Prince Harry's first date with Meghan Markle almost ended before it began, according to his 2023 memoir Spare. The Duke of Sussex arrived 30 minutes late to their meeting at London's Soho House after being stuck in heavy traffic, and his failure to explain the delay left the former Suits actress deeply frustrated.
Panic and Silence in the Car
Writing in Spare, Harry recalled growing panicked as the minutes ticked by. He apologised for the "horrible traffic," but Meghan's reply was simply "OK." He told himself she might leave and confided to his bodyguards, "She's gonna leave."
When Meghan suggested he get out of the car and walk the rest of the way, Harry stayed silent, unable to explain the security risks of a royal sprinting through central London. "It would be like a llama running through the streets," he wrote. "It would make a scene, cause security nightmares; never mind the press it might attract."
Meghan's Ultimatum
Meghan later confirmed in the couple's 2022 Netflix docuseries that the delay almost ruined his chances. She admitted: "I was like, 'Oh, is this what he does? Got it. Like, this I'm not doing, I'm not gonna sit and wait for him.' I was just not interested in that."
However, her anger melted when Harry finally arrived. "You were genuinely so embarrassed and late... you were a red-hot, sweaty mess," she recalled.
From Second Date to Marriage
Despite the awkward start and a hasty goodbye hug, the pair hit it off and went on a second date the next evening. They kept their relationship private for months, flying between London and Toronto until it was leaked to the press in late 2016.
Harry proposed in November 2017 at Kensington Palace with a custom three-stone diamond ring featuring diamonds from his late mother Diana, Princess of Wales's collection. The couple married in May 2018 at St George's Chapel in Windsor Castle, becoming the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.
