Prince Harry Meghan Silver Royal Wedding Coin Family Netflix Queen Elizabeth II

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Seller: anddownthewaterfall ✉️ (33,495) 99.8%, Location: Manchester, GB, Ships to: WORLDWIDE, Item: 315226710894 Prince Harry Meghan Silver Royal Wedding Coin Family Netflix Queen Elizabeth II. September 8, 2022 - Dies at the age of 96 at Balmoral Castle in Scotland. Hell Bent (Alex Stern, #2). The biggest flaw in his plan?. Falling in love with Callahan Kane was a mistake. 66.7k shelvings. Prince Harry & Meghan Royal Wedding Coin Uncirculated Silver Plated Commemoration Coin Has a Black and White Photo of the Couple from their Wedding Day With the words "Prince Henry of Wales & Ms Megham Markle" There is a love heart at the bottom with the date of their wedding "19 May 2018" The other side has an image of the let Queen Elizabeth II The coin is 40mm in diameter, weighs about  1 oz Complete with air-tight acrylic coin holder Deluxe Coin Jewel Case. In Excellent Condition Would make an Excellent Gift or Collectable Keepsake to Remember a Very Special Couple Like all my auctions bidding starts at a Penny... With No Reserve..If your the only bidder you win it for 1p....Grab a Bargain!!!! This Uncirculated Commemoration Coin is 40mm in diameter, weighs about  1 oz Comes in air-tight acrylic coin holder. Would make a great gift inside a Birthday Card, Christmas Card, Good Luck Card ....etc In Excellent Condition Bidding starts at a penny with no reserve.... ......If you bid 1p and your the only bidder you will win it for a penny...... ........Grab a Bargain!! I also have this in gold plus more Russian coins  on Ebay so Please... Check out my  other items ! Bid with Confidence please read my 100% Positive feedback from over 28,000 satisfied customer Read how quickly they receive their items - I post all my items within 24 hours of receiving payment International customers are welcome. I have shipped items to over 120 countries International orders may require longer handling time if held up at customs If there is a problem I always give a full refund Returns are accepted If your unhappy with your item please return it for a full refund I am a UK Seller with 6 Years of eBay Selling Experience Why not treat yourself? I always combine multiple items and send an invoice with discounted postage I leave instant feedback upon receiving yours All payment methods accepted from all countries in all currencies Are you looking for a Interesting conversation piece? A birthday present for the person who has everything? A comical gift to cheer someone up? or a special unique gift just to say thank you? You now know where to look for a bargain! Be sure to add me to your  favourites list !

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The Duke of Sussex is fifth in line to the throne and the younger son of The Prince of Wales and Diana, Princess of Wales. He spent ten years working in the Armed Forces, ending operational duties in 2015. During his service, he conducted two tours of duty to Afghanistan with the British Army.

As announced in January, The Duke and Duchess have stepped back as senior members of The Royal Family. They are balancing their time between the United Kingdom and North America, continuing to honour their duty to The Queen, the Commonwealth, and their patronages. Frogmore Cottage in the UK remains their family home.

Supporting the welfare of servicemen and women

Having served in the British Army for ten years, The Duke of Sussex is passionate about promoting the welfare of those who are serving or who have served their country in the Armed Forces.

He has campaigned to raise awareness of the ongoing challenges facing service personnel making the transition to civilian life. In particular, he has worked to bring wider public attention to the support that wounded, injured and sick servicemen and women need through their entire rehabilitation process. That includes long-term support for each person and their family for both physical and mental injuries.

His work in this area has seen The Duke take part in a number of projects and initiatives, including volunteering with the Army's Personnel Recovery Unit in London, trekking with wounded servicemen and women to the South Pole and in the Arctic, supporting a number of adventure challenges through his Endeavour Fund, and organising the Invictus Games.

The Invictus Games

The Invictus Games is an international adaptive sporting event for wounded, injured and sick servicemen and women, both serving and veteran.

The Games use the power of sport to inspire recovery, support rehabilitation and generate a wider understanding and respect of all those who serve their country. The first Invictus Games were held in London in 2014 followed by Orlando, Florida in May 2016, Toronto, Canada in September 2017 and Sydney Australia in October 2018. The next games are scheduled to be held in The Hague in 2021, followed by Dusseldorf, Germany in 2022.

Sport for social development

The Duke believes that every child should be given the opportunity to fulfil their potential, regardless of their background or situation. Through a programme of public and private visits, he regularly supports projects that enable children from disadvantaged backgrounds to build their skills and confidence.

The Duke of Sussex is a keen sportsman and sees the potential to use sport in the engagement and education of children and young people. Alongside his brother, The Duke of Cambridge and sister-in-law, The Duchess of Cambridge, he has worked with The Royal Foundation to build a model that improves the availability and quality of sports coaching in schools and communities. The "Coach Core" programme helps train young people as professional sports coaches while they are still in education. It also aims to improve the quality and availability of sports coaching and mentoring in inner city schools whilst creating employment at a time when many young people are facing long term unemployment.

Mentoring schemes

Through his work with younger people, many of whom fall out of mainstream education, The Duke believes in the importance of mentoring schemes. He has visited many projects around the world that highlight the positive impact of children's mentoring opportunities. In the UK, he is closely involved with a programme based in Nottingham that works with young people to deter them from becoming involved in youth violence and gang-related activities. The programme trains a group of young people as youth leaders, providing them with formal qualifications and apprenticeships in mentoring and leadership, while at the same time supporting primary school children, who are at most risk of becoming involved in youth violence, by working with their schools and families.

Supporting children living with HIV /AIDS

In 2006, The Duke of Sussex jointly founded Sentebale, a charity to help orphans in Lesotho, southern Africa. Having visited the small African nation after completing his school education, he was moved by the plight of children orphaned by the AIDS pandemic which has devastated the country. Together with his great friend Prince Seeiso of Lesotho, he set up Sentebale to offer long-term support to community organisations working with children and young people, and in particular to those working with orphans.

Sentebale is a word that people in Lesotho use when they say goodbye to each other: it means 'forget me not'. It was chosen as the name of the new charity because the two Princes see its work as a memorial to the charity work of their own mothers, and because its aim as an organisation is to ensure that Lesotho, and the current plight of its children, is not forgotten.

In 2016, His Royal Highness underwent a public HIV test at Guy's and St Thomas' Hospital to raise awareness and promote how easy it is to get tested, as part of his on-going efforts to eradicate stigmas associated with HIV/AIDS.

His Royal Highness attended the 2016 International AIDS Conference in Durban, where he spoke of how "HIV remains among the most pressing and urgent of global challenges" and the importance of educating and empowering young people in the fight against the virus.

African conservation

Having visited southern Africa a number of times, The Duke has taken a deep personal interest in frontline conservation projects that work to protect Africa's natural heritage and support both wildlife and local communities. On leaving the Army in 2015, he spent three months working on number of such projects in Namibia, Tanzania, South Africa and Botswana.

During that time he worked closely with conservation experts to learn about environmental education programmes and also spent time with a team of rangers in Kruger National Park, South

Africa, who are the first to respond to reports of poaching attacks on Elephant and Rhino. The Duke is President of African Parks and Patron of Rhino Conservation Botswana.

Heads Together

In 2017 The Duke of Sussex spearheaded the Heads Together mental health campaign with The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, leading a coalition of eight mental health charity partners to change the national conversation on mental health. The campaign aimed to build on existing progress nationwide in tackling stigma, raising awareness, and providing vital help for people with mental health problems.

The team of charities covered a wide range of mental health issues that are close to their passions. They were: Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families; Best Beginnings; CALM – The Campaign Against Living Miserably; Contact (a military mental health coalition); Mind; Place2Be; The Mix; YoungMinds. Heads Together was privileged to be the 2017 Virgin Money London Marathon Charity of the Year giving the campaign a positive platform to raise funds for the charity partners and to start millions of conversations about mental wellbeing.

Early life and Diana's death

Teenage years, drug use, and deployment to Afghanistan

Relationship with Charles and Camilla, William's wedding, and Caroline Flack

Relationship with Meghan and fatherhood

Stepping back from royal role

Spare

Spare cover.jpg

First edition

Author Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex

Country United States

Language English

Genre Memoir

Publisher Penguin Random House

Publication date 10 January 2023

Media type Print

Pages 416

ISBN 9780593593806

Spare is a memoir by Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex which was released on 10 January 2023. It was ghostwritten by J. R. Moehringer and published by Penguin Random House. It is 416 pages long and available in digital, paperback, and hardcover formats and has been translated into fifteen languages. There is also a 15-hour audiobook edition, which Harry narrates himself.

The book was highly anticipated and was accompanied by several major broadcast interviews. Harry details his childhood and the profound effect of his mother, Diana, Princess of Wales's death as well as his troubled teenage years, and subsequent deployment to Afghanistan with the British Army. Harry writes about his relationship with his brother, Prince William, and his father, King Charles III, and his father's marriage to Camilla Parker Bowles. Harry writes of his courtship and marriage to the American actress Meghan Markle and the couple's subsequent stepping back from their royal roles.

Spare received generally mixed to positive reviews from critics, some who praised Harry's openness but were critical of the inclusion of too many personal details. According to the Guinness Book of World Records, Spare became "the fastest selling non-fiction book of all time" on the date of its release.[1]

Background and writing

In July 2021, it was announced that Harry was set to publish a memoir via Penguin Random House, with proceeds from its sales going to charity and Harry reportedly earning an advance of at least $20 million.[2][3] It is ghostwritten by novelist J. R. Moehringer.[4][5] In the following month, Harry confirmed that $1.5 million of the proceeds from the memoir would go to the charity Sentebale,[6] while £300,000 will be given to WellChild.[7]

Harry stated "I'm writing this not as the prince I was born but as the man I have become. I've worn many hats over the years, both literally and figuratively, and my hope is that in telling my story – the highs and lows, the mistakes, the lessons learned – I can help show that no matter where we come from, we have more in common than we think."[8] Harry said the book was "accurate and wholly truthful".[9] The publisher stated that the book takes readers "immediately back to one of the most searing images of the 20th century: two young boys, two princes, walking behind their mother's coffin as the world watched in sorrow – and horror".[7] The publisher maintained the book is "full of insight, revelation, self-examination, and hard-won wisdom".[8]

The Times reported in January 2023 Harry had second thoughts about publishing the book after visiting his grandmother Queen Elizabeth II during her Platinum Jubilee celebrations in the summer of 2022, but eventually went ahead with it.[10] In an interview with Bryony Gordon, Harry stated that the first draft was 800 pages, meaning that he had enough material for two books, but it was reduced to about 400 pages because there were things between him and his father and brother "that I just don't want the world to know. Because I don't think they would ever forgive me."[11] He claimed that the book's aim was "not trying to collapse the monarchy" but rather save it, and added that he felt he had an obligation to reform the institution for the sake of future spares, namely his brother's younger children, despite being told explicitly by William that his children are not Harry's responsibility.[11]

Synopsis

Harry's resentment of being the "spare" is the major theme throughout the book.[12] There are chapters on his early life, his education, his time as a working royal and in the British Army, his relationship with his parents and brother and with his wife Meghan during their courtship, marriage, and parenthood.[12]

Early life and Diana's death

In one of the first chapters, Harry reflects on the day he was born, when his father Charles supposedly told his mother Diana: "Wonderful! Now you've given me an heir and a spare – my work is done."[12] He adds that he was born as a spare to William in case he needed an organ transplant or blood transfusion.[13] In the book, Harry addresses and refutes the rumours that his father was not Charles, but one of his mother's lovers, James Hewitt.[14] He believes that "One cause of the rumour was Major Hewitt's red hair, but another was sadism" fuelled by tabloids.[14] He adds that even Charles joked about it once, which he thought was "in poor taste".[14] He compares the dynamic between him and his brother William as the spare and the heir to that of Princess Margaret and his grandmother Queen Elizabeth II. He mentions that he felt "nothing for [Margaret], except a bit of pity and a lot of jumpiness", and added that "She could kill a houseplant with one scowl."[15] Harry mentions at Ludgrove School he took a liking to 'hot' matron Miss Roberts, but adds that another patron named Pat, who suffered from crooked knees and a stiff spine and whom he made fun of, did not "make us horny" as she was "small, mousy, frazzled".[13]

Harry recounts being informed about his mother's death early in the morning by his father.[16] Harry claims that the idea of having him and his brother walk behind their mother's coffin horrified several adults, in particular their uncle Lord Spencer.[17] Harry also claimed that there were suggestions that William should walk behind the coffin alone, but Harry refused to allow it as had the roles been reversed William would have done the same.[17] He mentions that for 10 years he believed his mother was in hiding to escape press intrusion and alleges that his brother William also used to have those thoughts.[18] He also discusses how the summary conclusion of investigations into their mother's death was "simplistic and absurd".[16] He questions why the paparazzi that had been following her and the people who sent them were not in prison, with a possible explanation being that it was all due to "corruption and cover-ups being the order of the day".[16] Harry claims that he and his brother were planning on issuing a statement to ask jointly for the investigation to be reopened but "those who decided dissuaded us".[16] Harry mentions that during his trip to Paris for the 2007 Rugby World Cup semifinal, he had a man drive through the same tunnel where his mother had died at 60 miles per hour (97 km/h), the speed with which Diana's car passed through the tunnel.[19] Harry describes the decision as "ill-conceived" as it only brought him more pain.[19] He later on admits that to connect with his mother he asked for help from a woman who "claimed to have 'powers'."[20]

Teenage years, drug use, and deployment to Afghanistan

In the memoir, Harry admits that he took cocaine at the age of 17, which he said "wasn't very fun" but "it did make me feel different".[21] He recalls being so high on cannabis that he started whispering to a fox, who he saw as a sign sent from another realm and seeing Meghan as his wife many years before. He adds that he also took magic mushrooms at a party at Courteney Cox's house in January 2016 and "washed them down with tequila", after which he had hallucinations in a lavatory and talked to the bin and the toilet.[22][23] He mentions how the editor of the News of the World Rebekah Brooks was adamant on gathering evidence on his drug use. Harry describes her as a "loathsome toad" and "an infected pustule on the arse of humanity, plus a shit excuse for a journalist."[24] Harry also discusses the "humiliating episode" of losing his virginity in a field behind a busy pub to "an older lady, who loved horses" and treated him "like a young stallion".[16] Harry also details out an episode at a bar where he "drank and drank and tried to pick up fights". He mentions that the bar threw him out and at the hotel he "growled" at his bodyguard, "swung on him, slapped his head". After not getting a reaction, he mentions he "slapped him again" as "I was determined to hurt him."[13]

Harry claims that his brother William and future sister-in-law Catherine suggested that he should choose his Nazi uniform over his pilot uniform for a "Native and Colonial" costume party in 2005.[25] He mentions that he "liked" Catherine the first time he saw her, describing her as "more sister than in-law" whom he liked seeing laugh.[26] Detailing his tours of duty in Afghanistan, Harry states that he flew on six missions that killed 25 Taliban members, whom he did not view as "people" but instead as "chess pieces" that had been taken off the board. He adds that "It's not a number that gave me any satisfaction. But neither was it a number that made me feel ashamed."[27]

Relationship with Charles and Camilla, William's wedding, and Caroline Flack

Harry mentions that both he and his brother had agreed on welcoming Charles's lover Camilla Parker Bowles into their family on the condition that their father did not marry her.[16] He alleges that Camilla "sacrificed" him "on her personal PR altar" to improve her own public image and leaked "minute details" of a conversation she had with William to the press.[28] He alleges that William "felt tremendous guilt" for not speaking up about their father's affair with Camilla, and he had "long harboured suspicions about the Other Woman".[29] He adds that William was left "confused" and "tormented" as a result of the affair.[29] Harry also claims that Camilla had "played a role" in his mother's death because she had been "pivotal" in the disintegration of his parents' marriage.[28] He likened his first time meeting her to "getting an injection" and added Camilla was "bored", partly because Harry was not Charles's heir and could not be a threat to her desires for marrying his father.[28] Harry confesses that his father found happiness after marrying Camilla, and that he wanted both his father and Camilla to be happy, wondering if "she was less dangerous being happy".[28] Harry also claims that Camilla turned his bedroom at Clarence House into her dressing room as soon as he left.[30] He also talks about Charles's experience at Gordonstoun, where Harry claims his father was bullied and "almost did not survive".[28] He discusses his father's attachment to his teddy bear, which helped him through Gordonstoun and remained one of his favourite objects as an adult, a representation of "the essential loneliness of his childhood".[28]

In the book, Harry describes his role as William's best man during his wedding in 2011 as a "bare-faced lie" as James Meade and Thomas van Straubenzee gave the wedding reception speech, which Harry felt was the right decision as he could have said "something wildly inappropriate".[31] He also mentions that he had a frostbitten "todger" at the wedding following his trip to the North Pole and was advised to apply Elizabeth Arden cream to it, the smell of which reminded him of his mother.[32] He also alleges that William was "tipsy" on rum hours before his wedding.[33] In the memoir, Harry states that months after breaking up with Chelsy Davy he was introduced to Caroline Flack, whom he saw for a while before press intrusion "tainted" their relationship "irredeemably".[34] He also denies having a relationship with Cameron Diaz despite tabloid rumours.[35] He mentions that Britons "among the most literal people on the planet, were also the most credulous" when it came to believing tabloid rumours.[13]

Relationship with Meghan and fatherhood

Harry states that on the day he had his first date with Meghan Markle, he was out at sea for a racing competition on a boat that had no toilet and he wet his pants. Harry mentions how he regretted searching for Meghan's sex scenes on Suits.[36] He adds that during a confrontation with Meghan, he became "disproportionately, sloppily angry", after which she said she would not "tolerate" such behaviour and he needed to do therapy.[37] He states his brother subsequently urged him to further examine his romance with Meghan as he believed the relationship was moving "too fast", though Harry believed their mother had helped him find Meghan.[38] Harry writes that Meghan was asked by Queen Elizabeth II to select a tiara from her private collection for the wedding. He alleges that the Queen's dresser Angela Kelly would not lend them the tiara later on as it could not leave the palace without "an ordinance and police escort". He claims that after they tried to contact Kelly several times she "appeared out of thin air" to hand over a release form and give away the tiara but "her eyes were fire", which Harry interpreted as a "clear warning".[39]

Harry claims there was a disagreement between Meghan and Catherine over flower girl dresses as Catherine felt her daughter Charlotte's dress needed to be completely remade four days before Harry and Meghan's wedding.[40] Harry claims Catherine told Meghan via text that Charlotte had "cried" when she tried on the dress because it was "too big, long and baggy", before being reminded by Meghan, who had taken a day to respond, that she was dealing with her father, who was ill and not going to attend the wedding.[38] Catherine agreed to take Charlotte to Meghan's tailor and Harry alleges that he found Meghan sobbing on the floor once he got home.[40] Harry states Catherine meant no harm and then claims that she visited them the next day with flowers and a card to make amends.[40] Harry recalls a discussion about the timing of the wedding rehearsal, which involved his future wife allegedly telling his sister-in-law Catherine, who had recently given birth to her youngest child, that she must be suffering from "baby brain because of her hormones" as she had forgotten a detail about the rehearsal timing.[40][41] He claims Meghan apologised at a reconciliatory tea at Kensington Palace in June 2018.[40] Harry also blames his father and stepmother's household for giving away the story about Meghan and Catherine's argument to the press.[13]

Harry talks about two signs that hinted he was going to have a child, the first of which involved Meghan singing to a group of singing seals whom he claimed sang back.[42] The second one involved Meghan taking two at-home pregnancy tests and placing the wands on his nightstand, where he kept "the blue box with my mother's hair". Harry mentions that he thought at that moment "Right, I thought, good. Let's see what Mummy can do with this situation."[42] Upon learning that they were expecting their first child, Harry mentions that he thanked "selkies" and "Mummy".[42] He also confirms that they announced the pregnancy to other members of his family on the day of his cousin Princess Eugenie's wedding in October 2018.[43] He later on mentions that while his wife was giving birth he used a canister of laughing gas to "enhance my calm".[44] Harry also talks about Meghan's miscarriage in 2020 and how they left the hospital with their "unborn child" in "a tiny package".[45] He adds that they went to "a secret place" where "under a spreading banyan tree" he dug a hole with his hands and buried the child.[45]

Stepping back from royal role

The book also details a confrontation between Harry and his brother William at Nottingham Cottage in 2019, which Harry claims happened during a visit by his brother who wanted to talk about "the whole rolling catastrophe" of their relationship.[12] Harry claims that William complained about Meghan, whom he allegedly described as "difficult", "rude" and "abrasive".[12] Harry calls his brother's grievances a "parrot[ing of] the press narrative" about his wife.[12] The two resorted to exchanging insults, with Harry dismissing William's claim that he was trying to help.[12] Once they were in the kitchen, Harry alleges that William "grabbed me by the collar, ripping my necklace, and he knocked me to the floor. I landed on the dog's bowl, which cracked under my back, the pieces cutting into me."[12] Harry claims that he refused to hit back despite William urging him to do so.[12] He claims that while leaving William looked "regretful, and apologised".[12] He adds that he called his therapist and that upon learning about the incident, Meghan "was terribly sad".[12]

In the book, Harry states that his father wondered if Meghan wanted to continue her acting career as they did not "have money to spare".[46] Charles went on to support the couple until their departure from the UK,[46] but Harry states that his father's main fear was Meghan's popularity, which could overshadow him.[47] Harry also claims that Charles and Camilla did not like William and Catherine "getting too much publicity" either.[46] He then mentions how he did not expect to lose his state-funded security after stepping back from his royal role as his uncle Andrew who was "accused of the sexual assault of a young woman" was allowed to keep his.[48] He claims that the Sandringham Summit was a "fix" by private secretaries of the royal household, "three middle-aged white men" who had consolidated power through "bold Machiavellian manoeuvre", whom he refers to as "the Bee" (Sir Edward Young), "the Wasp" (Clive Alderton), and "the Fly" (Simon Case).[49]

Harry also recounts another tense meeting with Charles and William following the funeral of his grandfather Prince Philip in April 2021, where Charles stated "Please, boys. Don't make my final years a misery."[12] Harry describes William as "my dear brother, my archnemesis", before pointing out how for the first time he noticed his "alarming" baldness and his fading resemblance to their mother.[50] Harry mentions that during a walk with his father and brother, William wondered why he had not come to them when having issues within the institution, before adding that he should take up his complaints about the Megxit agreement "with Granny".[51] Harry mentions that he was disgusted by his brother's response, but William lunged, and told him he loved him and "I swear to you now on Mummy's life that I just want you to be happy."[51] Harry stated in the book that he did not believe what his brother said.[51]

After being refused permission to be buried at Althorp next to his mother in the event of his death, Harry mentions that he has chosen the Frogmore estate as his burial site.[52]

Release

Spare on sale in London, 14 January 2023

The memoir was officially published on 10 January 2023,[9] having been translated into fifteen languages (German, Dutch, Danish, Swedish, French, Italian, Spanish, European Portuguese, Brazilian Portuguese, Romanian, Polish, Greek, Hungarian, Finnish, and Chinese).[7][53] It was priced at £28 at launch, but in November 2022 major booksellers were announcing it at half that price, leading to criticism by small booksellers who would not be able to match the discounted price.[54] Five days ahead of its official release date, the Spanish edition En La Sombra (In The Shadow) was accidentally sold in some bookstores in Spain but was hurriedly withdrawn from sale.[55] According to Sky News, the English title "appears" to refer to the term "heir and a spare" – suggesting how Harry feels about his position in the royal family.[56]

Harry had three broadcast interviews to promote the book, all of which were filmed in California. An interview with Harry by Anderson Cooper on 60 Minutes was broadcast on 8 January, as was an interview by Tom Bradby titled Harry: The Interview on ITV1.[57][58] A third interview by Michael Strahan on Good Morning America and a special titled Prince Harry: In His Own Words, were broadcast on 9 January on ABC.[59] All three broadcasters asked the palace for comments about claims made in the interviews, but declined to provide them with the footage due to their respective network policies.[60] Harry then appeared on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert on 10 January.[61] He also sat down for exclusive interviews with People magazine,[62] and with Bryony Gordon for The Telegraph.[63]

Advance clips from the interviews saw Harry telling Cooper that "Every single time I've tried to do it privately, there have been briefings and leakings and planting of stories against me and my wife" and that "The family motto is 'never complain, never explain', but it's just a motto ... [Buckingham Palace] will feed or have a conversation with a correspondent, and that correspondent will literally be spoon-fed information and write the story, and at the bottom of it, they will say they have reached out to Buckingham Palace for comment. But the whole story is Buckingham Palace commenting. So when we're being told for the past six years, 'we can't put a statement out to protect you', but you do it for other members of the family, there becomes a point when silence is betrayal".[58] It was pointed out by the Express that the part in which Harry describes silence as betrayal was taken from a quote by Martin Luther King Jr. without giving attribution.[64] In the interview with Bradby, Harry said that he "would like to get my father back, I would like to have my brother back" and that "I want a family, not an institution", adding that "they feel as though it is better to keep us somehow as the villains" and that "they have shown absolutely no willingness to reconcile."[58] Sources close to King Charles III responded to the claims by insisting that he loves both of his sons and has kept communication channels open throughout the last few years, despite their relationship being occasionally tense.[65] The two have also reportedly remained in contact and met several times during Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee celebrations in June 2022.[65] In the interview with Strahan, Harry stated "I don't think that we can ever have peace with my family unless the truth is out there."[59]

Reception

Critical response

The review aggregator website Book Marks collected 17 reviews on the book, 1 of which was classified as "rave", 6 were classified as "positive", 7 as "mixed", and 3 as "pan".[66]

In The New Yorker, Rebecca Mead opines that Spare is "worth reading not just for its headline-generating details but also for its narrative force, its voice, and its sometimes surprising wit . . . [a]bove all, [the book] is worth reading for its potential historical import".[67] Writing for The Guardian, Charlotte Higgins believed the memoir was "compassion-inducing, frustrating, oddly compelling and absurd", and added that Harry was "simultaneously loathing and locked into the tropes of tabloid storytelling, the style of which his ghostwritten autobiography echoes."[68] In her review for The New York Times, Alexandra Jacobs thought that "Spare is all over the map — emotionally as well as physically. He does not, in other words, keep it tight." She added that Harry "seems both driven mad by 'the buzz,'... and constitutionally unable to stop drumming it up."[69]

The Independent gave Spare a rating of four out of five stars, with Lucia Pavia writing "the Duke of Sussex hits his stride on paper in this breathtakingly frank book."[70] Also writing for The Independent, Jessie Thompson believed that the book's content was "horrifyingly personal" and "too private" and added that "The joke that Harry has broken his silence – 'again' – is turning into a cliché. This is the opposite of silence; a constant cacophony."[71] Writing for the same newspaper, Tom Peck argued that readers could not take Harry's arguments seriously when making those arguments "also makes you a hundred million dollars or more".[72] He also claimed that if Harry complaints about press intrusion and security "he should simply shut up and not continue feeding the beast he claims to loathe".[72] He believed that with the book, Harry had shown "That his family is a neurotic mess, that it is in what he calls a mutually parasitic relationship with the tabloid press, and that he has – seemingly deliberately – made it almost impossible to make peace with them again."[72]

While saying that Harry ultimately "shares too much" about certain topics in the book, Henry Mance for the Financial Times responded to the criticism that Harry's choice to speak about his life contradicts his request for privacy, saying "someone can demand you don't set fire to their garden, even when they are having a bonfire. Warren Buffett has pledged to give away his fortune, but you're not entitled to take his car without asking."[73] Mance said Spare is "arguably...the most insightful royal book in a generation".[73] In her review for The Telegraph, Anita Singh gave the book three out of five stars and thought it was "well-constructed and fluently written". She argued that the book's focus was primarily on the relationship between Harry and his mother Diana from whose loss he has not recovered.[74]

In his review for The Times, James Marriott labelled the book "a 400-page therapy session for mystic Harry" who "was looking for an escape route, a way to blow up his coddled, caged panda bear life", while his wife Meghan is shown "with her talent for victimhood and offence".[75] Writing for Press Gazette, Dominic Ponsford believed that Harry had "not only breached the privacy of his family members but also significantly undermined his own future right to privacy."[76] He argued that the book "leaves very little off-limits when it comes to future press coverage of Harry's private life."[76] He mentioned that Harry could be sued by his family for breach of privacy, citing the 2006 McKennitt v Ash case which showed that "those in close family relationships owe a duty of confidence to each other."[76]

The BBC's royal correspondent Sean Coughlan called the book the "weirdest book ever written by a royal", and "part-confession, part-rant and part-love letter".[77] He also described it as "disarmingly frank and intimate – showing the sheer weirdness of [Harry's] often isolated life", adding "it's the small details, rather than the set-piece moments that give a glimpse of how little we really knew."[77] In a review for Sky News, Katie Spencer wrote that in the book "There are moments where your heart breaks, when he talks of desperately wanting to be hugged – but then there are petulant musings, immature bragging and catty explanations, making it a little hard to stay on Harry's side."[78] She adds that Harry has shared some personal details that "quite frankly, we didn't need to know" and make the book "both tender and bizarrely unrelatable".[78]

Afghanistan comments

Harry's remarks in the book that he had killed 25 Taliban fighters prompted some Twitter users in Afghanistan and Pakistan to brand him a "murderer" and a "crusader".[79] Abdul Qahar Balkhi, the spokesperson for the Taliban led regime in Afghanistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, responded to the claims via a statement: "The western occupation of Afghanistan is truly an odious moment in human history and comments by Prince Harry is a microcosm of the trauma experienced by Afghans at the hands of occupation forces who murdered innocents without any accountability."[80] Taliban commander Molavi Agha Gol described Harry as a "big mouth loser who has been trying to get attention", and added that Harry was "scared to go to a combat zone".[80] Khalid Zadran, a Taliban official, stated that "criminals like Harry who proudly confess their crimes will be brought to the court table in front of the international community."[81] Zadran condemned Harry's "cruel and barbaric actions" in taking "lives of dozens of defenseless Afghans".[81] Uaqab Afghan, a Taliban director in the Ministry of Mines and Petroleum, believed Harry was lucky to have "survived" and wondered if international justice groups would react to "Prince Harry's atrocities against humanity in Afghanistan".[81] Anas Haqqani criticised Harry for comparing his opponents to chess pieces, stating "The ones you killed were not chess pieces, they were humans. They had families who were waiting for their return."[81] He also stated "We checked and found that the days on which Prince Harry is mentioning the killing of 25 mujaheddin, we did not have any casualties in Helmand. It is clear that civilians and ordinary people were targeted."[82]

American-Palestinian journalist Ali Abunimah reacted to Harry's statements by stating that he is a "monstrous murderous psycho" and called for him to be extradited to Afghanistan to face criminal charges.[81] Andrew Neil described the remarks as "a nightmare – an absolute nightmare – for his security teams. How stupid can you be?"[79] Mark Borkowski was also critical of him giving away his track record in Afghanistan, stating "He's put a target on his back and if he's protecting his family, he's put them in the greatest danger because I don't believe they've got the same level of security he would have enjoyed while he was a member of the royal family."[79] Conservative MP Bob Stewart questioned why Harry would share such details with the public, stating "Real soldiers tend to shy away. People I know don't boast about such things. They rather regret that they have had to do it."[79]

Colonel Tim Collins reacted to the revelations by stating "That's not how you behave in the army; it's not how we think. Harry has now turned against the other family, the military, that once embraced him, having trashed his birth family."[83] He added that Harry was "pursuing US identity politics and casting slurs or racism around where none exists."[83]

Colonel Richard Kemp believed that Harry's "words will be fed into Jihadist propaganda to carry out attacks against the UK".[84] Kemp was also critical of Harry's description of military training with the British army as he claimed the Army had "trained me to 'other' them, and they had trained me well."[84] Kemp said "The idea that soldiers are trained to see the enemy as chess pieces to be swiped off the board is wrong. It's not how we trained people. It's potentially damaging to say this and the Taliban has exploited his words to accuse him of war crimes."[84]

Lord Darroch, former National Security Adviser, stated that "he would have advised against" Harry giving away such details.[83] Lord West of Spithead, former head of the Royal Navy, called Harry "very stupid" for publishing his claims and stated that there could be "serious security issues" for veterans at the upcoming Invictus Games, as the games are associated with Harry.[85] Tobias Ellwood, the chairman of the Defence Select Committee and former British Army captain, warned of the "security repercussions", while former defence secretary Lord Hutton of Furness believed that speaking about how many people he had killed "diminishes him."[84] General Sir Richard Barrons, the former Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff, stated that "there are things that happen on the battlefield and there's no great advantage in saying anything public."[84] Retired Royal Navy officer Chris Parry reacted to the claims by stating that he had never heard a colleague "say what their score is. I'm afraid to say it's clumsy, tasteless and does not afford respect to the people who have been killed."[86]

Former British Army captain Mike Crofts noted that Harry's comments were "both unwise but also counter the unspoken code of the UK armed forces", and added that "discussing kill counts openly often suggests that someone is processing a large amount of trauma linked to their service and possibly before it."[87] He concluded that Harry had adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), which include "parental drug and alcohol addiction, abuse, neglect – and, significantly, the loss of a parent – all constitute trauma and adverse experience in childhood."[87] Retired former senior intelligence officer Philip Ingram believed Harry showed signs of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).[86]

Pen Farthing, a British former Royal Marines commando and founder of the Nowzad Dogs charity, was evacuated from Kabul on 6 January 2023 following the publishing of Harry's claims. The move was done to avoid "potential reprisal attacks on ex-forces people."[88][89]

Protests about the deaths of the 25 people killed by Harry broke out at a university in Helmand Province on 8 January 2023.[86][90]

During the book launch interviews with US TV stations in New York, Harry was accompanied by someone who appeared to be carrying a pistol case.[91] In response to the criticism, Harry stated "expressing and detailing" his experience was necessary for his "healing journey", while "silence has been the least effective remedy".[92] He condemned pre-publication leaks that quoted the book out of context and denied "boasting" about his number of kills.[93][94] Author and psychologist Jessica Taylor believed speaking openly about trauma could help with normalising and validating the feelings and experiences, adding that when it is done by people in the public eye in a non-medical and non-stigmatising way "it helps people to realise that their own responses to trauma are also normal, natural and justified."[95]

After the UK government condemned the execution of Iranian British dual national Alireza Akbari, who had been accused by the Iranian government of spying for MI6, the Iranian Foreign Ministry issued a statement, saying "The British regime, whose royal family member, sees the killing of 25 innocent people as removal of chess pieces and has no regrets over the issue, and those who turn a blind eye to this war crime, are in no position to preach others on human rights."[96][97]

Discussions on mental health

In the book, Harry claims that following a physical altercation with his brother in 2019 he did not contact his wife but immediately called his therapist. Journalist Daniel Bird claimed this contradicted the comments Meghan had made earlier about not being allowed to get help for her psychological issues: "Prince Harry said he called his therapist right after a fight with the Prince of Wales... but didn't Meghan say she wasn't allowed to speak to a therapist while she was a working royal? Seems odd Harry was allowed and she wasn't..."[98] Writing for The Independent, Meredith Clark praised Harry for contacting his therapist after the altercation, stating that it would help with breaking the stigma surrounding men that are ashamed to ask for mental help.[99]

Harry, who has been a mental health advocate, was called a hypocrite by sources close to his father Charles and his sister-in-law Catherine for undermining their mental health in his book by talking about Charles's hard time at Gordonstoun and Catherine's mental state after giving birth to her youngest child.[100] One source said "It is hypocritical for him to talk about other people's mental health. The King may have spoken about his troubles at Gordonstoun in public, but it's not for Harry to go into all that. The problem is he just doesn't have any grown-ups advising him."[100] According to The Telegraph, sources close to Harry's late grandmother Elizabeth II said that Harry's repeated "ambushing" of the royal family had an impact on her health and "did take its toll. At that stage in your life and your reign, you just don't need that on top of everything else."[101]

In the book Harry discussed his relationship with Caroline Flack and speculated that she had taken her life because of "The relentless abuse at the hands of the press, year after year" which "had finally broken her".[102] Flack's former publicist, Alex Mullen, wrote that Harry was "parroting media reports" about Flack's death "as if they're reality".[102] He also suggested that he and his wife Meghan should instead reflect on the fact that they "might have caused Queen Elizabeth II pain just as she lost her husband of 70 years and while she was on the path to her final goodbye."[102][103]

Political response

When questioned in an interview if the public can have faith in the monarchy following "allegations of fighting and betrayal at the top", UK prime minister Rishi Sunak responded "I think the public like me have enormous regard for the Royal Family, they're deeply proud of them... When I get to go around the world and champion Britain as an amazing country with so many things that we can be proud of, our institutions including the royal family are one of those."[104] Patti Davis, daughter of Nancy and Ronald Reagan, who had previously written a similar tell all book during her father's presidency, discouraged Harry, saying; "My justification in writing a book I now wish I hadn't written (…) was very similar to what I understand to be Harry's reasoning. I wanted to tell the truth, I wanted to set the record straight. Naïvely, I thought if I put my own feelings and my own truth out there for the world to read, my family might also come to understand me better."[105]

Public opinion

In January 2023 and ahead of the release of Harry's memoir Spare, his popularity in the UK plummeted even further according to a survey by YouGov, with almost two-thirds of the participants having a negative view of him, an increase from the results in May 2022 when roughly half the population viewed him negatively.[106] Only a quarter of those surveyed viewed him in a positive light.[106] In another poll, 68 per cent of respondents held a negative view of Harry compared to 21 per cent who had a favourable opinion, while among people aged over 65 he and his wife Meghan were the least popular royals.[107] One in five people said they believed Harry's stated motivation for releasing the book, but nearly twice as many (41 per cent) believed he was trying to make money.[108]

Sales

Total book sales, including hardcover, audio and e-books editions, were around 400,000 copies in the United Kingdom during its first day, making it the country's fastest-selling non-fiction book ever.[109] It sold more than 1.4 million copies in all formats in the US, Canada and the UK on its first day, which was described by Penguin Random House as the largest first-day sales total for any nonfiction book it ever published.[110] The book broke the Guinness World Record for the fastest-selling non-fiction book of all time, which was previously held by Barack Obama's A Promised Land (2020).[1] Despite having a recommended retail price of £28 in the UK and $36 in the US, many retailers, including Waterstones and WHSmith, as well as Amazon were selling it at half price.[111] There were also reports that PDF files of the memoir were being shared for free on WhatsApp,[112] and some customers received two copies despite ordering one.[113]

In its first week, the book sold a total of 467,183 print copies and 750,000 copies across all formats in the UK, becoming the fastest-selling nonfiction book in the UK since Nielsen BookData began recording official printed book sales in 1998.[114] The record was previously held by Kay Allinson's Pinch of Nom cookbook, which sold 210,506 copies in its first three days of release in 2019.[114] Spare also sold 20,584 copies in its first week in Ireland, becoming the fastest selling non-fiction book in Ireland since records began 20 years ago and overtaking Paul O'Connell's autobiography The Battle.[115] The book also sold 64,150 print copies and 55,850 audio and eBook copies in Australia in its first week, becoming the fastest-selling memoir since records began in 2002 and overtaking Darren Lockyer's autobiography.[116]

Veracity of claims

Harry said that "Whatever the cause, my memory is my memory, it does what it does, gathers and curates as it sees fit, and there's just as much truth in what I remember and how I remember it as there is in so-called objective facts."[117][118]

In the book, Harry claimed that his stepmother Camilla had leaked details of her private conversation with his brother William to the press. Speaking to The Telegraph, sources close to Camilla mentioned that she was not behind the leak and was "furious" when she discovered that details of her first meeting with William were published in the press.[119] She had discussed the meeting with her top aide Amanda MacManus whose husband, a media executive, shared the information with a former colleague, who in turn leaked the story to a newspaper.[119] Camilla released a public statement at the time, announcing that MacManus had "resigned" following an investigation.[119]

Speaking to The Sunday Times, a former royal aide called into question Harry's account of how he chose a Nazi costume for a party, as he was one of the people responsible for handling the fallout and had spoken to Harry at the time.[120] He stated "There was no mention to any advisers at the time that it was William and Kate's idea or they thought it was hilariously funny. That recollection did not exist at the time, contemporaneously."[120] Another friend called Harry's claim "bullshit" and added that it had nothing to do with William and Catherine.[120] In response to Harry's supposed resentment at not giving the best man speech at his brother's wedding reception, a close friend of the brothers said "Harry didn't want to be best man, he kept saying for months it should be Thomas and James because they were William's best mates."[120]

Harry also claims that he learned about Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother's death in 2002 via a phone call while he was at Eton, but records show that he along with his father and brother were on vacation in Switzerland when the news broke out.[121] An acquaintance of Harry's father, who was with them on the ski trip, said Harry's account in the book was "rubbish" as he "was definitely in Klosters, he was here with the prince [his father]."[122] Harry then reflects on the Queen Mother's funeral and the jewels on her coffin, describing the Koh-i-Noor as the "largest diamond ever seen by human eyes", whereas the Cullinan Diamond that is also part of the Crown Jewels is "the largest diamond ever found" according to the Royal Collection Trust.[122]

Harry claims that his stepmother Camilla suggested that he could become the governor-general of Bermuda, but as a British Overseas Territory and not a Commonwealth realm, Bermuda has a governor and not a governor-general.[122] Harry's claims that he learned about Queen Elizabeth II's death via the BBC website were called into question, as The Telegraph had reported that his father informed him personally about the monarch's death via a phone call five minutes before the public announcement.[121] Harry also claims in the book that when he first met his future wife Meghan, she was wearing a black sweatshirt, jeans and heels, while Meghan had previously stated that she had a blue dress on for their first meeting.[121]

In a piece for The Telegraph, Camilla Tominey called out Harry for his claims in the memoir that the original story in the newspaper about Meghan and Catherine's argument before their wedding claimed "Meghan had reduced Kate to tears about the bridesmaids' dresses", adding that the article was a balanced 1,200-word feature that read: "The Telegraph has spoken to two separate sources who claim Kate was left in tears following a bridesmaids dress fitting for Princess Charlotte."[123] She added that it was The Sun who ran with the headline "Meghan Made Kate Cry" with a piece written by Jack Royston, now Newsweek's chief royal correspondent known for his favourable columns on the Sussexes.[123] Tominey added that in contrast to Harry implying that it was only Catherine who complained about the dress, members of the staff at the time were informed that Meghan had personally aired grievances about the ill-fitting dresses and other mothers were angry too.[123] She also adds that Catherine went to personally meet with Meghan about the matter, and it was Meghan who informed Catherine's staff that she had "left in tears" in a bid to help smooth things over.[123] In the book, Harry claims that "rumours and lies" originating from staff who were choosing between "Team Cambridge and Team Sussex" poisoned the atmosphere.[123] He also claims that in such circumstances the employees could not even tolerate "constructive criticism" and went on to accuse William's staff of "backstabbing" and "setting our two groups of staff against each other", whereas Meghan "spread kindness" with baskets of food and flowers and "hosted tea parties and ice-cream socials".[123] Tominey pointed out that when an ice cream van was brought to Kensington Palace Meghan allegedly gave strict instructions that it should only offer service to the Sussexes' crew and not the Cambridges, their staff or their children.[123] A former employee claimed that Meghan's generosity made her unpleasant behaviour even harder to manage: "One minute she'd be buying you flowers, the next she'd be blanking you."[123] Jason Knauf, the communications secretary for the Cambridges and Sussexes, had formally complained about Meghan's behaviour, stating that she "was able to bully two PAs out of the household in the past year... The Duchess seems intent on always having someone in her sights. She is bullying X and seeking to undermine her confidence."[123] He also described the couple's tour of Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, and Tonga as "very challenging" and "made worse by the behaviour of the Duchess", though Meghan vehemently denied bullying anyone.[123]

Dickie Arbiter, the former press secretary for Queen Elizabeth II, demanded an apology from Penguin Random House after a passage in the book claimed "the Queen's ex-press secretary" was among a group of royal commentators described as the "Fleet Street jury" and had stated Harry and his wife should "expect no mercy" after stepping back from their royal role.[124] Arbiter stated "While I am not mentioned by name – referencing 'the Queen's ex-press secretary' – it is by association that by being the only former courtier regularly contacted by the media, the author is pointing the finger at me."[124] He denied being "a part of 'jury' and I certainly would not use words like 'expect no mercy'", before asking for an acknowledgement from Penguin Random House.[124] It was later reported by The Times that the comments the book referred to were made by Sir Trevor Phillips, the former chairman of the Equality and Human Rights Commission.[124]

In response to the criticism, J. R. Moehringer shared quotes from Harry on Twitter suggesting that he had tried to remember the events to the best of his ability.[117]

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 Tominey, Camilla (5 January 2023). "Princess of Wales 'demanded' apology from Meghan for saying she had 'baby brain'". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 5 January 2023. Retrieved 5 January 2023.

 Nardino, Meredith (5 January 2023). "Inside Prince Harry and Meghan's Heated Tea With Prince William and Kate: 'Baby Brain' Apology, Pointed Fingers and More". Us Weekly. Archived from the original on 5 January 2023. Retrieved 5 January 2023.

 Macke, Johnni (5 January 2023). "Prince Harry Thinks His 'Blue Box' of Princess Diana's Hair Was a Good Luck Charm for Meghan Markle's 1st Pregnancy". Us Weekly. Archived from the original on 5 January 2023. Retrieved 6 January 2023.

 "Prince Harry sets the record straight about pregnancy announcement at Princess Eugenie's wedding". Hello!. 6 January 2023. Archived from the original on 9 January 2023. Retrieved 9 January 2023.

 Sachdeva, Maanya (8 January 2023). "Prince Harry reveals he used laughing gas during birth of son". The Independent. Retrieved 16 January 2023.

 Grebenyuk, Yana (5 January 2023). "Prince Harry Reflects on Meghan Markle's Miscarriage, Details the Days After They Left the Hospital". Us Weekly. Archived from the original on 6 January 2023. Retrieved 6 January 2023.

 Calvert, Alana (7 January 2023). "King Charles feared Meghan would steal his limelight, Prince Harry claims". The Independent. Archived from the original on 7 January 2023. Retrieved 7 January 2023.

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 Low, Valentine (11 January 2023). "Queen's private secretary fixed Sandringham summit, Prince Harry claims". The Times. Retrieved 12 January 2023.

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 Romualdi, Melissa (19 December 2022). "Prince Harry Is Scheduled For Another Sit-Down Interview To Promote His Tell-All Memoir 'Spare'". ET Canada. Archived from the original on 11 January 2023. Retrieved 25 December 2022.

 Bryant, Miranda (2 January 2023). "Prince Harry: I would like my father and my brother back". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 2 January 2023. Retrieved 2 January 2023.

 Kindelan, Katie (5 January 2023). "Prince Harry to speak about his memoir 'Spare' in interview with Michael Strahan". Good Morning America. Archived from the original on 5 January 2023. Retrieved 5 January 2023.

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 Hill, Erin (10 January 2023). "Prince Harry Tells PEOPLE: 'Spare' Is a Raw Account of the 'Good, the Bad and Everything in Between'". People. Archived from the original on 11 January 2023. Retrieved 10 January 2023.

 Gordon, Bryony (13 January 2023). "'This is not about trying to collapse the monarchy, this is about trying to save them from themselves'". The Telegraph. Retrieved 13 January 2023.

 Schofield, Kinsey (3 January 2023). "I was completely wrong about Prince Harry and I'm sorry". Daily Express. Archived from the original on 5 January 2023. Retrieved 6 January 2023.

 Ward, Victoria (3 January 2023). "Duke of Sussex 'wrong' to claim King Charles not willing to reconcile". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 3 January 2023. Retrieved 3 January 2023.

 "Spare". Book Marks. Archived from the original on 11 January 2023. Retrieved 10 January 2023.

 Mead, Rebecca (13 January 2023). "The Haunting of Prince Harry". The New Yorker. No. January 23, 2022. Retrieved 20 January 2023.

 Higgins, Charlotte (9 January 2023). "Spare by Prince Harry review – a flawed attempt to reclaim the narrative". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 10 January 2023. Retrieved 11 January 2023.

 Jacobs, Alexandra (10 January 2023). "Prince Harry Learns to Cry, and Takes No Prisoners, in 'Spare'". The New York Times. Retrieved 11 January 2023.

 Lucy, Pavia (10 January 2023). "Spare by Prince Harry: A chaotic but stylish memoir that sets fire to the royal family". Independent. Archived from the original on 10 January 2023. Retrieved 10 January 2023.

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 Peck, Tom (6 January 2023). "Titillating but tedious: Prince Harry's real betrayal is showing the royals for who they are". The Independent. Retrieved 6 January 2023.

 Mance, Henry (10 January 2023). "Spare by Prince Harry — complain and explain". Financial Times. Archived from the original on 11 January 2023. Retrieved 10 January 2023.

 Singh, Anita (9 January 2023). "Spare by Prince Harry review: poignant memories of his mother, undermined by petty point-scoring". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 9 January 2023. Retrieved 10 January 2023.

 Marriott, James (9 January 2023). "Prince Harry's Spare review — a 400-page therapy session for mystic Harry". The Times. Archived from the original on 9 January 2023. Retrieved 9 January 2023.

 Ponsford, Dominic (6 January 2023). "Prince Harry waves goodbye to privacy with book revelations". Press Gazette. Archived from the original on 8 January 2023. Retrieved 8 January 2023.

 Coughlan, Sean (10 January 2023). "Spare review: The weirdest book ever written by a royal". BBC News. Archived from the original on 10 January 2023. Retrieved 10 January 2023.

 Spencer, Katie (6 January 2023). "Prince Harry cuts a sad, self-indulgent and naive figure in his memoir Spare". Sky News. Retrieved 6 January 2023.

 Dalton, Jane (5 January 2023). "'How stupid can you be?' Harry accused of putting family in danger after claiming 25 kills in Afghanistan". The Independent. Archived from the original on 6 January 2023. Retrieved 5 January 2023.

 Noyce, Eleanor (6 January 2023). "Taliban taunts 'big mouth loser' Prince Harry after he claims 25 kills in Afghanistan". The Independent. Archived from the original on 6 January 2023. Retrieved 6 January 2023.

 Wallen, Joe; Yousafzai, Sami (6 January 2023). "Taliban says Prince Harry should face 'international court' after 'proudly confessing' to killing 25". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 6 January 2023. Retrieved 6 January 2023.

 "Taliban leader accuses Prince Harry of killing innocent Afghans". Al Jazeera. 6 January 2023. Archived from the original on 6 January 2023. Retrieved 6 January 2023.

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 Sheridan, Danielle (6 January 2023). "Prince Harry accused of 'betraying the military' and endangering serving soldiers after claiming to have killed 25 Taliban fighters". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 6 January 2023. Retrieved 6 January 2023.

 Calvert, Alana (8 January 2022). "Harry accused of making Invictus Games a terrorist target with Taliban claims". The Independent. Archived from the original on 8 January 2023. Retrieved 8 January 2022.

 "Afghans call for Prince Harry to be 'put on trial' after 'proudly' admitting to 'killing 25 Taliban'". Sky News. 9 January 2023. Archived from the original on 11 January 2023. Retrieved 9 January 2023.

 Crofts, Mike (6 January 2023). "Harry's military claims point to one thing – an enduring sense of trauma". The Independent. Archived from the original on 6 January 2023. Retrieved 6 January 2023.

 Atkinson, Emily (7 January 2023). "Pen Farthing 'evacuated from Kabul' over fears Prince Harry confessions could invite 'reprisal attacks'". The Independent. Archived from the original on 8 January 2023. Retrieved 7 January 2023.

 Solomons, Adam (7 January 2023). "Pen Farthing slams Prince Harry book as "badly judged" as he claims he must now leave Kabul for fear of reprisals". LBC. Archived from the original on 7 January 2023. Retrieved 7 January 2023.

 "Harry's new memoir draws anger and protests in Afghanistan". AP NEWS. 8 January 2023. Archived from the original on 9 January 2023. Retrieved 9 January 2023.

 Blackwell, Evelyn (11 January 2023). "Harry Seen With Armed Guard After Revealing Taliban 'kills'". WorldNewsEra. Retrieved 11 January 2023.

 Ritschel, Chelsea (11 January 2023). "Prince Harry says silence is 'least effective' way to deal with 'painful elements of war' amid Taliban claim". The Independent. Retrieved 11 January 2023.

 "Harry condemns 'dangerous spin' on Taliban comments". BBC News. 11 January 2023. Retrieved 11 January 2023.

 Gregory, Andy (11 January 2023). "From 'racist' royal to Afghan killings - three times Harry appeared to change his tune". The Independent. Retrieved 11 January 2023.

 Dalton, Jane (13 January 2023). "Prince Harry's Taliban kill claim could help ex-soldiers, psychologists say". The Independent. Retrieved 13 January 2023.

 Lynch, Niamh (17 January 2023). "Iran criticises Prince Harry over admission he killed 25 Taliban fighters - calling it 'war crime'". Sky News. Retrieved 17 January 2023.

 McTaggart, India (17 January 2023). "Iran uses Prince Harry's Taliban kill count revelation to justify Alireza Akbari execution". The Telegraph. Retrieved 17 January 2023.

 Bradley, Charlie (5 January 2023). "Prince Harry's version of events in new book casts further doubt over claim made by Meghan". Daily Express. Archived from the original on 6 January 2023. Retrieved 6 January 2023.

 Clark, Meredith (6 January 2023). "The detail in the Harry and William revelations everyone is missing". The Independent. Archived from the original on 5 January 2023. Retrieved 6 January 2023.

 Ward, Victoria; Rayner, Gordon (6 January 2023). "Duke of Sussex accused of 'hypocrisy' for exposing personal Royal family struggles". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 6 January 2023. Retrieved 6 January 2023.

 Rayner, Gordon; Ward, Victoria (6 January 2023). "Prince Harry's Royal family ambushes 'harmed Queen's health'". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 6 January 2023. Retrieved 7 January 2023.

 Massabrook, Nicole (7 January 2023). "Caroline Flack's Former Publicist Slams Prince Harry's 'Appalling Book' for Discussing 'Private Details' About Late TV Presenter". Us Weekly. Archived from the original on 7 January 2023. Retrieved 7 January 2023.

 Minelle, Bethany (9 January 2023). "Caroline Flack's ex-agent hits out at Prince Harry for repeating 'long forgotten slurs' in memoir". Sky News. Archived from the original on 9 January 2023. Retrieved 9 January 2023.

 Harris, Katie (8 January 2023). "Rishi Sunak refuses to fall into Laura Kuenssberg's trap about intervening on Royal Family". Daily Express. Archived from the original on 8 January 2023. Retrieved 8 January 2023.

 Davis, Patti (7 January 2023). "Prince Harry and the Value of Silence". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 9 January 2023. Retrieved 9 January 2023.

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 "Prince Harry's popularity at new low after memoir published, poll suggests". CBC. 12 January 2023. Retrieved 12 January 2023.

 Mathers, Matt (12 January 2023). "Prince Harry and Meghan less popular than Andrew among over 65s, new poll shows". The Independent. Retrieved 12 January 2023.

 Ambrose, Tom (10 January 2023). "Prince Harry's autobiography Spare is UK's fastest-selling nonfiction book". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 11 January 2023. Retrieved 10 January 2023.

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 "Prince Harry's memoir Spare is 'fastest-selling non-fiction book ever'". Sky News. 10 January 2023. Archived from the original on 10 January 2023. Retrieved 10 January 2023.

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 "'I have a spare Spare': Readers get Prince Harry memoir days early - with one sent two copies". Sky News. 9 January 2023. Retrieved 21 January 2023.

 Shaffi, Sarah (17 January 2023). "Prince Harry's Spare is fastest-selling nonfiction book since UK records began". The Guardian. Retrieved 17 January 2023.

 McGreevy, Ronan (17 January 2023). "Prince Harry autobiography Spare becomes Ireland's fastest-selling non-fiction book". The Irish Times. Retrieved 17 January 2023.

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 "Prince Harry's ghostwriter JR Moehringer defends book after criticism over inaccuracies". Sky News. 12 January 2023. Retrieved 13 January 2023.

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 Ward, Victoria (6 January 2023). "Queen Consort 'did not leak first private conversation' with Prince William to the press". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 6 January 2023. Retrieved 7 January 2023.

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 Tominey, Camilla (13 January 2023). "The truth about the row between Meghan and Kate". The Telegraph. Retrieved 13 January 2023.

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External links

Official website

vte

Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex

15 September 1984 (age 38)

Titles

Duke of SussexEarl of DumbartonBaron Kilkeel

Family

Meghan Markle (wife)Archie Mountbatten-Windsor (son)Lilibet Mountbatten-Windsor (daughter)Charles III (father)Diana Spencer (mother)William, Prince of Wales (brother)

Events and charities

Concert for DianaWedding guestsOverseas visitsInvictus GamesSentebaleMegxitSussex Royal Markle Windsor FoundationArchewell

Popular culture

Film and

television

Concert for Diana (2007)Monarchy: The Royal Family at Work (2007)The Taking of Prince Harry (2010)I Wanna Marry "Harry" (2014)The Windsors (TV series, 2016–2020; play, 2021)Harry & Meghan: A Royal Romance (2018)Harry & Meghan: Becoming Royal (2019)Spitting Image (2020–)The Crown (TV series, seasons 4–6, 2020–)Oprah with Meghan and Harry (2021)The Me You Can't See (2021)Harry & Meghan: Escaping the Palace (2021)The Prince (2021)Harry & Meghan (2022)Live to Lead (2022)Harry: The Interview (2023)

Books

Finding FreedomSpare

Most popular books published in 2023

Books most frequently added to Goodreads members' shelves, updated weekly

2023

Month

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#1

Happy Place

Emily Henry

4.53

1,242 ratings

228k shelvings

Want to read

A couple who broke up months ago make a pact to pretend to still be together for their annual weeklong vacation with their best friends in this glittering and wise new novel from #1 New York Times bestselling author Emily Henry.

Harriet and Wyn have been the perfect couple since they met in college—they go together like salt and pepper, honey and tea, lobster and rolls. Except, now—for reasons they’re still not discussing—they don’t.

They broke up six months ago. And still haven’t told their best friends.

Which is how they find themselves sharing the largest bedroom at the Maine cottage that has been their friend group’s yearly getaway for the last decade. Their annual respite from the world, where for one vibrant, blue week they leave behind their daily lives; have copious amounts of cheese, wine, and seafood; and soak up the salty coastal air with the people who understand them most.

Only this year, Harriet and Wyn are lying through their teeth while trying not to notice how desperately they still want each other. Because the cottage is for sale and this is the last week they’ll all have together in this place. They can’t stand to break their friends’ hearts, and so they’ll play their parts. Harriet will be the driven surgical resident who never starts a fight, and Wyn will be the laid-back charmer who never lets the cracks show. It’s a flawless plan (if you look at it from a great distance and through a pair of sunscreen-smeared sunglasses). After years of being in love, how hard can it be to fake it for one week…in front of those who know you best?

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#2

Spare

Prince Harry

4.14

44.3k ratings

210k shelvings

Want to read

It was one of the most searing images of the twentieth century: two young boys, two princes, walking behind their mother’s coffin as the world watched in sorrow—and horror. As Princess Diana was laid to rest, billions wondered what Prince William and Prince Harry must be thinking and feeling—and how their lives would play out from that point on.

For Harry, this is that story at last.

Before losing his mother, twelve-year-old Prince Harry was known as the carefree one, the happy-go-lucky Spare to the more serious Heir. Grief changed everything. He struggled at school, struggled with anger, with loneliness—and, because he blamed the press for his mother’s death, he struggled to accept life in the spotlight.

At twenty-one, he joined the British Army. The discipline gave him structure, and two combat tours made him a hero at home. But he soon felt more lost than ever, suffering from post-traumatic stress and prone to crippling panic attacks. Above all, he couldn’t find true love.

Then he met Meghan. The world was swept away by the couple’s cinematic romance and rejoiced in their fairy-tale wedding. But from the beginning, Harry and Meghan were preyed upon by the press, subjected to waves of abuse, racism, and lies. Watching his wife suffer, their safety and mental health at risk, Harry saw no other way to prevent the tragedy of history repeating itself but to flee his mother country. Over the centuries, leaving the Royal Family was an act few had dared. The last to try, in fact, had been his mother. . . .

For the first time, Prince Harry tells his own story, chronicling his journey with raw, unflinching honesty. A landmark publication, Spare is full of insight, revelation, self-examination, and hard-won wisdom about the eternal power of love over grief.

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#3

All the Dangerous Things

Stacy Willingham

4.26

18.1k ratings

167k shelvings

Want to read

One year ago, Isabelle Drake's life changed forever: her toddler son, Mason, was taken out of his crib in the middle of the night while she and her husband were asleep in the next room. With little evidence and few leads for the police to chase, the case quickly went cold. However, Isabelle cannot rest until Mason is returned to her—literally.

Except for the occasional catnap or small blackout where she loses track of time, she hasn’t slept in a year.

Isabelle's entire existence now revolves around finding him, but she knows she can’t go on this way forever. In hopes of jarring loose a new witness or buried clue, she agrees to be interviewed by a true-crime podcaster—but his interest in Isabelle's past makes her nervous. His incessant questioning paired with her severe insomnia has brought up uncomfortable memories from her own childhood, making Isabelle start to doubt her recollection of the night of Mason’s disappearance, as well as second-guess who she can trust... including herself. But she is determined to figure out the truth no matter where it leads.

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#4

Really Good, Actually

Monica Heisey

3.52

1,126 ratings

107k shelvings

Want to read

A hilarious and painfully relatable debut novel about one woman’s messy search for joy and meaning in the wake of an unexpected breakup, from comedian, essayist, and award-winning screenwriter Monica Heisey

Maggie is fine. She’s doing really good, actually. Sure, she’s broke, her graduate thesis on something obscure is going nowhere, and her marriage only lasted 608 days, but at the ripe old age of twenty-nine, Maggie is determined to embrace her new life as a Surprisingly Young Divorcée™.

Now she has time to take up nine hobbies, eat hamburgers at 4 am, and “get back out there” sex-wise. With the support of her tough-loving academic advisor, Merris; her newly divorced friend, Amy; and her group chat (naturally), Maggie barrels through her first year of single life, intermittently dating, occasionally waking up on the floor and asking herself tough questions along the way.

Laugh-out-loud funny and filled with sharp observations, Really Good, Actually is a tender and bittersweet comedy that lays bare the uncertainties of modern love, friendship, and our search for that thing we like to call “happiness”. This is a remarkable debut from an unforgettable new voice in fiction.

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#5

How to Sell a Haunted House

Grady Hendrix

4.16

2,235 ratings

104k shelvings

Want to read

Your past and your family can haunt you like nothing else… A hilarious and terrifying new novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Final Girl Support Group.

Every childhood home is haunted, and each of us are possessed by our parents.

When their parents die at the tail end of the coronavirus pandemic, Louise and Mark Joyner are devastated but nothing can prepare them for how bad things are about to get. The two siblings are almost totally estranged, and couldn’t be more different. Now, however, they don’t have a choice but to get along. The virus has passed, and both of them are facing bank accounts ravaged by the economic meltdown. Their one asset? Their childhood home. They need to get it on the market as soon as possible because they need the money. Yet before her parents died they taped newspaper over the mirrors and nailed shut the attic door.

Sometimes we feel like puppets, controlled by our upbringing and our genes. Sometimes we feel like our parents treat us like toys, or playthings, or even dolls. The past can ground us, teach us, and keep us safe. It can also trap us, and bind us, and suffocate the life out of us. As disturbing events stack up in the house, Louise and Mark have to learn that sometimes the only way to break away from the past, sometimes the only way to sell a haunted house, is to burn it all down.

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#6

Final Offer (Dreamland Billionaires, #3)

Lauren Asher

4.63

890 ratings

102k shelvings

Want to read

Callahan

I’m the Kane brother everyone gossips about behind closed doors.

Trust fund brat. Washed-up athlete. High-functioning alcoholic.

No one knows the real me but her.

Lana Castillo—my childhood best friend and the only woman I ever loved.

When I broke her heart six years ago, I promised to never return to Lake Wisteria.

I kept my word until my grandfather’s will changed everything.

To receive my inheritance, I was tasked with spending a summer at the family lake house before selling it.

The request was simple in theory until my entire plan blew up on the very first day.

Turns out Lana doesn’t just live at the house, but she claims to own it, too.

Alana

Falling in love with Callahan Kane was a mistake.

He told me so before destroying my heart and our friendship six summers ago.

When he promised never to come back, I foolishly believed him.

But then Cal showed up again, intending to sell his grandfather’s lake house.

The biggest flaw in his plan?

My name is on the deed.

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#7

Secretly Yours (A Vine Mess, #1)

Tessa Bailey

3.85

791 ratings

101k shelvings

Want to read

A steamy new rom-com about a starchy professor and the bubbly neighbor he clashes with at every turn...

Hallie Welch fell hard for Julian Vos at fourteen, after they almost kissed in the dark vineyards of his family's winery. Now the prodigal hottie has returned to their small town. When Hallie is hired to revamp the gardens on the Vos estate, she wonders if she'll finally get that smooch. But the grumpy professor isn't the teenager she remembers and their polar opposite personalities clash spectacularly. One wine-fueled girls' night later, Hallie can't shake the sense that she did something reckless--and then she remembers the drunken secret admirer letter she left for Julian. Oh shit.

On sabbatical from his ivy league job, Julian plans to write a novel. But having Hallie gardening right outside his window is the ultimate distraction. She's eccentric, chronically late, often literally covered in dirt--and so unbelievably beautiful, he can't focus on anything else. Until he finds an anonymous letter sent by a woman from his past. Even as Julian wonders about this admirer, he's sucked further into Hallie's orbit. Like the flowers she plants all over town, Hallie is a burst of color in Julian's gray-scale life. For a man who irons his socks and runs on tight schedules, her sunny chaotic energy makes zero sense. But there's something so familiar about her... and her very presence is turning his world upside down.

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#8

Chain of Thorns (The Last Hours, #3)

Cassandra Clare

4.46

783 ratings

96k shelvings

Want to read

James and Cordelia must save London—and their marriage—in this thrilling and highly anticipated conclusion to the Last Hours series from the #1 New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author Cassandra Clare. Chain of Thorns is a Shadowhunters novel.

Cordelia Carstairs has lost everything that matters to her. In only a few short weeks, she has seen her father murdered, her plans to become parabatai with her best friend, Lucie, destroyed, and her marriage to James Herondale crumble before her eyes. Even worse, she is now bound to an ancient demon, Lilith, stripping her of her power as a Shadowhunter.

After fleeing to Paris with Matthew Fairchild, Cordelia hopes to forget her sorrows in the city’s glittering nightlife. But reality intrudes when shocking news comes from home: Tatiana Blackthorn has escaped the Adamant Citadel, and London is under new threat by the Prince of Hell, Belial.

Cordelia returns to a London riven by chaos and dissent. The long-kept secret that Belial is James and Lucie’s grandfather has been revealed by an unexpected enemy, and the Herondales find themselves under suspicion of dealings with demons. Cordelia longs to protect James but is torn between a love for James she has long believed hopeless, and the possibility of a new life with Matthew. Nor can her friends help—ripped apart by their own secrets, they seem destined to face what is coming alone.

For time is short, and Belial’s plan is about to crash into the Shadowhunters of London like a deadly wave, one that will separate Cordelia, Lucie, and the Merry Thieves from help of any kind. Left alone in a shadowy London, they must face Belial’s deadly army. If Cordelia and her friends are going to save their city—and their families—they will have to muster their courage, swallow their pride, and trust one another again. For if they fail, they may lose everything—even their souls.

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#9

Hell Bent (Alex Stern, #2)

Leigh Bardugo

4.42

9,382 ratings

87.3k shelvings

Want to read

Wealth. Power. Murder. Magic. Alex Stern is back and the Ivy League is going straight to hell in #1 New York Times bestselling author Leigh Bardugo's Hell Bent.

Find a gateway to the underworld. Steal a soul out of hell. A simple plan, except people who make this particular journey rarely come back. But Galaxy “Alex” Stern is determined to break Darlington out of purgatory―even if it costs her a future at Lethe and at Yale.

Forbidden from attempting a rescue, Alex and Dawes can’t call on the Ninth House for help, so they assemble a team of dubious allies to save the gentleman of Lethe. Together, they will have to navigate a maze of arcane texts and bizarre artifacts to uncover the societies’ most closely guarded secrets, and break every rule doing it. But when faculty members begin to die off, Alex knows these aren’t just accidents. Something deadly is at work in New Haven, and if she is going to survive, she’ll have to reckon with the monsters of her past and a darkness built into the university’s very walls.

Thick with history and packed with Bardugo’s signature twists, Hell Bent brings to life an intricate world full of magic, violence, and all too real monsters.

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#10

A Touch of Chaos (Hades & Persephone, #4)

Scarlett St. Clair

4.2

1,166 ratings

86.2k shelvings

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The World Will Burn

Persephone, Goddess of Spring, never guessed a chance encounter with Hades, God of the Underworld, would change her life forever—but he did.

A fight for humanity and battles between gods, it's a world Persephone never thought she would see. To end the chaos, she must draw upon her darkness and embrace who she's become—Goddess, Wife, Queen of the Underworld.

Once, Persephone made bargains to save those she loves, now she will go to war for them.

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#11

The Villa

Rachel Hawkins

3.76

8,882 ratings

76k shelvings

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From New York Times bestselling author Rachel Hawkins comes a deliciously wicked gothic suspense, set at an Italian villa with a dark history, for fans of Lucy Foley and Ruth Ware.

As kids, Emily and Chess were inseparable. But by their 30s, their bond has been strained by the demands of their adult lives. So when Chess suggests a girls trip to Italy, Emily jumps at the chance to reconnect with her best friend.

Villa Aestas in Orvieto is a high-end holiday home now, but in 1974, it was known as Villa Rosato, and rented for the summer by a notorious rock star, Noel Gordon. In an attempt to reignite his creative spark, Noel invites up-and-coming musician, Pierce Sheldon to join him, as well as Pierce’s girlfriend, Mari, and her stepsister, Lara. But he also sets in motion a chain of events that leads to Mari writing one of the greatest horror novels of all time, Lara composing a platinum album––and ends in Pierce’s brutal murder.

As Emily digs into the villa’s complicated history, she begins to think there might be more to the story of that fateful summer in 1974. That perhaps Pierce’s murder wasn’t just a tale of sex, drugs, and rock & roll gone wrong, but that something more sinister might have occurred––and that there might be clues hidden in the now-iconic works that Mari and Lara left behind.

Yet the closer that Emily gets to the truth, the more tension she feels developing between her and Chess. As secrets from the past come to light, equally dangerous betrayals from the present also emerge––and it begins to look like the villa will claim another victim before the summer ends.

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#12

The House in the Pines

Ana Reyes

3.38

7,355 ratings

73.9k shelvings

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Armed with only hazy memories, a woman who long ago witnessed her friend's sudden, mysterious death, and has since spent her life trying to forget, sets out to track down answers. What she uncovers, deep in the woods, is hardly to be believed....

Maya was a high school senior when her best friend, Aubrey, mysteriously dropped dead in front of the enigmatic man named Frank whom they'd been spending time with all summer.

Seven years later, Maya lives in Boston with a loving boyfriend and is kicking the secret addiction that has allowed her to cope with what happened years ago, the gaps in her memories, and the lost time that she can't account for. But her past comes rushing back when she comes across a recent YouTube video in which a young woman suddenly keels over and dies in a diner while sitting across from none other than Frank. Plunged into the trauma that has defined her life, Maya heads to her Berkshires hometown to relive that fateful summer--the influence Frank once had on her and the obsessive jealousy that nearly destroyed her friendship with Aubrey.

At her mother's house, she excavates fragments of her past and notices hidden messages in her deceased Guatemalan father's book that didn't stand out to her earlier. To save herself, she must understand a story written before she was born, but time keeps running out, and soon, all roads are leading back to Frank's cabin....

Utterly unique and captivating, The House in the Pines keeps you guessing about whether we can ever fully confront the past and return home.

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#13

The Stolen Heir (The Stolen Heir Duology, #1)

Holly Black

4.25

13.1k ratings

73k shelvings

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A runaway queen. A reluctant prince. And a quest that may destroy them both.

Eight years have passed since the Battle of the Serpent. But in the icy north, Lady Nore of the Court of Teeth has reclaimed the Ice Needle Citadel. There, she is using an ancient relic to create monsters of stick and snow who will do her bidding and exact her revenge.

Suren, child queen of the Court of Teeth, and the one person with power over her mother, fled to the human world. There, she lives feral in the woods. Lonely, and still haunted by the merciless torments she endured in the Court of Teeth, she bides her time by releasing mortals from foolish bargains. She believes herself forgotten until the storm hag, Bogdana chases her through the night streets. Suren is saved by none other than Prince Oak, heir to Elfhame, to whom she was once promised in marriage and who she has resented for years.

Now seventeen, Oak is charming, beautiful, and manipulative. He’s on a mission that will lead him into the north, and he wants Suren’s help. But if she agrees, it will mean guarding her heart against the boy she once knew and a prince she cannot trust, as well as confronting all the horrors she thought she left behind.

#1 New York Times bestselling author Holly Black returns to the opulent world of Elfhame in the first book in a thrilling new duology, following Jude's brother Oak, and the changeling queen, Suren.

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#14

Love, Theoretically

Ali Hazelwood

4.1

356 ratings

68.6k shelvings

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Rival physicists collide in a vortex of academic feuds and fake dating shenanigans in this delightfully STEMinist romcom from the New York Times bestselling author of The Love Hypothesis and Love on the Brain.

The many lives of theoretical physicist Elsie Hannaway have finally caught up with her. By day, she’s an adjunct professor, toiling away at grading labs and teaching thermodynamics in the hopes of landing tenure. By other day, Elsie makes up for her non-existent paycheck by offering her services as a fake girlfriend, tapping into her expertly honed people pleasing skills to embody whichever version of herself the client needs.

Honestly, it’s a pretty sweet gig—until her carefully constructed Elsie-verse comes crashing down. Because Jack Smith, the annoyingly attractive and broody older brother of her favorite client, turns out to be the cold-hearted experimental physicist who ruined her mentor’s career and undermined the reputation of theorists everywhere. And that same Jack who now sits on the hiring committee at MIT, right between Elsie and her dream job.

Elsie is prepared for an all-out war of scholarly sabotage but…those long, penetrating looks? Not having to be anything other than her true self when she’s with him? Will falling into an experimentalist’s orbit finally tempt her to put her most guarded theories on love into practice?

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#15

Untitled (Crescent City, #3)

Sarah J. Maas

4.75

347 ratings

66.7k shelvings

"Duchess of Sussex" redirects here. For the title, see Duke of Sussex.

Meghan

Duchess of Sussex (more)

Meghan Markle - 2018 (cropped).jpg

Meghan in 2018

Born Rachel Meghan Markle

August 4, 1981 (age 41)

West Park Hospital, Canoga Park, Los Angeles, California, U.S.

Spouses

Trevor Engelson

​(m. 2011; div. 2014)​

Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex

​(m. 2018)​

Issue

Archie Mountbatten-Windsor

Lilibet Mountbatten-Windsor

House Windsor (by marriage)

Father Thomas Markle Sr.

Mother Doria Ragland

Alma mater Northwestern University

Occupations

Actressauthor

Years active 2001–2017 (actress)

Works

Filmographywritings

Signature

Signature of the HRH Meghan, Duchess of Sussex.svg

Royal family of

the United Kingdom and the

other Commonwealth realms

Meghan, Duchess of Sussex (/ˈmɛɡən/; born Rachel Meghan Markle; August 4, 1981) is an American member of the British royal family and former actress. She is the wife of Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, the younger son of King Charles III.

Meghan was born and raised in Los Angeles, California. Her acting career began at Northwestern University; her last and most significant screen role was that of Rachel Zane for seven seasons (2011–2018) in the American TV legal drama Suits. She also developed a social media presence. This included The Tig (2014–2017) lifestyle blog, which gained recognition for her fashion sense and led to the creation and release of two clothing lines in 2015–2016. During The Tig period, Meghan became involved in charity work focused primarily on women's issues and social justice. She was married to American film producer Trevor Engelson from 2011 until their divorce in 2014.

Meghan retired from acting upon her marriage to Prince Harry in 2018 and became known as the Duchess of Sussex. They have two children, Archie and Lilibet Mountbatten-Windsor. In January 2020, the couple stepped down as working royals and later settled in California. In October 2020, they launched Archewell Inc., an American public organization that focuses on non-profit activities and creative media ventures. In the following years, she released a picture book for children, The Bench, and launched a Spotify podcast, Archetypes. Meghan and Harry filmed a highly publicized interview with Oprah Winfrey, which was broadcast in March 2021, and a Netflix docuseries, Harry & Meghan, which was released in December 2022.

Early life and education

See also: Family of Meghan, Duchess of Sussex

Rachel Meghan Markle was born on August 4, 1981, at West Park Hospital in Canoga Park, Los Angeles, California, to Doria Ragland (born 1956), a make-up artist, and Thomas Markle Sr. (born 1944), an Emmy Award winning television lighting director and director of photography.[1][2] She identifies as mixed race, often answering questions about her background with "My dad is Caucasian and my mom is African American. I'm half black and half white."[3] Her parents separated when she was two years old and divorced four years later.[4][5][6] She has a close relationship with her mother.[7][8] Thomas Markle Sr. worked as a director of photography and lighting for General Hospital and Married... with Children, and Meghan occasionally visited the set of Married... with Children as a child.[9][10] She has been estranged from her father and paternal half-siblings, Samantha Markle and Thomas Markle Jr.[11][12]

Growing up in Los Angeles,[13] Markle attended Hollywood Little Red Schoolhouse.[14][15] Both her parents contributed to raising her until the age of 9, after which her father was left in charge of caring for her as her mother pursued a career.[16] At age 11, she and her classmates wrote to Procter & Gamble to gender-neutralize a dishwashing soap commercial on national television.[17] She was raised as a Protestant[18] but graduated from L.A.'s Immaculate Heart High School, an all-girl Catholic school.[19] Markle took part in plays and musicals at the school, where her father helped with lighting.[20] During her teenage years, she worked at a local frozen yogurt shop and later as a waitress and babysitter.[21][22] She also volunteered at a soup kitchen in Skid Row, Los Angeles.[23][24] In 1999, she was admitted to Northwestern University (NU) in Evanston, Illinois, where she joined Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority.[25][26] With other members of Kappa Kappa Gamma, Markle did volunteer work with the Glass Slipper Project. After her junior year, she secured an internship as a junior press officer at the American embassy in Buenos Aires, with the help of her uncle Michael Markle,[27] and considered a political career.[28][29] However, she did not score high enough in the Foreign Service Officer Test to proceed further with the US State Department,[30] and returned to NU. She also attended a study abroad program in Madrid.[26] In 2003, Markle earned her bachelor's degree with a double major in theater and international studies from Northwestern's School of Communication.[28][30]

Acting career

Markle with Suits co-star Patrick J. Adams at Paley Center for Media, 2013

According to Markle, she had some difficulty getting roles early in her career due to being "ethnically ambiguous" because "I wasn't black enough for the black roles and I wasn't white enough for the white ones."[31] To support herself between acting jobs, she worked as a freelance calligrapher and taught bookbinding.[9][32] Her first on-screen appearance was a small role as a nurse in an episode of the daytime soap opera General Hospital,[33][34] a show for which her father served as a lighting director.[35] Markle had small guest roles on the television shows Century City (2004), The War at Home (2006) and CSI: NY (2006).[33] For her role in Century City, she told the casting directors that she was a SAG-AFTRA member when she was not, but after being cast, the employers were obliged to help her join the union according to the Taft–Hartley Act.[36] Markle also did several contract acting and modeling jobs. Between 2006 and 2007, she worked as a "briefcase girl" on 34 episodes of the US-version of the game show Deal or No Deal.[9] She appeared in Fox's series Fringe as Junior Agent Amy Jessup in the first two episodes of its second season.[37]

Markle appeared in small roles in the films Get Him to the Greek, Remember Me (produced by her then-partner Trevor Engelson) and The Candidate in 2010 and the film Horrible Bosses in 2011.[38] She was paid $187,000 for her role in Remember Me and $171,429 for her role in the short film The Candidate.[39] In July 2011, she joined the cast of the USA Network show Suits through to late 2017 and the seventh season. Her character, Rachel Zane, began as a paralegal and eventually became an attorney.[40] While working on Suits, she lived for nine months each year in Toronto.[41][42] Fortune magazine estimated that she was paid $50,000 per episode, amounting to an equivalent annual salary of $450,000.[43]

Personal life

Early relationships and first marriage

Markle and American film producer Trevor Engelson began dating in 2004.[44][45] They were married in Ocho Rios, Jamaica on August 16, 2011.[46] They separated in July 2013 and concluded a no-fault divorce in February 2014,[47] citing irreconcilable differences.[48] Markle's subsequent live-in relationship with Canadian celebrity chef and restaurateur Cory Vitiello ended in May 2016 after almost two years.[49]

Second marriage and motherhood

Further information: Wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle and Wedding dress of Meghan Markle

Markle and Prince Harry on Christmas Day 2017

In mid-2016,[50] Markle began a relationship with Prince Harry, a grandson of Queen Elizabeth II.[51][52] According to the couple, they first connected with each other via Instagram,[53] though they have also said that they were set up on a blind date by a mutual friend in July 2016.[50] On November 8, eight days after the relationship was made public by the press, the prince directed his communications secretary to release a statement on his behalf to express personal concern about pejorative and false comments made about his girlfriend by mainstream media and internet trolls.[54][55] Later, in a letter to a British media regulator, Markle's representatives complained about harassment from journalists.[56] In September 2017, Markle and Prince Harry appeared together in public in Toronto at the Invictus Games, of which Harry is founding patron.[57][58]

Meghan Markle's engagement to Prince Harry was announced on November 27, 2017, by Harry's father Charles (then the Prince of Wales).[59] The announcement was greeted with enthusiasm by the British media, and prompted generally positive comments about a mixed-race person as a member of the royal family,[60] especially in regard to Commonwealth countries.[61] Markle announced that she would retire from acting,[62][63] and her intention to become a British citizen.[64]

Carriage procession through streets of Windsor, May 2018

In preparation for the wedding, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, baptised Markle and confirmed her in the Church of England on March 6, 2018.[65] The private ceremony, performed with water from the River Jordan, took place in the Chapel Royal at St James's Palace.[65] The marriage ceremony was held on May 19 at St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle.[66] Her wedding dress was designed by Clare Waight Keller.[67] Markle later revealed that there was a private exchange of vows three days earlier, with the Archbishop of Canterbury in the couple's garden.[68] However, this private exchange of vows was not a legally recognized marriage.[69][70] It was reportedly agreed in advance that excess funds generated from the BBC broadcast of the wedding ceremony would go to a charity chosen by the newlywed couple.[71] In April 2020, Feeding Britain (which provides food packages to families in food poverty) was nominated to receive £90,000 from the BBC.[72]

After the wedding, the Duke and Duchess lived at Nottingham Cottage within the grounds of Kensington Palace in London.[73] In May 2018, it was reported that they had signed a two-year lease on WestfieldLarge, located on the Great Tew Estate in the Cotswolds.[74] They gave up the lease after photos of the house and its interior were published by a paparazzi agency.[74] The couple considered settling at the 21-bedroom Apartment 1 within the grounds of Kensington Palace,[75][76] but instead moved to Frogmore Cottage in the Home Park of Windsor Castle.[77][78] The Crown Estate refurbished the cottage at a cost of £2.4 million, paid out of the Sovereign Grant, with the Duke later reimbursing expenses beyond restoration and ordinary maintenance.[79][80] Meghan gave birth to a son, Archie Mountbatten-Windsor, on May 6, 2019.[81] The Duke and Duchess of Sussex's office moved to Buckingham Palace and officially closed on March 31, 2020, when the Sussexes withdrew from undertaking official royal engagements.[82][83] After some months in Canada and the United States, in June 2020 the couple bought a house on the former estate of Riven Rock, Montecito, California.[84][85] The next month, Meghan suffered a miscarriage.[86] She gave birth to a daughter, Lilibet Mountbatten-Windsor, on June 4, 2021.[87] The Duke and Duchess own a Labrador named Pula, and two Beagles named Guy and Mamma Mia.[88][89] Meghan previously owned a Labrador-German Shepherd cross named Bogart, which was rehomed with a friend in Canada due to its inability to travel as a result of old age.[90]

Political views

Members of the British royal family are politically neutral by convention.[91] However, Markle was politically vocal before marrying Prince Harry. At age 9, she and her friends reportedly campaigned against the Gulf War.[92] Decades later, she backed Hillary Clinton during the 2016 United States presidential election and publicly denounced the opponent and eventual winner, Donald Trump. In the same year, when the referendum on the United Kingdom's membership of the European Union resulted in favor of Brexit, Markle expressed her disappointment on Instagram.[93] In 2017, Markle recommended the book Who Rules the World? by left-wing intellectual Noam Chomsky on her Instagram account.[94]

Meghan married Prince Harry in May 2018. In July 2018, Irish Senator Catherine Noone tweeted that the Duchess was "pleased to see the result" of the Irish referendum on legalizing abortion. Meghan received criticism for potentially breaching the protocol that prohibits royals from interfering in politics;[95] Noone deleted her tweet and emphasized that her statement was misleading and "the Duchess was not in any way political".[95]

After she returned to the United States and as an eligible voter, she released a video with her husband encouraging others to register for the 2020 United States presidential election on National Voter Registration Day. Some media outlets took it as an implicit endorsement of the Democratic candidate, Joe Biden, which prompted then-President Trump to dismiss their messaging at a press conference.[96] In October 2021, she penned an open letter to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, advocating for paid leave for parents.[97] Her remarks were met by backlash from Republican representatives Jason Smith and Lisa McClain, who found her statement "out of touch" and criticized her interference with American politics while utilizing her British royal titles.[98] Meghan has reportedly lobbied senators from both parties on the issue of paid family leave, including Democratic senators Patty Murray and Kirsten Gillibrand, as well as Republican senators Shelley Moore Capito and Susan Collins.[99][100] She has also publicly spoken in support of federal voting protections.[101]

In February 2022, she voiced her support for the Supreme Court nomination of Ketanji Brown Jackson, stating "Judge Jackson's nomination has opened new ground for women's representation at the highest level of a judicial system that for too long has tilted against the very community she hails from".[102] In June 2022, she publicly supported Moms Demand Action, an organization which campaigns for safer gun laws in the US.[103] In the same month, in an interview with Jessica Yellin for Vogue, Meghan criticized the Supreme Court of the United States's decision that abortion is not a protected constitutional right, and voiced her support for the proposed Equal Rights Amendment.[104] Meghan also voted in the 2022 United States elections.[105]

Public life

Royal duties

See also: List of official overseas trips made by Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex

Markle greeting the public in Belfast, March 2018

After becoming engaged, Markle's first official public appearance with Prince Harry was at a World AIDS Day walkabout in Nottingham on December 1, 2017.[106][107] On March 12, the 2018 Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey was the first royal event she attended with the Queen.[108] On March 23, Harry and Meghan made an unannounced day visit to Northern Ireland.[109] In total, Markle attended 26 public engagements prior to the wedding.[110] Meghan's first official engagement after marriage was on May 22, when she and her husband attended a garden party celebrating the charity work of Charles III (then Prince of Wales).[111]

In July 2018, Meghan's first official trip abroad as a royal was to Dublin, Ireland, alongside Harry.[112][113] In October 2018, the Duke and Duchess traveled to Sydney, Australia for the 2018 Invictus Games.[114] This formed part of a Pacific tour that included Australia, Fiji, Tonga and New Zealand.[115][116] As representatives of the Queen, the couple were greeted warmly by crowds in Sydney, and the announcement of Meghan's pregnancy hours after their arrival delighted the public and media.[116][117] During their visit to Morocco in February 2019, the Duke and Duchess focused on projects centered on "women's empowerment, girls' education, inclusivity and encouragement of social entrepreneurship".[118] Meghan also participated in her husband's work as youth ambassador to the Commonwealth, which included overseas tours.[119][120]

As part of establishing a separate office from Kensington Palace in 2019, the Duke and Duchess created an Instagram social media account, which broke the record for the fastest account at the time to reach a million followers.[121] In July 2019, the Duchess's security team were criticized for creating an empty zone of about 40 seats around her at Wimbledon where she was watching a match between Serena Williams and Kaja Juvan.[122] In August 2019, Meghan and her husband were criticized by environmental campaigners for using private jets regularly when taking their personal trips abroad, which would leave more carbon footprint per person compared to commercial planes. The criticism was in line with similar criticism faced by the royal family in June 2019, after it was claimed that they "had doubled [their] carbon footprint from business travel".[123][124]

The Duchess of Sussex visits ActionAid in South Africa, 2019

In September and October 2019, a Southern African tour included Malawi, Angola, South Africa and Botswana. Archie traveled with his parents, making it "their first official tour as a family".[125]

Stepping back

See also: Megxit

In January 2020, Meghan and Harry returned to the UK from a vacation in Canada and announced that they were stepping back from their role as senior members of the royal family, and would balance their time between the United Kingdom and North America.[126][127] A statement released by the Palace confirmed that the Duke and Duchess were to cease to undertake royal duties as representatives of the Queen, and would therefore no longer receive the relevant financial support.[128] The couple would retain their HRH styles but not use them.[128] The formal role of the Duke and Duchess was subject to a twelve-month review period, ending in March 2021. Meghan's final solo engagement as a senior royal was a visit to Robert Clack School on March 7, 2020, in Dagenham ahead of International Women's Day.[129] She and Harry attended the Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey on March 9, 2020, which was their last engagement as a couple before they officially stepped down on March 31. Two years later, they made their first official appearance in the UK in June 2022 while attending the Platinum Jubilee National Service of Thanksgiving.[130]

They visited the UK and Germany in September 2022 for a number of charity events in Manchester and Düsseldorf.[131] On September 8, 2022, while Meghan and Harry were in London preparing to attend a charity event, Queen Elizabeth II died at Balmoral Castle in Scotland. The couple chose not to attend the charity event that night, with Meghan staying in London and her husband traveling to Balmoral.[132] On September 10, 2022, the Prince and Princess of Wales were joined by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex at Windsor to view the tributes to the Queen and spent time talking to the crowds. This was the first time since March 2020 that the two couples had been seen together.[133]

Further career and investments

In summer 2019, before announcing their decision to step down in January 2020, Meghan and her husband were involved in talks with Jeffrey Katzenberg, the founder of the now-defunct streaming platform Quibi, over a possible role in the service without gaining personal profits, but they eventually decided against joining the project.[134] In September 2019, it was reported that the couple had hired New York-based PR firm Sunshine Sachs, which represented them until 2022.[135][136][137] In June 2020, they signed with the Harry Walker Agency, owned by media company Endeavor, to conduct paid public speaking engagements.[138] In September 2020, the Sussexes signed a private commercial deal with Netflix "to develop scripted and unscripted series, film, documentaries, and children programming for the streaming service".[139] In October 2020, the couple hosted a special episode of Time 100 Talks with the theme being on "Engineering a Better World".[140] In December 2020, it was announced that Meghan had invested in Clevr Blends, a coffee company based in Southern California.[141][142] In the same month, Meghan and Harry signed a multi-year deal with Spotify to produce and host their own programs through their audio producing company, Archewell Audio.[143] A holiday special was released by the couple on the service in December 2020,[144] while Meghan's podcast, titled Archetypes, premiered in August 2022.[145][146]

The Bench, a picture book written by Meghan, was published in June 2021 by Random House Children's Books. It is based on her perception of the relationship between her husband and their son.[147] The book received a mixed response; it garnered praise for its illustrations and messaging but was criticized for its structure and writing.[148][149][150] Following its release, Meghan, alongside Archewell, donated 2,000 copies of The Bench to libraries, schools, and other nonprofit programs across the United States.[151] On June 17, the book reached number one on the children's picture books category of The New York Times Best Seller list.[152] In July 2021, it was announced that Meghan would executive-produce, alongside David Furnish, a Netflix animated series called Pearl.[153] The series was originally pitched to Netflix in 2018.[154][155] Pearl would depict the adventures of a 12-year-old girl who is inspired by influential women from history,[156] but the project was canceled in May 2022.[157] In the same month it was reported that Meghan and Harry had signed a four-book publishing deal that includes a wellness guide by Meghan and a memoir by Harry.[158]

In September 2021, Meghan and Harry went to New York, where they visited the 9/11 Memorial with New York governor Kathy Hochul and New York City mayor Bill de Blasio, and held meetings with the U.N. Deputy Secretary-General Amina J. Mohammed and the U.S. ambassador to the U.N. Linda Thomas-Greenfield.[159][160] In October 2021, Meghan and Harry announced their partnership with Ethic, a sustainable investment firm based in New York City, which also manages the couple's investments.[161][162] According to state filings from Delaware, where the couple's Archewell foundation is registered, Meghan and Harry incorporated 11 companies and a trust beginning in early 2020 which include Orinoco Publishing LLC and Peca Publishing LLC to hold the rights for their books as well as Cobblestone Lane LLC and IPHW LLC which are holders of their foundation's logos.[163] Frim Fram Inc., which ran The Tig, had been registered earlier as a new corporation in Delaware in December 2019.[164]

Harry & Meghan, a docuseries about the Sussexes, was produced by Netflix and the couple's Archewell Productions and premiered on December 8, 2022. It is directed by Liz Garbus.[165] The series received mixed reviews, with critics pointing out it was in contrast with the couple's wishes for privacy.[166]

Charity work and advocacy

Markle addressing the audience during a USO show at Naval Station Rota, Spain, December 2014[167]

Markle became a counsellor for the international network One Young World in 2014 and spoke at its 2014 summit in Dublin[168] and attended the 2016 opening ceremony in Ottawa.[169] Also in 2014, she toured Spain, Italy, Turkey, Afghanistan and England with the United Service Organizations.[170] During her time in Toronto, she volunteered for the Community Meals Program of St. Felix Centre and donated food from the set of Suits.[171][172]

In 2016, Markle became a global ambassador for World Vision Canada, traveling to Rwanda for the Clean Water Campaign.[173][174][31] After a trip to India focused on raising awareness for women's issues, she penned an op-ed for Time magazine concerning stigmatization of women in regard to menstrual health.[175] She has also worked with the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women as an advocate.[173][176] Her speech at UN Women's 2015 conference contained a number of sentences that was nearly identical to a 1951 speech by Eleanor Roosevelt.[177] Meghan is a vocal feminist and intended to use her role as a member of the royal family to continue supporting women's rights and social justice.[178] In 2017, Markle joined Prince Harry in teaming up with the charity Elephants Without Borders to assist with the conservation efforts taking place in Botswana.[179]

In January 2018, Markle became interested in the Hubb Community Kitchen run by survivors of the Grenfell Tower fire. She visited the kitchen regularly, and suggested that the displaced women publish a cookbook to assist in funding for the group.[180] Together: Our Community Cookbook, her first charity project as Duchess of Sussex, was announced in September.[181] In August 2020, Meghan used proceeds from the cookbook to donate £8,000 to the UK charity Migrateful, which supports refugees, asylum seekers, and migrants by helping them organize cookery classes.[182] In March 2021, she donated £10,000 from the proceeds to the UK-based charity Himmah to assist them with stocking the group's food bank, provide them with equipment and help the Salaam Shalom Kitchen, the only Muslim and Jewish community kitchen in the UK.[183]

In March 2020, it was announced that Meghan's first post-royal project would be the narration of Disneynature's documentary Elephant, which was released on April 3.[184] In support of elephants, Disneynature and the Disney Conservation Fund would donate to Elephant Without Borders for species conservation in Botswana.[185] In April 2020, Meghan and her husband, in a private capacity, volunteered to personally deliver foods prepared by the Project Angel Food to Los Angeles residents amidst the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States.[186] In June 2020, the couple backed the Stop Hate for Profit campaign and encouraged CEOs of different companies to join the movement.[187] In July 2020, she spoke in support of the Black Lives Matter movement.[188] In August 2020, Meghan and Harry collaborated with Baby2Baby and participated in drive-through distribution of school supplies to students.[189]

In April 2021, the couple were announced as campaign chairs for Vax Live: The Concert to Reunite the World, an event organized by Global Citizen to increase access to COVID-19 vaccinations.[190] They also announced their support for a vaccine equity fundraiser initiated by the same organization,[191] and penned an open letter to the pharmaceutical industry CEOs urging them to address the vaccine equity crisis.[192] In July 2021, Meghan and Harry were among people who were selected by UK-based charity Population Matters to receive the Change Champions award for their decision to have only two children and help with maintaining a smaller and more sustainable population.[193] In August 2021, to mark her 40th birthday, Meghan launched 40x40, a campaign that asks people around the world to spend 40 minutes of their time mentoring women reentering the workforce.[194] In September 2021, Meghan and Harry spoke again in support of vaccine equity at the Global Citizen Live concert.[195] In the following month and ahead of the 2021 G20 Rome summit, the couple penned an open letter together with the Director-General of the World Health Organization Tedros Adhanom, asking the G20 leaders to expedite efforts for the global distribution of COVID-19 vaccines.[196]

In January 2022 and following criticism aimed at Spotify for their handling of COVID-19 misinformation, Meghan and Harry made an announcement stating that since April 2021 they had begun "expressing concerns" about the issue on the platform.[197] In February 2022, the couple were selected to receive NAACP's President's Award for their works on causes related to social justice and equity.[198] In the following month, they were among more than a hundred people who signed an open letter published by the People's Vaccine Alliance, asking for free global access to COVID-19 vaccines and calling out the UK, EU and Switzerland for opposing a waiver that would allow vaccine intellectual property protections to be lifted.[199] In October 2022, Meghan and Harry were named as Ripple of Hope Award laureates for their work on racial justice, mental health, and other social initiatives through their foundation Archewell.[200]

Patronages and interests

From January 2019 to February 2021 Meghan was patron of London's National Theatre and the Association of Commonwealth Universities.[201][202] She continued her role as the private patron of Mayhew until 2022.[203] She remains a private patron of Smart Works.[202] From March 2019 to February 2021, she was the vice president of The Queen's Commonwealth Trust.[204][202] Until February 2021, periodically, online QCT chat sessions were conducted and uploaded to YouTube for general public viewing.[205] In October 2019, along with other members of the royal family, Meghan voiced a Public Health England announcement, for the "Every Mind Matters" mental health program.[206]

In 2019 Meghan was a contributor and guest editor for the September issue of British Vogue and highlighted the works of 15 women from different areas, who were described as "Forces for Change".[207] Edward Enninful, editor-in-chief of the British Vogue, later revealed that the issue had become the "fastest-selling issue in the history of British Vogue".[208] In the same issue, it was announced that she had collaborated with a number of British fashion houses and stores to launch a capsule collection, called The Smart Set, in September 2019 to benefit the charity Smart Works. The collection sought to help "unemployed and disadvantaged women", through selling items "on a one-for-one basis, meaning an item is donated for each item purchased".[209] Taking advantage of "the Meghan effect" (driving consumer purchases), in 10 days the collection provided a year's worth of clothes for the charity.[210]

Sussex Royal and Archewell

In February 2018, Markle and fiancé Harry attended the first annual forum of The Royal Foundation.[211] After marriage Meghan became the foundation's fourth patron alongside Prince Harry, Prince William and his wife, Catherine.[212] In May 2019, as a part of their Heads Together initiative, the Duchess of Sussex together with her husband and in-laws, launched Shout, a text messaging service for those who suffer from mental issues.[213] In June 2019, it was announced that Harry and Meghan would split from the charity and establish their own foundation. Nevertheless, the couples would collaborate on mutual projects, such as the mental health initiative Heads Together.[214][215] The following month, "Sussex Royal The Foundation of The Duke and Duchess of Sussex" was registered in England and Wales.[216] However, it was confirmed on February 21, 2020, that "Sussex Royal" would not be used as a brand name for the couple, following their step back from official life as working royals.[217] On August 5, 2020, Sussex Royal Foundation was renamed "MWX Foundation" and dissolved the same day.[218]

In March 2021, it was reported that the Charity Commission for England and Wales was conducting a review of the Sussex Royal organization in a "regulatory and compliance case" regarding its conduct under charity law during dissolution.[219] Representatives for the couple claimed that Sussex Royal was "managed by a board of trustees" and that "suggestion of mismanagement" directed exclusively at the Duke and Duchess would be incorrect.[219] The commission later concluded that the foundation did not act unlawfully, but criticized the board of directors for expending a "substantial proportion of funds" to setting up and closing the charity.[220][221]

In April 2020, Meghan and Harry confirmed that an alternative foundation (in lieu of Sussex Royal) would be called "Archewell".[222] The name stems from the Greek word "arche", which means "source of action"; the same word that inspired the name of their son.[222] Archewell was registered in the United States.[223] Its website was officially launched in October 2020.[224]

Public image and style

Markle (third from left) at New York Fashion Week in 2013

Between 2010 and 2012, Markle anonymously ran the blog The Working Actress, which detailed the "pitfalls and triumphs of struggling to make it in Hollywood".[225] In 2014, she founded her own lifestyle blog The Tig, which posted articles about food, fashion, beauty, travel and inspirational women.[226] The viewing audience consisted primarily of the fans of Markle and Suits. Promotion of the blog on other social media platforms targeted three million followers on Instagram, 800,000 on Facebook, and 350,000 on Twitter.[227] In April 2017, The Tig closed. In January 2018, she took all articles offline and deleted her social media accounts.[227] It is estimated that Markle's social media activities annually earned her about $80,000 from endorsements and sponsorships.[39] She was also known for socializing at Soho House.[228]

Markle became known through The Tig for her fashion sense,[42] releasing two fashion collections with Canadian clothing company Reitmans in 2015 and 2016.[227] The lines were based on her personal style and that of her Suits character.[42] Markle has cited Emmanuelle Alt as her style inspiration.[229][230] In 2016, she hosted USA Network's video series Power Lunch with Meghan Markle in collaboration with Lexus and Eater, discussing the culinary inspirations of five different New York kitchens.[231]

Markle was featured in the cover story for the October 2017 issue of Vanity Fair and the December 2017 issue of Elle France.[232][233] Shortly after her engagement to Prince Harry in 2017, she caused a surge of interest in Scottish retailer Strathberry after carrying one of its handbags to a public event.[234][235] This was reported as an indication that her fashion choices would produce results similar to the Kate Middleton effect.[234][236] After Markle and Prince Harry's first appearance as a couple, brands Mackage, Birks, R&R Jewelers, Crown Jewelers and Everlane noted an upswing in their website hits and sales.[237][238][235] It was speculated that Markle's effect would be broader internationally because she already had a strong American appeal.[236] Consequently, the United States saw a boost in yellow gold jewelry sales in the first quarter of 2018.[239]

In 2018, Tatler included Meghan with other senior royal women on its list of Britain's best-dressed people.[240] Following the announcement of her pregnancy she appeared in a Karen Gee dress that resulted in the Australian designer's website crashing.[241] Fashion website Net-a-Porter ranked Meghan as one of the best dressed women in 2018.[242] She was nominated for the 2018 Teen Choice Awards in the category Choice Style Icon.[243] In 2019, British brand Reiss reported a growth in profits after Meghan was seen wearing a mini-dress by them on International Women's Day.[244] In 2022, the black Armani dress worn by Meghan during her Oprah interview was selected by the Fashion Museum, Bath as Dress of the Year 2021.[245] In the same year, she was featured in the cover story for the 2022 Fall Fashion issue of The Cut.[246]

In 2018, Time selected Meghan as one of the 100 Most Influential People in the World[247] and placed her on its shortlist for Person of the Year.[248] Her name appeared again on the listicle in 2021 and she and her husband were featured on one of the magazine's seven worldwide covers.[249] In 2019, the magazine named Meghan and Prince Harry among the 25 Most Influential People on the Internet.[250] She was also chosen as one of the 25 most influential women in the United Kingdom by British Vogue magazine in 2018, 2019, and 2021.[251][252][253] Her influence was also recognized in both the 2019 and 2020 editions of Powerlist, the 100 most influential Britons of African and Afro-Caribbean descent.[254] In 2022, she was named as one of the 50 Women Changing the World over the past year by Worth magazine.[255] In the same year, Variety named her as a stellar honoree for its Power of Women issue,[256][257] and Financial Times included her on its list of "25 most influential women of 2022".[258] In December 2022, Meghan was found to be the second most disliked member of the British royal family by statistics and polling company YouGov, behind her husband's uncle Prince Andrew.[259]

Privacy and the media

Court cases

Associated Newspapers Limited

In October 2019, Meghan filed a lawsuit against Associated Newspapers Limited (ANL), the publisher of The Mail on Sunday and MailOnline over the publication of a letter she had sent to her father.[260][261] Thomas Markle Sr. had provided the publisher with excerpts of the letter after five of his daughter's friends, including Abigail Spencer,[262] referenced it in a People article.[4][263][264] She subsequently received support from more than 70 female MPs from different parties who in an open letter condemned the use of "outdated, colonial undertones" against her in some national media outlets.[265] In May 2020, the court dismissed claims of the tabloid's alleged dishonesty and malice, as they were deemed either vague or irrelevant to the case.[266] In February 2021, the High Court of Justice found in summary judgment that ANL's Mail on Sunday had invaded Meghan's privacy by publishing the letter,[267] and she won her claim for "misuse of private information and copyright infringement" in May 2021.[268] She was given a £450,000 down payment on her £1.5 million legal fees as an interim payment, and pursuant to copyright law, her legal team asked for a front-page statement by The Mail on Sunday and MailOnline to acknowledge her legal victory.[269]

The Court of Appeal granted ANL permission to appeal against the ruling.[270] The appeal was subsequently launched by ANL in November 2021.[271] Meghan and Harry's former communications secretary Jason Knauf—who had previously denied co-authoring the letter with Meghan[272]—gave a statement to the court of appeal, mentioning that Meghan gave him briefing points to share with Finding Freedom's authors Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand, and that Prince Harry welcomed the suggestion that they should conceal their involvement, while they both discussed the book "on a routine basis".[273] ANL had previously applied to use the book in their defense, arguing that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex had "co-operated with the authors of the recently published book Finding Freedom to put out their version of certain events".[274][275] Knauf also revealed that Meghan wondered whether she should refer to her father as "daddy" in the letter, as she believed "in the unfortunate event that it leaked, it would pull at the heartstrings".[273] Meghan subsequently apologized to the court for not remembering the emails earlier and stated she "had absolutely no wish or intention to mislead the defendant or the court", adding that the "extent of the information" Knauf shared with the book's authors was "unknown" to her and her exchanges with Knauf were "a far cry from the very detailed personal information that the defendant alleges that I wanted or permitted to put into the public domain".[276] She also stated in her witness statement that she was "unable to retrieve any text messages with Mr Knauf" due to "an automatic deletion system" that had been installed on her devices in 2016 for security reasons.[277]

In December 2021, three senior appeal judges upheld the judgement of the High Court against ANL, prompting Meghan to call for reform of the tabloid industry.[278] In the same month, ANL's The Mail on Sunday and MailOnline published a front-page statement on Boxing Day acknowledging Meghan's victory, adding that there had been an agreement on "financial remedies".[279] In addition to covering a portion of Meghan's legal costs, the outlet agreed to pay her £1 in damages for invading her privacy and a confidential sum for infringing her copyright.[280] They were also banned from naming Meghan's friends, who had spoken to People magazine about the letter in 2018.[280]

Other cases and complaints

In November 2016, the MailOnline was criticized for running an article on Markle's family background titled "(Almost) Straight Outta Compton", which triggered a response from Prince Harry's Communications Secretary.[13] In the same month, The Sun ran the headline "Harry girl's on Pornhub".[55] The outlet denied any smear after it was revealed that the clips were illegally uploaded scenes from the TV series Suits, and not pornographic material.[55] They subsequently apologized via an official statement in February 2017.[281] In February 2018, a letter containing white powder and a racist note addressing Markle was sent to St James's Palace, triggering counter-terrorism and hate crime investigations by Scotland Yard.[282] Meghan and Harry obtained a formal apology in May 2019 from the Splash News for privacy invasion at their Cotswolds residence.[283][284] The couple had a legal warning issued to the press in general in January 2020 after the publication of paparazzi photographs.[285] In March 2020, the couple took Splash UK to court after Meghan and her son were photographed without permission in Canada during a "private family outing". The case was settled later that year with Splash UK agreeing to no longer take unauthorized photos of the family.[286] The Duke and Duchess announced in April that they would no longer cooperate with the Daily Mail, The Sun, Daily Mirror and Daily Express.[287] They won an apology in October from American news agency X17 for taking photographs of their son at their home using drones.[288]

In March 2021, ITV News reported Meghan had complained directly to ITV's CEO about Piers Morgan's comments on mental health following her interview with Oprah Winfrey.[289] Ofcom received over 57,000 complaints about the program including one from the Duchess of Sussex.[290][291] In the same month, it was reported that an American private investigator unlawfully handed over personal details about Meghan to The Sun, including her Social Security number, cell phone number and address, when she first started dating Prince Harry in 2016. Meghan and her husband condemned the "predatory practices" of the British tabloids, while The Sun stated that the investigator "was instructed clearly in writing to act lawfully", and they did not "use the information he provided for any unlawful practice".[292]

In July 2021, Meghan filed legal complaints against The Times for two separate articles, with the first one covering an unproven allegation from Robert Lacey's book that she had left an engagement in Fiji for not being appointed by UN Women as a goodwill ambassador and the second one claiming that the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge had refused to talk to Prince Harry after Prince Philip's funeral due to fears of a potential leak.[293][294] In January 2022, the couple jointly filed a legal complaint against The Times for an article reporting on Archewell raising less than $50,000 in 2020.[295] In the same month, she complained to the BBC regarding their five-part podcast Harry, Meghan and the Media, in which the presenter Amol Rajan stated that Meghan had "apologized for misleading" the Court of Appeal in her case against the Mail on Sunday.[296][297] The BBC responded by issuing a statement on its "corrections and clarifications" website to emphasize that she had "apologized to the court for not remembering email exchanges".[297]

In March 2022, Meghan's half-sister, Samantha Markle, filed a defamation lawsuit against her in Florida, accusing her of lying in the Oprah interview and disseminating false statements via her communications secretary for the book Finding Freedom, and sought damages in excess of $75,000.[298][299] Meghan's lawyers described the lawsuit as "a continuation of a pattern of disturbing behavior."[299] In a response filed in May 2022, Meghan's attorneys argued that her half-sister's claims were "demonstrably false", and the statements made by Meghan during the Oprah interview were either "non-actionable opinion or substantially true".[300] They also added that the alleged defamatory statements Samantha had referred to either were true or could not be found in Finding Freedom or in the emails that Meghan had sent to her communications secretary, for which Meghan could not be held accountable under Florida's two-year statute of limitations and due to the fact that she did not write the book herself.[300] In June 2022, Meghan's initial motion to dismiss the case was rejected by a judge following amendments made by Samantha in her complaints.[301] She filed a second motion in the same month, stating that the deletion of "numerous specific factual allegations and exhibits from her original complaint" combined with the lack of facts had undermined Samantha's case, and argued a judge or jury would not be able to pass judgements about the state of their relationship.[301] Meghan's lawyers have argued that her comments regarding her upbringing in the interview were unfalsifiable and subjective statements of her feelings, rather than objective facts.[302]

In August 2022 and in an interview with The Cut, Meghan recalled being told at the premiere of The Lion King in London by a South African cast member that following her marriage to Harry, people in South Africa "rejoiced in the streets the same we did when Mandela was freed from prison".[303] Meghan was criticized by Mandela's grandson Mandla Mandela for reciting the story, who stated that his grandfather's release from prison after "overcoming 350 years of colonialism with 60 years of a brutal apartheid regime in South Africa" could not be "compared to the celebration of someone's wedding".[303][304] John Kani, the only South African cast member of The Lion King, later stated that he did not recall meeting Meghan and claimed there were no big celebrations in South Africa at the time of the wedding.[305] Lebo M., the film's South African composer who was at the London premiere, revealed that he had spoken to Meghan for "less than a minute" and could not remember discussing Mandela with her.[306] In the same interview, Meghan spoke of the reason behind her refusal to share photos of her children with the Royal Rota, claiming that she would not share it with the people who allegedly call her children the N-word, a claim that was disputed by British journalists.[307]

Between December 2022 and January 2023, more than 25,000 complaints were submitted to the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO) about a column by Jeremy Clarkson in The Sun,[308] in which he stated that he hated Meghan "on a cellular level" and dreamed "of the day when she is made to parade naked through the streets of every town in Britain while the crowds chant, 'Shame!' and throw lumps of excrement at her."[309] He later said this was a reference to a scene from the television series Game of Thrones and he was "horrified to have caused so much hurt" over his comments.[310][311] On December 20, 2022, Conservative MP Caroline Nokes wrote to The Sun's editor, Victoria Newton, calling for "action [to be] taken" against Clarkson and for an "unreserved apology". The letter was signed by more than 60 cross-party MPs.[312] On December 23, The Sun issued an apology, stating "columnists' opinions are their own" but they "regret the publication of this article" and are "sincerely sorry".[313] On the following day, a spokesperson for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex described the apology as "nothing more than a PR stunt" and added that the publication had not contacted Meghan to personally apologize which "shows their intent".[314] In an Instagram post on January 16, 2023, Clarkson revealed that he had emailed Meghan and Harry on Christmas Day 2022 to apologise, saying that his language had been "disgraceful" and he was "profoundly sorry".[308] A spokesperson for the couple said Clarkson wrote solely to Harry and the article was not an isolated incident considering "his long-standing pattern of writing articles that spread hate rhetoric, dangerous conspiracy theories and misogyny."[308]

Bullying allegations and Oprah interview

In 2021, shortly before Meghan and Harry were due to be interviewed by Oprah Winfrey, Valentine Low reported in The Times that Meghan's former communications secretary, Jason Knauf, complained in October 2018 that her conduct at Kensington Palace had caused two personal assistants to quit and had undermined the confidence of a third employee,[315] prompting an investigation by Buckingham Palace into the bullying allegations.[316][317] The palace hired an external law firm to examine the claims, with ten aides reported to cooperate with the review.[318][319] Criticism of Meghan for twice wearing earrings gifted from Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in 2018, after he was accused of complicity in the assassination of Jamal Khashoggi, appeared at the same time.[320][315][321] Her representatives denied her awareness of the accusations against Mohammed bin Salman, and said The Times was being used by Buckingham Palace for "a smear campaign" against her.[322][315]

In an updated epilogue for the couple's unauthorized biography, Finding Freedom by Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand, the authors claimed that "two of the individuals mentioned in [Knauf's] email asked for any allegations made to HR about their experiences with Meghan to be rescinded".[323] Speaking on behalf of the Duchess in a BBC documentary, Jenny Afia, a lawyer who represents Meghan in her case against ANL stated that the bullying allegations were "just not true".[324] In June 2022, The Times reported that the results from the inquiry made Buckingham Palace modify some of the policies and procedures in its HR department, but the report would not be published to ensure the privacy of those who took part in it.[325]

The television special Oprah with Meghan and Harry was broadcast on CBS on March 7, 2021.[326] Meghan spoke about her personal and royal life and public pressure. She claimed to have been contemplating suicide during her time as a working royal and complained of a lack of protection for her and her son while being part of the royal institution.[327] There was a wide and polarized reaction to the interview.[328]

On Twitter and other platforms

In March 2019, European consulting firm 89up reported on their discovery of 1,103 highly connected Twitter accounts with more than two and a half million tweets in favor of Meghan, most of which appeared to be bots carrying out "coordinated attacks" on royal correspondents who had reported negatively on her.[329][330] In the same year, CNN had reported on a research by Hope not Hate, stating that out of 5,200 "abusive tweets directed at Meghan" in January and February 2019, 3,600 came from a small group of trolls.[329] In March 2019, the royal family introduced new rules for followers commenting its official social media accounts in response to the online abuse aimed at Meghan and her sister-in-law Catherine.[331]

In October 2021, Twitter analytics service Bot Sentinel released their analysis of more than 114,000 tweets about the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, as a result of which they found 83 accounts with a combined number of 187,631 followers that were possibly responsible for approximately 70% of the negative content posted about the couple.[332] The report prompted an investigation by Twitter.[332] The company stated that it found no evidence of "widespread coordination" between the accounts, and said that it had taken action against users who violated Twitter's conduct policy.[332]

Bot Sentinel also released three more reports in the following months, arguing that the accounts were part of a "bot network" and a similar network could be found on YouTube.[333][334][335] Christopher Bouzy, Bot Sentinel's founder, was himself responsible for initiating a discourse that criticized Meghan's in-laws, William and Catherine, for their appearance by tweeting that they were "aging in Banana years".[336] In January 2022, the BBC named Meghan and Harry among people whose photos and videos were used in fake instant profits advertisements and bitcoin-related investment schemes.[337]

Titles, styles, and arms

Royal monogram

Meghan became a princess of the United Kingdom upon her marriage to Prince Harry, entitled to the style of Royal Highness.[338] After her marriage, she was styled "Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Sussex". She also holds the titles of Countess of Dumbarton and Baroness Kilkeel.[339] She is the first person to hold the title "Duchess of Sussex".[340][341]

Following the Duke and Duchess's decision to step back from royal duties in 2020, the couple agreed not to use the style of "Royal Highness" in practice, but they still legally retain the style.[342][343][344]

Coat of arms of the Duchess of Sussex 

Coat of arms of Meghan, Duchess of Sussex.svg

Notes

The Duchess bears the arms of her husband impaled with her own. Thomas Woodcock, Garter King of Arms, the senior officer of the College of Arms, helped the Duchess with the design, which was approved by the Queen.[345][346]

Adopted

May 25, 2018

Coronet

Coronet of a child of the sovereign.[345]

Escutcheon

Quarterly 1st and 4th Gules three lions passant guardant in pale Or armed and langed Azure (England), 2nd Or a lion rampant Gules armed and langued Azure within a double tressure flory counterflory (Scotland), 3rd Azure a harp Or stringed Argent (Ireland), the whole differenced by a label of five points Argent, the first, third and fifth points charged with an escallop Gules (Prince Harry); Impaled with a shield Azure a feather bendwise Argent quilled Or between two bendlets Or all between two like feathers Argent quilled Or (Markle).[347]

Supporters

On the dexter side the lion used as a supporter by the Duke of Sussex and to the sinister a songbird Argent wings spread, unguled Or and gorged with the coronet of the Duke of Sussex.

Compartment

Below the shield, a mount of grass with golden poppies and wintersweet in flower.

Symbolism

The blue background of the shield represents the Pacific Ocean off the California coast, while the two golden rays across the shield are symbolic of the sunshine of the Duchess's home state. The three quills represent communication and the power of words. Beneath the shield on the grass sits a collection of golden poppies, California's state flower, and wintersweet, which grows at Kensington Palace. The songbird with wings elevated as if flying and an open beak represents the power of communication.[345][346]

Other versions

Combined Coat of Arms of Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.svgIn May 2018, the Queen approved the conjugal arms of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, consisting of their individual arms displayed side by side

Filmography

Television

Year Title Role Notes

1995 Married... with Children Student 1 episode "The Undergraduate" (season 9: episode 26); uncredited

2001 General Hospital Jill 2 episodes[34]

2004 Century City Natasha 1 episode "A Mind is a Terrible Thing to Lose" (season 1: episode 4)

2005 Cuts Cori 1 episode "My Boyfriend's Back" (season 1: episode 5)

Love, Inc. Teresa Santos 1 episode "One on One" (season 1: episode 9)

2006 1 vs. 100 Herself 1 episode "Mob member number 7" (Episode 101)

The War at Home Susan 1 episode "The Seventeen-Year Itch" (season 1: episode 17)

Deceit Gwen Television movie

CSI: NY Veronica Perez 1 episode "Murder Sings the Blues" (season 3: episode 7)

2006–2007 Deal or No Deal Herself Holder of Case #24; 34 episodes[348]

2008 90210 Wendy 1 episode "We're Not in Kansas Anymore" (season 1: episode 1)

"The Jet Set" (season 1: episode 2)

'Til Death Tara 1 episode "Joy Ride" (season 3: episode 2)

The Apostles Kelly Calhoun Television movie

Good Behavior Sadie Valencia Television movie

2009 Knight Rider Annie Ortiz 1 episode "Fight Knight" (season 1: episode 14)

Without a Trace Holly Shepard 1 episode "Chameleon" (season 7: episode 15)

Fringe Junior FBI Agent Amy Jessup 2 episodes "A New Day in the Old Town" (season 2: episode 1)

"Night of Desirable Objects" (season 2: episode 2)

The League - 1 episode "The Bounce Test" (season 1: episode 2)

2010 CSI: Miami Officer Leah Montoya 1 episode "Backfire" (season 8: episode 20)

The Boys & Girls Guide to Getting Down Dana Television movie

2011–2018 Suits Rachel Zane Series regular (seasons 1–7), 108 episodes

(Markle's final scene was filmed in 2017)

2012 Castle Charlotte Boyd / Sleeping Beauty 1 episode "Once Upon a Crime" (season 4: episode 17)

2014 When Sparks Fly Amy Peterson Hallmark Channel television movies

2016 Dater's Handbook Cassandra Brand

2018 Queen of the World Herself HBO documentary

2019 Harry & Meghan: An African Journey ITV documentary

2021 Oprah with Meghan and Harry CBS Special interview

2022 Harry & Meghan Netflix docuseries

Live to Lead

TBA Heart of Invictus

Film

Year Title Role Notes

2005 A Lot like Love - Cameo

2010 Remember Me Megan

Get Him to the Greek Tatiana Uncredited

The Candidate Kat Short film

2011 Horrible Bosses Jamie

2012 Dysfunctional Friends Terry

2013 Random Encounters Mindy UK Title: A Random Encounter

2015 Anti-Social Kirsten

2020 Elephant Narrator Disneynature film; credit: Meghan, The Duchess of Sussex[185]

Bibliography

Books

Markle, Meghan (1996). A Face without Freckles... Is a Night without Stars.

HRH The Duchess of Sussex, "Foreword", in: The Hubb Community Kitchen (2018). Together: Our Community Cookbook. Ebury Press. ISBN 978-1529102925. OCLC 1055685147.

Meghan, The Duchess of Sussex (2021). The Bench. Illustrated by Christian Robinson. Random House Children's Books. ISBN 978-0593434512.

Authored articles and letters

Markle, Meghan (May 2015). "It's All Enough". Darling Magazine., republished online, November 6, 2018.

Markle, Meghan (July 2015). "I'm More Than An 'Other'". ELLE., republished online, December 22, 2016.

Markle, Meghan (November 9, 2016). "With Fame Comes Opportunity, But Also A Responsibility". ELLE.

Markle, Meghan (March 8, 2017). "How Periods Affect Potential". Time.

HRH The Duchess of Sussex (July 29, 2019). "HRH The Duchess of Sussex Introduces The September Issue In Her Own Words". Vogue (British ed.).

HRH The Duchess of Sussex (July 31, 2019). "HRH The Duchess of Sussex Shares A New Smart Works Initiative". Vogue (British ed.).

Meghan, The Duchess of Sussex (August 26, 2020). "Meghan, The Duchess of Sussex: My conversation with Gloria Steinem". Yahoo!.

Meghan, The Duchess of Sussex (November 25, 2020). "The Losses We Share". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on November 25, 2020.

Meghan, The Duchess of Sussex (October 20, 2021). "A Letter on Paid Leave from Meghan, The Duchess of Sussex". Paid Leave for All.

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus; Prince Harry, The Duke of Sussex; Meghan, The Duchess of Sussex (October 29, 2021). "Meeting the COVID-19 vaccine commitments". World Health Organization. Archived from the original on October 29, 2021.

Meghan, The Duchess of Sussex (April 6, 2022). "A message from Meghan, The Duchess of Sussex". Mayhew.

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 McGooran, Cara (November 30, 2017). "Meghan Markle was a Deal or No Deal suitcase model – so what happened to the rest of them?". The Telegraph. London: Telegraph Media Group Limited. Archived from the original on April 13, 2018.

Further reading

Bower, Tom (2022). Revenge: Meghan, Harry and the War Between the Windsors. London: Blink Publishing. ISBN 978-1788705035.

Campbell, Lady Colin (2020). Meghan and Harry: The Real Story. London: Dynasty Press Ltd. ISBN 978-1643136752.

Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex (2023). Spare. London: Penguin Random House. ISBN 978-0593593806.

Morton, Andrew (2018). Meghan: A Hollywood Princess. London: Michael O'Mara. ISBN 978-1782439615.

Scobie, Omid; Durand, Carolyn (2020). Finding Freedom: Harry and Meghan and the Making of A Modern Royal Family. London: Dey Street Books. ISBN 978-0063046108.

Smith, Sean (2020). Meghan Misunderstood. London: HarperCollins. ISBN 978-0-00-835960-7. OCLC 1256038027.

External links

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Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's Royal Wedding: All the Details

The couple tied the knot in a fairytale wedding on May 19, 2018. From the traditional ceremony to the luncheon reception and private evening affair, here are all of the details on their nuptials

By Nicole Briese

  Updated on December 15, 2022 11:04 AM

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Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and his wife Meghan, Duchess of Sussex wave from the Ascot Landau Carriage during their carriage procession on the Long Walk as they head back towards Windsor Castle in Windsor, on May 19, 2018 after their wedding ceremony

PHOTO: AARON CHOWN/AFP

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's royal wedding on May 19, 2018, captivated the world.

An estimated 1.9 billion people tuned in to watch the pair say their "I dos," making it one of the biggest televised events in history. A wedding ceremony of such scale required a great deal of careful planning and hard work from everyone involved, from the wedding cake baker, Claire Ptak, who spent five days perfecting the couple's lemon sponge confection with her team, to the dressmakers, who worked for "hundreds of hours" sewing fabric and washing their hands every 30 minutes to keep the veil immaculate.

"A great level of detail went into the planning of our wedding day," Meghan acknowledged in an audio clip from the couple's "A Royal Wedding: The Duke and Duchess of Sussex" exhibit in Windsor. "We knew how large the scale of the event would be, so in making choices that were really personal and meaningful, it could make the whole experience feel intimate."

For more on the Royals, listen below to our daily podcast PEOPLE Every Day.

It was a fitting goal for the couple, who also got engaged in an über-intimate manner. ​​"It was a cozy night," Meghan told the BBC. "We were roasting chicken. It was just an amazing surprise. It was so sweet and natural and very romantic. He got down on one knee."

Harry and Meghan were introduced by a mutual friend in 2016 and became betrothed just one year later. "The fact that I fell in love with Meghan so incredibly quickly was a confirmation to me that all the stars were aligned. Everything was just perfect," Harry said in the couple's engagement interview.

Though the pair's big day was highly publicized and televised for the world to see, there were some details that the public didn't learn until much later — including the fact that Harry and Meghan secretly exchanged vows in a backyard ceremony three days before their wedding, as they told Oprah Winfrey. In their Netflix docuseries Harry & Meghan, the couple shared several more special moments from their nuptials, offering viewers an intimate peek at their first dance as well as Meghan's mindset on the big day.

"On the day of our wedding, it's like I went into a really calm space. I don't know how I was so calm," Meghan said. "I look back at that: How was I so calm? And all I wanted was a mimosa, a croissant. And to play the song 'Going to the Chapel.' Oh, that's what I did. And it was great."

In the series, Harry also spoke about the expectation for the couple to have a big wedding. "There was an expectation, right? Diana's boy It was an expectation to have a public wedding," he said. "It was like, 'Mission complete with William. Now let's see if this goes the distance with Harry and then we can actually go, "Job done".' "

From their A-list guest list to their traditional lunch reception and private late-night party, here's everything to know about Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's royal wedding.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's Wedding Details

Harry and Meghan got married on a weekend

<a href="https://people.com/tag/prince-harry/" data-inlink="true">Prince Harry</a>, Duke of Sussex and the Duchess of Sussex hold hands in the Ascot Landau Carriage as their carriage procession rides along the Long Walk, on May 19, 2018 after their wedding ceremony

YUI MOK - WPA POOL/GETTY

The couple's wedding date of May 19, 2018, was unusual because it fell on a Saturday. Historically, British royals have chosen to hold their ceremonies on weekdays. Prince William and Kate Middleton got married on a Friday, while Prince Charles and Princess Diana tied the knot on a Wednesday. As for Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, they exchanged vows on a Thursday.

Their wedding invitations were traditional

Harry & Meghan Wedding Invite

NETFIX

A tweet from Kensington Palace revealed that the pair's invitations, like the invitations of many royals before them, came from Barnard Westwood and featured the three-feathered badge of Prince Charles in gold ink. In episode three of Harry & Meghan, viewers got to see a peek at the couple's formal ceremony invitations as well as their more modern invites for their intimate evening celebration.

Their wedding venue had tons of royal history

<a href="https://people.com/tag/prince-harry/" data-inlink="true">Prince Harry</a> and <a href="https://people.com/tag/meghan-markle/" data-inlink="true">Meghan Markle</a> exchange vows during their wedding ceremony in St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle on May 19, 2018 in Windsor, England

OWEN HUMPHREYS - WPA POOL/GETTY

Unlike his brother Prince William, who married Kate Middleton at Westminster Abbey in London, Prince Harry said "I do" to Meghan at St. George's Chapel on the grounds of Windsor Castle. "Prince Harry and Ms. Markle are delighted that the beautiful grounds of Windsor Castle will be where they begin their lives together as a married couple," Kensington Palace Communications Secretary Jason Knauf said in a statement at the time.

As PEOPLE reported in 2018, the chapel is at least 500 years old and has served as the site of numerous royal weddings, including those of Queen Victoria's children. It is also the final resting place of several monarchs, including with King George VI, the Queen Mother Elizabeth, Henry VIII, Charles I, King Edward IV, King Edward VII, King George III, King William IV and King George V. When Prince Harry's grandparents died — Prince Philip in 2021 and Queen Elizabeth II in 2022 — they were also buried in the chapel.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's Wedding Guests

Their guest list included several A-listers

George Clooney and Amal Clooney, <a href="https://people.com/tag/serena-williams/" data-inlink="true">Serena Williams</a> and Alexis Ohanian

SAMIR HUSSEIN/WIREIMAGE

The British royals weren't the only VIPs attending Prince Harry and Meghan's wedding. In addition to Prince William, Kate Middleton, Prince Charles and Queen Elizabeth II, there were plenty of American A-listers in the pews. The bride's pals Serena Williams and Priyanka Chopra showed up for the ceremony, as did her Suits costars Abigail Spencer, Gabriel Macht and Patrick J. Adams (with his wife, Troian Bellisario).

Prince Harry's ex-girlfriends Cressida Bonas and Chelsea Davy were also there, along with several famous couples like George and Amal Clooney, Carey Mulligan and Marcus Mumford and Victoria and David Beckham. Idris Elba served as the couple's DJ and Elton John performed at their daytime luncheon. Even Oprah Winfrey was there!

"James Corden came in last, arriving in a Henry VIII costume, saying he didn't know what to wear to a royal wedding," a guest told PEOPLE about the evening reception. The talk show host later explained, telling PEOPLE, "Harry asked if I would do, like, a performance of some kind. And so I did it, yeah. I wasn't really dressed as Henry VIII, it was just dressed in a kind of Tudor outfit. But I guess I look a bit like Henry VIII, so that's probably why."

A seat next to Prince William was left empty

<a href="https://people.com/tag/meghan-markle/" data-inlink="true">Meghan Markle</a> (L) in St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle for her wedding to Britain's <a href="https://people.com/tag/prince-harry/" data-inlink="true">Prince Harry</a>, Duke of Sussex, watched by (middle row L-R) Britain's <a href="https://people.com/tag/queen-elizabeth/" data-inlink="true">Queen Elizabeth</a> II, Britain's <a href="https://people.com/tag/prince-philip/" data-inlink="true">Prince Philip</a>, <a href="https://people.com/tag/prince-william/" data-inlink="true">Prince William</a>, Duke of Cambridge, Britain's <a href="https://people.com/tag/prince-charles/" data-inlink="true">Prince Charles</a>, Prince of Wales, Britain's Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, Duchess of Britain's Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, and Britain's Prince Andrew, Duke of York

JONATHAN BRADY/POOL/AFP

While many believed the empty chair next to Prince William was meant to honor his and Prince Harry's late mother, Princess Diana, PEOPLE reported that it was actually kept clear to give Queen Elizabeth, who was seated in the second row, a better view of the couple's nuptials.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's Wedding Party

Harry and Meghan had 10 children in their wedding

<a href="https://people.com/tag/princess-charlotte/" data-inlink="true">Princess Charlotte</a> of Cambridge, Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, Jessica Mulroney, Ivy Mulroney, Florence van Cutsem, Zoe Warren, Zalie Warren, Benita Litt, Remy Litt and Rylan Litt arrive for the wedding ceremony of <a href="https://people.com/tag/prince-harry/" data-inlink="true">Prince Harry</a> and US actress <a href="https://people.com/tag/meghan-markle/" data-inlink="true">Meghan Markle</a> at St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle on May 19, 2018 in Windsor, England

BEN STANSALL - WPA POOL/GETTY

While Prince George and Princess Charlotte undoubtedly stole the show at their uncle's wedding, they were in good company with five other bridesmaids and three other page boys. "We had 10 bridesmaids and page boys under the age of 7, which everybody says is impossible to have them behaving, but they did it!" Harry said in his recording for the "Royal Wedding" exhibit. Agreed Meghan: "It was a miracle!"

Counted among them were bag designer Benita Litt's daughters, Rylan and Remi, who call Meghan their godmother, and her son, Darren Litt, as well as Jessica Mulroney's twin boys, Brian and John, and daughter, Ivy.

According to the Kensington Royal website, the bridesmaids wore Givenchy dresses made of ivory silk radzimir with short puff sleeves, pockets and pleated skirts. They also wore flower crowns that matched Meghan's bouquet.

As for the page boys, they wore mini versions of the Blues and Royals frock coat with their initials embroidered into the shoulder straps.

Meghan's best friend was given a special seat — and role

Toronto-based stylist Jessica Mulroney, Meghan's good friend, was given a special seat. "[Meghan] made sure that Jessica was sitting in that first seat closest to where Harry and Meghan were standing," Birks Vice-President Eva Hartling told PEOPLE.

According to Hartling, Mulroney also served as the bride's unofficial maid of honor.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's Wedding Looks

Meghan went for a natural makeup look

<a href="https://people.com/tag/prince-harry/" data-inlink="true">Prince Harry</a>, Duke of Sussex and The Duchess of Sussex leave Windsor Castle in the Ascot Landau carriage during a procession after getting married

JOHN SIBLEY - WPA/GETTY

Meghan's makeup, which was applied by her longtime friend and makeup artist Daniel Martin, was on the natural side — something Martin said Harry greatly appreciated. "After the ceremony Harry kept saying thank you," he told InStyle. "He was thanking me for making her look like herself."

Martin reasoned, "The last thing you want [is] to look at your wedding pictures and go, 'Remember when highlighting was the rage?' At the end of the day, you want to look like your best self."

Her gown was reportedly inspired by Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy

<a href="https://people.com/tag/prince-harry/" data-inlink="true">Prince Harry</a> and <a href="https://people.com/tag/meghan-markle/" data-inlink="true">Meghan Markle</a> leave St George's Chapel after their wedding in St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle on May 19, 2018 in Windsor, England

JANE BARLOW - WPA POOL/GETTY

Such a special day required an equally special dress, and Givenchy artistic director Clare Waight Keller was up to the task. As Kensington Palace said in a statement on its website, in addition to her British roots, Waight Keller was selected by Meghan for her "timeless and elegant aesthetic, impeccable tailoring and relaxed demeanor."

According to the statement, Meghan, who was reportedly inspired by a gown Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy wore shortly before her death in 1999, was heavily involved in the design of her own garment. It featured six delicately placed seams that flowed to the back of the gown into a 9-foot-long train. The three-quarter-length sleeves and open bateau neckline, meanwhile, served as the dress's focal point.

"I had about seven or eight meetings with her, actually," Waight Keller said of the royal. "From the very start, we had a few variations on the design but then very quickly it involved holding to the final creation that you saw."

As the designer explained, the pair began with several sketches she presented, at which point the two women would talk through the dress's lines, proportions and scale. "We quickly got to a point where [Meghan] knew exactly what she wanted, having tried some of mock-ups that I had shown her," she told reporters, adding, "She knows what she wants."

Made of exclusive double-bonded silk cady material, the gown's pure white hue and delicate fabric required extra-special care, with hand-washing required of the embroiderers every 30 minutes. "Over a period of time, you build up oils on your hand and when you work on something of such purity — absolute pure white — you need to keep it immaculately clean," Waight Keller later explained to reporters. "There were many people involved in the workmanship, and obviously, it took an enormous amount of hours to do it."

The finished product, however, which Meghan paired with matching shoes Waight Keller made in a silk duchess satin, was a true thing of beauty.

Meghan's "something blue" was hidden in her veil

Meghan revealed in the HBO documentary Queen of the World that her something blue was a piece of fabric from her very first date with Prince Harry. "Somewhere in here, there's a piece of blue fabric that's stitched inside," she said of her 16-foot-long veil.

In addition to the hidden material, the actress's silk tulle headpiece had a special trim that was embroidered with flowers from all 53 countries in the Commonwealth, plus Wintersweet from Kensington Palace and the California poppy to represent her home state.

Embroidered crops of wheat, which symbolize love and charity, were placed at the front of the veil.

Waight Keller explained the inspiration behind the special accessory. "I came up with the idea of maybe representing each of the countries, the 53 countries of the Commonwealth, through their flora and fauna. [Meghan and I] both loved the story of that. It also meant that [every] single one of those countries also journeyed up the aisle with her. It was a really poetic moment."

Her tiara was both her "something old" and "something borrowed"

<a href="https://people.com/tag/meghan-markle/" data-inlink="true">Meghan Markle</a> stands at the altar during her wedding in St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle on May 19, 2018 in Windsor, England

JONATHAN BRADY - WPA POOL/GETTY

Meghan's Queen Mary Diamond Bandeau tiara was not only gorgeous, with large and small brilliant diamonds and a detachable center brooch with 10 more diamonds surrounding it, but it also served as her "something old" and "something borrowed," too.

The Kensington Palace website gave a bit of history on the royal piece, which was borrowed from the Queen's jewelry vault. While the tiara was crafted in 1931, its center brooch dates back to 1893, when it was given to Princess Mary as a wedding gift by the County of Lincoln. She later bequeathed the headpiece to Queen Elizabeth in 1953.

In addition to the diamond-laden tiara and the stunning engagement ring placed on her finger, the bride was decked out in a pair of diamond stud Cartier earrings and a diamond-studded Reflection de Cartier bracelet.

Prince Harry wore a military uniform

<a href="https://people.com/tag/prince-harry/" data-inlink="true">Prince Harry</a> (left) walks with his best man, <a href="https://people.com/tag/prince-william/" data-inlink="true">Prince William</a>, Duke of Cambridge as they arrive at St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle before the wedding of <a href="https://people.com/tag/prince-harry/" data-inlink="true">Prince Harry</a> to <a href="https://people.com/tag/meghan-markle/" data-inlink="true">Meghan Markle</a> on May 19, 2018 in Windsor, England

Prince Harry and Prince William. GARETH FULLER - WPA POOL/GETTY

Prince Harry explained his wedding ensemble choice of a Blues and Royals frock coat uniform in an audio clip from the "A Royal Wedding: The Duke and Duchess of Sussex" exhibit in Windsor. "I chose the frock coat as a uniform, with permission from my grandmother, because I think it's one of the smartest household cavalry uniforms," he can be heard saying in the clip. "It's one of my favorites, and I was very fortunate to be able to wear that on the day."

Meghan's wedding bouquet featured a tribute to Princess Diana

<a href="https://people.com/tag/prince-harry/" data-inlink="true">Prince Harry</a>, Duke of Sussex and his wife Meghan, Duchess of Sussex leave from the West Door of St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle, in Windsor on May 19, 2018 in Windsor, England

BEN STANSALL - WPA POOL/GETTY

Prince Harry and Meghan honored his late mother by including her favorite flower, forget-me-nots, in Meghan's wedding bouquet. In addition, Harry plucked several flowers from the couple's own garden at Kensington Palace for the arrangement, which included sprigs of myrtle from the Osborne House gardens (first planted by Queen Victoria in 1845 and used in Queen Elizabeth's wedding bouquet in 1947), scented sweet peas, lily of the valley, astilbe, jasmine and astrantia. The grouping, which was created by florist Philippa Craddock, was tied with a raw silk ribbon.

Following the nuptials, Meghan followed the royal tradition of placing her bouquet on the Grave of the Unknown Warrior — a practice Queen Mother Elizabeth started in 1923 as a way to honor her brother, Fergus Bowes-Lyon, who died in World War I.

Harry and Meghan's wedding bands were mismatched

<a href="https://people.com/tag/prince-harry/" data-inlink="true">Prince Harry</a> places the wedding ring on the finger of <a href="https://people.com/tag/meghan-markle/" data-inlink="true">Meghan Markle</a> during their wedding service, conducted by the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby in St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle on May 19, 2018 in Windsor, England

JONATHAN BRADY - WPA POOL/GETTY

While Meghan wears a Cleave and Company wedding band made from a piece of Welsh gold that was gifted by Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Harry's band, which is platinum with a textured finish, broke with royal tradition. Welsh gold wedding bands have been used by the royal family since 1923, when King George VI married Queen Mother Elizabeth.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's Wedding Ceremony

Prince Charles walked Meghan halfway down the aisle

<a href="https://people.com/tag/meghan-markle/" data-inlink="true">Meghan Markle</a> walks up the aisle with the <a href="https://people.com/tag/prince-charles/" data-inlink="true">Prince Charles</a>, Prince of Wales at St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle during her wedding to <a href="https://people.com/tag/prince-harry/" data-inlink="true">Prince Harry</a> on May 19, 2018 in Windsor, England

DOMINIC LIPINSKI/ - WPA POOL/GETTY

In the absence of Meghan's father, Thomas Markle, whom a source told PEOPLE was unable to attend the ceremony due to "medical reasons," Prince Charles took a significant role in the ceremony, meeting Meghan halfway down the aisle to walk her the rest of the way on his arm. "It was Meghan's wish, and she is grateful for the Prince of Wales to be doing it," a royal source told PEOPLE.

In the couple's Netflix docuseries Harry & Meghan, Meghan spoke about Charles walking her down the aisle. "Him, as my father-in-law, was important to me," she said.

The bishop quoted Martin Luther King Jr.

Rather than having a senior member of the Church of England speak at their wedding, Harry and Meghan chose American Bishop Michael Bruce Curry to deliver a special sermon.

According to an insider, Curry was chosen to speak for his role as the Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church and his talent as a wonderful orator. "[As a wonderful speaker and preacher, it would be highly appropriate for him to be invited to speak," the insider said of the choice.

In his speech, Curry quoted Martin Luther King Jr.'s 1957 "Love Your Enemies" speech, saying, "We must discover the power of love, the redemptive power of love. And when we discover that, we will be able to make of this old world a new world. Love is the only way."

Meghan omitted the word "obey" from her vows

<a href="https://people.com/tag/prince-harry/" data-inlink="true">Prince Harry</a> and <a href="https://people.com/tag/meghan-markle/" data-inlink="true">Meghan Markle</a> exchange vows during their wedding ceremony in St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle on May 19, 2018 in Windsor, England

OWEN HUMPHREYS - WPA POOL/GETTY

Prince Harry and Meghan chose to recite a standard set of vows at their church ceremony, in which they promised to "have and to hold" each other from their wedding day forward, "for better, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health." Meghan did not promise to "obey" Harry, however — something her late mother-in-law, Princess Diana, and sister-in-law, Kate Middleton, also forwent at their ceremonies.

A gospel choir sang "Stand By Me" — and the couple walked out to Etta James

Just ahead of their vows, the royals were privy to a lovely rendition of Ben E. King's "Stand by Me" from gospel choir Karen Gibson and The Kingdom Choir. In Harry & Meghan, the Duke of Sussex said that his father helped organize the performance. "There wasn't too much pushback," he added.

Near the end of the wedding, guests were also treated to a performance from an orchestra, with 19-year-old cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason playing a solo — a request from Meghan herself, who personally called to ask the musician to play.

As the couple made their way to their carriage after the ceremony, their walk was made all the more special by the addition of Etta James's song, "This Little Light of Mine" — a tune symbolic of American civil rights in the 1950 and 1960s.

Harry and Meghan shared their first married kiss on the steps of St. George's Chapel

<a href="https://people.com/tag/prince-harry/" data-inlink="true">Prince Harry</a>, Duke of Sussex kisses his wife Meghan, Duchess of Sussex as they leave from the West Door of St George's Chapel

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle on their wedding day. BEN STANSALL/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES

While most American couples share their first kiss after saying "I do," Harry and Meghan followed in the footsteps of Prince Charles and Princess Diana and Prince William and Kate Middleton, who shared their first kiss after the wedding. With no royal balcony at their wedding venue of St. George's Chapel, however, they locked lips for the first time on its steps instead.

Following their vow exchange, Harry and Meghan hopped into an open-top Ascot Landeau horse-drawn carriage, which carried them through the streets of London.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's Lunch Reception

The Queen hosted a lunchtime reception for Harry and Meghan

<a href="https://people.com/tag/queen-elizabeth/" data-inlink="true">Queen Elizabeth</a> II talks with <a href="https://people.com/tag/prince-philip/" data-inlink="true">Prince Philip</a>, Duke of Edinburgh after the wedding of <a href="https://people.com/tag/prince-harry/" data-inlink="true">Prince Harry</a> and <a href="https://people.com/tag/meghan-markle/" data-inlink="true">Meghan Markle</a> at St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle on May 19, 2018 in Windsor, England

ALASTAIR GRANT - WPA POOL/GETTY

Following the church ceremony, all 600 of the bride and groom's guests were invited to join the happy couple at St. George's Hall for a luncheon reception hosted by the Queen.

Once there, they were treated to a variety of canapés, including salmon, asparagus and panna cotta with quail egg (to name a few), plus larger bowl canapés (fricassee of free range chicken with morel mushrooms and young leeks, pea and mint risotto with pea shoots, truffle oil and parmesan crisps and ten-hour slow-roasted Windsor pork belly with apple compote and crackling) and dessert canapés, including champagne and pistachio macaroons, orange crème brûlée tartlets and miniature rhubarb crumble tartlets.

Harry also gave an impromptu speech at the event. "It was very off-the-cuff, which was lovely," a guest told PEOPLE.

Elton John performed at the lunch reception

The "I'm Still Standing" singer, who performed a revised version of "Candle in the Wind" at Princess Diana's funeral in 1997, was asked by Prince Harry to sing at the couple's lunch reception. "Sir Elton performed for the newly married couple in recognition of the close connection he has with Prince Harry and his family," the palace said in a statement at the time.

According to a guest of the newlyweds, John played several songs for the pair, including "Tiny Dancer," which he dedicated to Meghan.

Elton later spoke to CNN about his attendance at the pair's nuptials, saying, "It was very, very wonderful to be there. To have a black gospel choir, a multiracial bride, a black cellist, who was wonderful, a preacher — it felt like a party, and it felt like progress had been made. Thank God, thank God."

In Harry & Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex spoke about her mom Doria Ragland's reaction to John's performance. "I couldn't find my mom, because she had beelined to the stage to watch Elton John sing," Meghan revealed.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's Evening Reception

Harry and Meghan had an outfit change

Duchess of Sussex and <a href="https://people.com/tag/prince-harry/" data-inlink="true">Prince Harry</a>, Duke of Sussex leave Windsor Castle after their wedding to attend an evening reception at Frogmore House, hosted by the Prince of Wales on May 19, 2018 in Windsor, England

Meghan and Harry leave Windsor Castle to attend an evening reception at Frogmore House. STEVE PARSONS - WPA POOL/GETTY

Following their daytime luncheon, Prince Charles hosted a more private, intimate affair for the couple and their 200 closest pals at Frogmore house. The bride and groom had a sleek ride to their evening reception, hopping into a vintage blue Jaguar E-type convertible, which was adorned with a special license plate bearing the date of their nuptials.

For the evening affair, Meghan changed out of her Clare Waight Keller for Givenchy gown and chose a custom halter gown with an open back by Stella McCartney. Made of silk crepe, it also featured a small train that she carried while walking to her vehicle.

The bride topped the look off with a pair of 18-karat white gold Cartier drop earrings and a giant aquamarine cocktail ring that once belonged to Princess Diana. On her feet, she wore a pair of Aquazurra heels with light blue bottoms.

As for Prince Harry, he changed out of his formal military attire and into something a little more dance-friendly: a black tuxedo.

Their wedding cake broke from royal tradition

Rather than serving the traditional fruitcake of royal weddings past, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex switched things up with their lemon sponge cake with elderflower syrup, Almafi lemon curd and a Swiss meringue buttercream topping infused with elderflower. Created by Claire Ptak of London's Violet Cakes to "[incorporate] the bright flavors of spring," it was also aesthetically springy, featuring 150 fresh flowers — peonies and roses among them.

​​"The texture is really lovely and the flavor is quintessentially spring and British," Ptak said of her masterpiece, which took her and a team of six bakers five days to bake and ice.

Idris Elba served as a DJ

Idris Elba and Sabrina Dhowre arrive at St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle before the wedding of <a href="https://people.com/tag/prince-harry/" data-inlink="true">Prince Harry</a> to <a href="https://people.com/tag/meghan-markle/" data-inlink="true">Meghan Markle</a> on May 19, 2018 in Windsor, England

GARETH FULLER - WPA POOL/GETTY

When it came to the music for their reception, the couple wanted only the best to get their friends and family members on the dance floor — Golden Globe-winning actor Idris Elba. Elba later admitted to being nervous about the gig, telling the Daily Mail, This wasn't like my cousin's wedding. This [reception] wasn't at the community hall," he later said. "This was a big, big deal."

Adding to his jitters was his close, personal relationship with the couple. "[Harry and Meghan are] good friends and I wanted to make sure they had a great time, so there was a lot of pressure," he said.

Ultimately, however, Elba nailed the gig with a little help from the bride. "Meghan had sent me a playlist, so I knew what she wanted already," he explained.

A source told PEOPLE that Elba had the A-list guests busting a groove. "It was a huge dance party, everyone was letting loose and had a blast," the source revealed.

George Clooney served up cocktails — and Serena Williams played some games

George Clooney (2L) and his wife British lawyer Amal Clooney (L) talk with US tennis player <a href="https://people.com/tag/serena-williams/" data-inlink="true">Serena Williams</a> (2R) and her husband Alexis Ohanian (R) during the wedding ceremony of Britain's <a href="https://people.com/tag/prince-harry/" data-inlink="true">Prince Harry</a>, Duke of Sussex and US actress <a href="https://people.com/tag/meghan-markle/" data-inlink="true">Meghan Markle</a> in St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle, in Windsor, on May 19, 2018

OWEN HUMPHREYS/AFP/GETTY

The Casamigos tequila founder acted as a bartender during the evening, serving up cocktails to Prince Harry and Meghan's nearest and dearest. "George Clooney hopped behind the bar and was mixing drinks for guests," a source told PEOPLE.

In addition to Clooney's concoctions, reception-goers were treated to ginger beverages — a nod to Harry's famous red locks.

Food included baked potato, pork belly and meringue for dessert, according to a royal wedding insider, who spoke to PEOPLE.

Williams also got in on the fun at the reception. "​Serena did play beer pong," a source told PEOPLE. "She's super old-school like that."

Harry and Meghan had a fun first dance

Harry and Meghan

NETFLIX

Years after the wedding, the pair revealed that the tune they chose for their first dance was Pickett's "Land of 1000 Dances."

"I just really wanted the music to be fun. Even our first dance," Meghan said in a clip from their Harry and Meghan docuseries.

"Just spinning like a whirlwind. It was so great," she recalled of the special moment.

They both gave touching reception speeches

Both the bride and groom had some sweet words to share with their guests on their big day.

Harry's big moment was light-hearted, with him playing guessing games with his guests about his media-given nicknames and warmly thanking his father for hosting the couple's special night.

As for Meghan's speech, which broke royal protocol in her father's absence, it was "very well-crafted … brilliant," according to one wedding-goer. The guest told PEOPLE, "She's a very warm person."

"There is no doubt how in love they are," the guest added after witnessing their exchanges.

Here’s a look at the life of Elizabeth II, Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms.

Personal

Birth date: April 21, 1926

Death date: September 8, 2022

Birth place: London, England

Birth name: Elizabeth Alexandra Mary

Father: King George VI

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Mother: Queen Elizabeth

Marriage: Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh (November 20, 1947-April 09, 2021, his death)

Children: Edward, Earl of Wessex (March 10, 1964); Andrew, Duke of York (February 19, 1960); Anne, Princess Royal (August 15, 1950); King Charles III (November 14, 1948)

Grandchildren: By Prince Charles and Princess Diana: Prince William and Prince Henry (called Harry); By Princess Anne and Mark Phillips: Peter Phillips and Zara Phillips; By Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson: Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie; By Prince Edward and Sophie Rhys-Jones: Lady Louise Windsor and James Windsor, Viscount Severn

Great-Grandchildren: By Zara Phillips Tindall: Mia Grace, Lena Elizabeth and Lucas Philip; By Prince William: George Alexander Louis, Charlotte Elizabeth Diana and Louis Arthur Charles; By Peter Phillips: Savannah and Isla; By Prince Harry: Archie Harrison and Lilibet ‘Lili’ Diana Mountbatten-Windsor; By Princess Eugenie: August Philip Hawke Brooksbank; by Princess Beatrice: Sienna Elizabeth Mapelli Mozzi.

Sir Norman Hartnell, pale blue silk faille evening gown worn at the Royal Lyceum, Edinburgh, during the State Visit of King Olav of Norway in 1962.

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Other Facts

Named after her mother Queen Elizabeth, her paternal great-grandmother Queen Alexandra and her paternal grandmother Queen Mary.

Was not declared the heir apparent when her uncle, King Edward VIII, abdicated because of the possibility of a male heir.

When World War II began, she was a Girl Guide (British Girl Scouts) and went through the same training as the other Girl Guides her age.

Official title after March 26, 1953: Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of God, of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and of Her other Realms and Territories Queen, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith.

The sixth female to ascend to the British throne and the longest-reigning monarch. In September 2015, she surpassed the record set by her great-great-grandmother Queen Victoria, who ruled for 63 years, seven months.

During her reign as queen for 63 years, Queen Elizabeth II has made numerous trips abroad, often leading an exhaustive schedule. Her travels have taken her all over the world and today she will be visiting Germany, her first trip abroad since D-Day in 2014.

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Timeline

May 29, 1926 - Princess Elizabeth Alexandra Mary, third in line to the throne, is christened. She is the first royal child to be christened in the chapel at Buckingham Palace and wears a gown made of lace worn by Queen Elizabeth I.

December 11, 1936 - Elizabeth becomes heir presumptive when her father becomes King George VI, after the abdication of his brother King Edward VIII.

May 12, 1937 - Elizabeth attends the coronation of her parents, King George VI and Queen Consort Elizabeth. She is the first female heir presumptive to see her parents crowned.

1939 - World War II breaks out. Elizabeth moves, with her sister, to the Royal Lodge at Windsor Castle. This is thought to be the time period when Elizabeth meets Prince Philip of Greece.

1942 - King George VI makes Elizabeth an honorary colonel in the Grenadier Guards, a regiment of the British Army.

April 21, 1942 - Elizabeth makes her official public debut with a review of 500 members of the Grenadier Guards at Windsor Palace.

1944 - Elizabeth is made a member of the Privy Council and the Council of State. She is now able to act for the king during his absence from the country.

July 10, 1947 - King George VI and Queen Elizabeth announce Elizabeth’s engagement to Prince Philip of Greece, a lieutenant in the British Navy.

November 20, 1947 - Princess Elizabeth marries Philip. After becoming a British citizen and renouncing his Greek title, Philip becomes His Royal Highness Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. Elizabeth becomes the Duchess of Edinburgh.

February 6, 1952 - King George VI dies of lung cancer, and Elizabeth ascends to the throne.

April 11, 1952 - The Queen decrees that she and her descendants will continue to use the surname Windsor, first adopted by the British royal family during World War I.

June 2, 1953 - Coronation takes place at Westminster Abbey.

October 16-22, 1957 - Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip make their first state visit to the United States, and she addresses the General Assembly of the United Nations.

May 14, 1965 - Queen Elizabeth II dedicates a memorial and one acre of land at Runnymede to the United States as a memorial to President John F. Kennedy.

June 13, 1981 - A teenager, Marcus Simon Sarjeant, fires six blanks at the Queen while she is riding on horseback through London. He is arrested and charged with treason.

July 9, 1982 - A man gets past security at Buckingham Palace and encounters the Queen in her bedroom.

May 16, 1991 - The Queen addresses a joint session of the US Congress, the first British monarch to do so.

November 24, 1992 - At a luncheon commemorating her 40th anniversary on the throne, the Queen declares 1992 as an “Annus Horribilis.” That year marked the separation of the Duke and Duchess of York, the divorce of Princess Anne and Mark Phillips, the increasing estrangement of the Prince and Princess of Wales, and a fire at Windsor Castle.

November 26, 1992 - Prime Minister John Major announces that the Queen will begin paying taxes on her personal income. Her personal fortune is estimated to be $11.7 billion.

April 1993 - Taxation of the Queen and Prince Charles goes into effect with the provision that they may “opt-out” of the agreement at any time after April 1994.

August 1993 - Buckingham Palace is opened to the public for the first time. Money raised from the tours is to help pay for the restoration of Windsor Castle.

December 1995 - After heavy media coverage of the estrangement and affairs of Prince Charles and Diana, Princess of Wales, the Queen urges them to divorce.

1997 - Addresses the nation via live television to express grief over the death of Princess Diana.

1998 - Endorses a plan to end gender discrimination in the line of succession for the throne.

2002 - The Queen celebrates her Golden Jubilee, or 50th anniversary, on the throne.

December 2006 - The Queen issues her annual Christmas broadcast live for the first time since 1960.

May 3-8, 2007 - The Queen and Prince Philip visit the United States for the 400th anniversary of America’s first settlement by a British company in Jamestown in 1607. They attend the Kentucky Derby on May 5 and a State Dinner at the White House on May 7.

April 2, 2009 - Meets Michelle Obama at Buckingham Palace and the ladies are photographed with their arms around one another. This causes lots of media attention as touching the queen is not a typical occurrence.

July 6, 2010 - Addresses the General Assembly of the United Nations for the second time.

April 21, 2011 - On the Queen’s 85th birthday, the palace releases the Queen’s official consent, the Instrument of Consent, to the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton. By law, the Royal Marriages Act of 1772, the monarch must consent to most royal marriages.

May 17, 2011 - Makes the first state visit to the Republic of Ireland by a British monarch.

February 6-June 5, 2012 - Celebrations take place throughout the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth for the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, or 60th anniversary, on the throne. Festivities include a 1,000-boat flotilla along the River Thames and a concert at Buckingham Palace.

November 20, 2012 - The Queen and Prince Philip celebrate their 65th wedding anniversary.

December 18, 2012 - Queen Elizabeth II attends a cabinet meeting at 10 Downing St, marking the end of the celebration of her Diamond Jubilee. It is the first time a British monarch has attended a cabinet meeting in more than 100 years.

March 3-4, 2013 - Is admitted to King Edward VII’s Hospital after experiencing symptoms of gastroenteritis. She is released the following day.

June 2, 2013 - Services at Westminster Abbey mark the 60th anniversary of the Queen’s coronation.

June 20, 2013 - The Royal Ascot signature race is won by Estimate, the Queen’s horse. The Gold Cup win makes the Queen the first reigning British monarch to win Ascot’s biggest race.

April 8, 2014 - The Queen hosts a state dinner for Ireland’s president Michael D. Higgins and his wife Sabina. Also in attendance are actors Daniel Day-Lewis and Dame Judi Dench. Martin McGuinness, former IRA commander and current Northern Ireland’s Deputy First Minister, also attends.

November 26, 2014 - The Queen is honored with the inaugural lifetime achievement award from the world governing body of horse sport, the International Equestrian Federation (FEI).

March 2, 2015 - The Royal Mint reveals a newly designed portrait of the Queen that will be used on coins in the United Kingdom. The new royal coinage will make 2015 a vintage year.

June 24-26, 2015 - The Queen visits Germany, meeting with Chancellor Angela Merkel and stressing the importance of unity in Europe during a speech. The Queen says, “We know that division in Europe is dangerous and that we must guard against it in the west, as well as in the east of our continent. That remains a common endeavor.” On her last day in Germany, the Queen visits the site of the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp and meets with Holocaust survivors, as well as WWII veterans who helped liberate the camp.

July 18, 2015 - The Sun newspaper in Britain stirs up controversy, publishing a 1933 image of the Queen as a child apparently raising her hand in a Nazi salute. The picture is a screen grab from a private home movie that was shot when the Queen was about 6 years old and it depicts her playing with her siblings. A source close to the royal family tells CNN, “Most people will see these pictures in their proper context and time. This is a family playing and momentarily referencing a gesture many would have seen from contemporary news reels.”

September 9, 2015 - Becomes the longest reigning monarch in British history.

March 9, 2016 - In light of a Buckingham Palace complaint to the Independent Press Standards Organization over a front-page article in The Sun headlined, “Queen backs Brexit,” the palace issues a statement insisting the Queen is neutral on whether the UK should vote to leave the European Union – a development widely referred to in the press as “Brexit,” or “British exit.”

March 2, 2018 - Documents are released confirming and describing an assassination attempt on the Queen by a New Zealand teenager in 1981.

April 15, 2018 - Loses the last descendant of her original corgi when 14-year-old Willow is put down following a battle with cancer, according to UK media reports. While the Queen still reportedly owns several other dogs, Willow was the only remaining descendant of Susan, the original corgi given to then-Princess Elizabeth on her 18th birthday in 1944.

January 24, 2019 - In a speech to Sandringham’s Women’s Institute, the Queen calls for respecting of other view points and seeking common ground, “As we look for new answers in the modern age, I for one prefer the tried and tested recipes, like speaking well of each other and respecting different points of view; coming together to seek out the common ground; and never losing sight of the bigger picture.” Her comments are seen as a message to lawmakers amid Brexit divisions.

January 18, 2020 - Buckingham Palace announces that Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, are no longer working members of the royal family. As part of the agreement, the couple will be required to step back from their royal duties, including military appointments, and no longer represent the Queen. The couple will also repay the Sovereign Grant funds they recently spent to renovate their official residence at Frogmore Cottage – £2.4 million (about $3 million) of British taxpayers’ money.

April 5, 2020 - Makes a rare national address to the nation in a pre-recorded video calling for unity amid the coronavirus pandemic. “This time we join with all nations across the globe in a common endeavor, using the great advances of science and our instinctive compassion to heal.”

October 21, 2021 - According to a Buckingham palace spokesperson, the Queen spent the night at a hospital and underwent “preliminary investigations.” She is in “good spirits” and resting at Windsor Castle.

February 6, 2022 - Queen Elizabeth II becomes the first British Monarch to reign for 70 years, extending her record as the longest-reigning monarch in British history. Platinum Jubilee celebrations will take place throughout the year.

February 20, 2022 - Buckingham Palace announces Queen Elizabeth II has tested positive for coronavirus, and is experiencing mild cold-like symptoms. UK media have reported that the Queen is fully vaccinated.

March 29, 2022 - Makes her first public appearance in five months when she joins the royal family and other dignitaries at a memorial service in honor of her husband Prince Philip.

June 2-5, 2022 - The “Platinum Jubilee Weekend,” celebrating the queen’s 70 year reign, features a variety of public events and community activities, including a birthday parade, known as “Trooping the Colour,” a service at St. Paul’s Cathedral, a horse race, and nationwide street parties. The Platinum Jubilee Pageant closes out the four-day-long celebration. Queen Elizabeth does not attend the church service, after experiencing “discomfort” during the opening day parade.

September 8, 2022 - Dies at the age of 96 at Balmoral Castle in Scotland.

  • Condition: In Very Good Condition
  • Denomination: Prince Harry
  • Year of Issue: 2018
  • Number of Pieces: 1
  • Time Period: 2000s
  • Fineness: 0.5
  • Collection: Tower of London
  • Features: Commemorative
  • Country/Region of Manufacture: United Kingdom
  • Country of Origin: England
  • Colour: Silver

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