Harry and Meghan: timeline of their romance

(CNN Spanish) --

The romance of Prince Harry and Meghan, which has made headlines since it came to light in 2016, has gone through stages marked by their problems with the royal family, the birth of their two children, the life they started in California and starting their businesses.

Here, a review of the chronology.

2016: Harry and Meghan's first date

Beginning of July: first date

Harry and Meghan go on a blind date in London after a mutual friend intercedes (the couple revealed in a post-engagement interview).

The first date is quickly followed by a second the next day.

End of July or August: trip to Africa

Meghan visits Harry and camps with him for several days during their trip to Botswana.

The media and the public are unaware of their blossoming relationship.

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October: first press reports

Rumors about the relationship begin to appear in the British media.

Some articles focus on Meghan's racial origin and her divorce status.

November 8: "Wave of abuse"

Harry warns the media not to harass his girlfriend in a forceful statement issued by Kensington Palace.

Meghan has been "the subject of a wave of abuse and harassment," the statement said, and Harry is "concerned for (his) safety" from her.

December 15: "Harry and his Meg"

The British tabloid The Sun publishes the first photo of the couple, taken during an outing in London.

2017: the commitment

May 7: first kiss on camera

Meghan watches Harry play a charity polo match and photos of the couple kissing make headlines the next day.

September 5: Meghan speaks

In an interview with Vanity Fair, Meghan speaks publicly for the first time about her relationship with Harry.

"We are two really happy and in love people," she says.

(Credit: Peter Lindbergh for Vanity Fair)

September 25: First major public appearance

Harry and Meghan make their first major public appearance as a couple at the Invictus Games in Toronto.

The photos of the couple, happy and relaxed, do not take long to appear on web pages and covers around the world.

Beginning of November: the prince asks the question

The couple become engaged after the prince proposes to her during a "cozy night" at their home in Nottingham Cottage, London, but are keeping the news under wraps.

November 27: "We are engaged"

The engagement is announced via Twitter.

Harry and Meghan make a public appearance in Kensington Palace Gardens before recording an interview that airs late at night on the BBC.

Harry reveals that he fell for Meghan "incredibly quickly".

Meghan showed off her engagement ring to reporters during a photo shoot in November 2017. The ring, designed by Harry, featured a large Botswana diamond and two smaller outer diamonds from the personal collection of Harry's late mother, Princess Diana. .

(Credit: Daniel Leal-Olivas/AFP/Getty Images)

December 1: first ride

For their first official public engagement, the couple travel to the city of Nottingham, a place where Harry has spent a lot of time since first meeting with young people in 2013 to explore issues around youth violence.

Crowds of well-wishers turn out in freezing cold to congratulate the newly engaged couple.

December 21: official photos

Kensington Palace is releasing official engagement photos, followed by a candid image taken during the shoot, a "way of saying thank you" for the "warm and generous messages" Harry and Meghan have received, according to the Palace.

(Credit: Alexi Lubomirski via Getty Images)

December 25: A real real Christmas

Meghan joins Harry and the rest of the royal family, including Queen Elizabeth, for Christmas Day celebrations at the Queen's Norfolk estate.

2018: The Royal Wedding

January 9: Trip to South London

The couple visit a community radio station in Brixton, south London, in their second official engagement together.

Harry gives her an elaborate handshake and Meghan is praised for her modest choice of a $63 jumper from Marks & Spencer.

January 18: A Welsh Welcome

The next stop on your UK tour is Cardiff, the capital of Wales.

A crowd of patient fans welcomes them in the streets adjacent to the castle, after train delays delayed the couple's arrival.

February 13: trip to Scotland

They take a trip to Scotland's capital, Edinburgh, visit a social enterprise cafe, and meet crowds at the city's castle.

Harry and Meghan (wearing ear protection) watch the daily firing of the one o'clock cannon from the top of the castle, a tradition dating back more than 150 years.

February 28: First appearance of the "Fab Four"

Harry and Meghan speak at a Royal Foundation event alongside the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, marking the first time the so-called "Fab Four" have appeared together in public.

Meghan vows to "get down to business" on her work to empower girls and women in the UK.

March 8: Promote girls to do science

On a city trip to Birmingham, the couple attend an event encouraging girls to pursue careers in science and technology to celebrate International Women's Day.

Queen Elizabeth II's signed consent to the wedding.

(Credit: Victoria Jones/AFP/Getty Images)

May 13: official consent

Buckingham Palace publishes an image of the handwritten document officially stating the queen's consent to the wedding and which is signed by the monarch herself.

It is written on vellum—a type of parchment originally made from calfskin—and decorated with flowers that symbolize the two nations of origin of the bride and groom.

May 14: breaking drama

A few days before the wedding, a family drama threatens to derail the couple's plans.

Meghan's father, Thomas Markle, reportedly admits to staged photos of her with a papparazo and tells TMZ that he is having heart surgery, casting doubt on his attendance.

Kensington Palace calls on the media to show "understanding and respect" to Thomas Markle "in this difficult situation."

May 19: the big day

Harry and Meghan marry in St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle.

The kiss between Prince Harry and Meghan Markle after the wedding ceremony and in front of the public.

October 15: and with the baby now there are three!

The royal couple arrive in Australia for a two-week tour as Kensington Palace announces that Harry and Meghan are expecting their first child together.

The palace says the baby will be born in spring 2019.

2019: the first child

May 6, 2019: It's a boy!

Buckingham Palace announces that Meghan and Harry's first child, Archie, "was born safely at 5:26 in the morning."

Although the palace does not confirm where the birth occurred, it states that Harry was at his wife's side.

Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex attend Archie Mountbatten-Windsoron September 25, 2019 in Cape Town, South Africa.

(Credit: Toby Melville - Pool/Getty Images)

September: trip to Africa

Harry, Meghan and baby Archie embark on a 10-day trip to southern Africa, their first tour as a family.

October: Lawsuit against the tabloids

The Sussexes sue certain British tabloids.

Harry accuses the newspapers of running a campaign against Meghan that mirrors the treatment her mother, Princess Diana, suffered decades earlier.

2020: the break with the royal family

January 8: departure announcement

Harry and Meghan say their royal roles will be left.

The queen and other members of the royal family were not consulted beforehand and are said to be disappointed by the announcement.

January 19: goodbye to titles

News has broken that Harry and Meghan will give up their royal titles and some state funding in a negotiated deal to end the crisis that erupted after the couple announced they were stepping away from the royal family.

Late January: Life in Canada

Harry and Meghan settle together in Canada, where the exactriz had already lived for seven years.

This may be the beginning of a "more peaceful life" outside of the real spotlight.

August 13: The California House

Harry and Meghan put down roots in Santa Barbara, California, where they buy a house.

September 2: agreement with Netflix

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex sign a multi-year production deal with the online streaming company that will see the two royals produce exclusive movies and series for Netflix.

November 25: The Miscarriage Revelation

Meghan reveals in an opinion column for The New York Times that she was pregnant with her second child, but suffered a miscarriage in July.

2021: the explosive revelations with Oprah

March 4: Meghan is accused of workplace harassment

Buckingham Palace is reporting it would investigate allegations that Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, harassed several staff members after a British media report cited unnamed royal aides as saying a complaint had been filed against her. in 2018. The Duchess later says that the royal family is perpetrating falsehoods against her and Harry.

Meghan and Harry with Oprah: CBS shows new revelations 1:47

March 7th: Explosive interview with Oprah

The full content of an expected interview of the couple with the TV star Oprah Winfrey is known, in which there are allegations of racism within the royal family itself, and Meghan's admission that she had suicidal thoughts during her pregnancy .

The conversation plunges the royal family into a crisis.

June 4: Lilibet Diana Mountbatten-Windsor is born

Lilibet "Lili" Diana Mountbatten-Windsor, the couple's second child, is born in California.

“Lili is named after her great-grandmother, her majesty her queen, whose family nickname is Lilibet.

Her middle name, Diana, was chosen to honor her beloved late grandmother, the Princess of Wales,” reads the subsequent statement announcing her birth.

Lilibet Diana Mountbatten-Windsor on her first birthday.

(Credit: Dukes of Sussex)

August 4: Female Mentoring Plan

The Duchess of Sussex launches a mentoring scheme on her 40th birthday to help women return to the workforce after the pandemic.

December 2: Meghan's court victory

A UK court upholds a ruling in Meghan's favor as part of her lawsuit against a newspaper publisher who reproduced parts of a private letter she sent to her father, Thomas Markle, in August 2018.

2022: "Harry & Meghan" streaming

September 8: death of Queen Elizabeth II

Harry and Meghan, who had already traveled to Great Britain for the Elizabeth II Jubilee celebrations, return to participate in the ceremonies after the monarch's death.

December 8: the premiere of "Harry & Meghan"

The first episodes of "Harry & Meghan" are released on Netfli, a docuseries that addresses the couple's life in the first person since they met in 2016. The series makes multiple revelations about the difficulties of life with the royal family since its point of view.