Harry and Meghan Release Private Texts From Their Early Days — And It's Obvious Who Chased Whom

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry were smitten with each other after their very first date in 2016. The pair was set up on a blind date by a mutual friend. In their 2022 Netflix docuseries, Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, shared previously unseen emails and texts from their early courtship days. The series also featured personal footage of their time together before entering royal life.

As reported by Cosmopolitan, the first episode, released on December 8, 2022, revealed an email from the mutual friend who set the couple up. It read, “Between you and I, thought you might want to know this, being newly single and all. I put our Snapchat on Instagram, and Prince Haz follows me (he’s a friend.) He called me last night, dying to meet you.” In the episode, Markle revealed that she too was impressed by Harry’s Instagram account, which had picturesque photos from his time in Africa.

Harry himself also opened up about the same. On the show, he said, “Meghan and I met over Instagram. I was scrolling through my feed, and someone who was a friend had a video of the two of them, like a Snapchat. With dog ears. That was the first thing. I was like, who is that?” The pair spoke on Instagram and texted back and forth before planning to meet each other in person. One of their private chats featured in the series read, “Harry: “So come on—what are you doing tomorrow night? Hope you’re having fun over there.” Meghan: “Heading back to Soho. I have a dinner tomorrow at 8, but I can do drinks tomorrow night, would that work? Maybe 6?” Harry: “You’re ON!”

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have chosen not to reveal the identity of the friend who set them up. Markle shared on the show that she was very upset that Harry decided to show up late on their blind date. Harry added, “I was panicking, I was freaking out, I was, like, sweating.” When Harry finally arrived looking red and sweating, Markle realized that he was in fact stuck in traffic and wasn't being tardy. All was well thereafter. She added, “He was just so fun…and that was the thing, we were, like, childlike together.” As reported by Sky News, their date took place at Soho House, a luxurious members' club in London.

In their sit-down interview after their engagement, Harry opened up about how he was love-struck when he laid eyes on Markle. He told the BBC, “I was beautifully surprised when I walked into a room and there she was sitting there.” He explained that after they met for the first time, he managed to persuade her to join him in Botswana. He revealed, "We camped out together under the stars and enjoyed five days together,” bonding over their shared love for philanthropy.