beaded bracelet that Prince Harry had been pictured wearing since March of that year. She was photographed wearing it on trips to Soho Farmhouse, with her American passport visible in one image and the bracelet on her wrist. IMAGE7

Following the public reveal of their relationship, Meghan reportedly stopped wearing the bracelet. In December 2016, she was allegedly reprimanded by a Palace aide for wearing a 14-carat gold necklace with the initials 'H' and 'M' on it, a move seen as encouraging media attention.

The couple's final secret date before the relationship became public was at a post-apocalypse-themed Halloween party on October 29, 2016. Harry described it as their 'last shot to just go out and have fun.' His cousin, Princess Eugenie, and her husband Jack Brooksbank, were also reportedly in attendance.