Real Reason Why Prince Harry Ditched His Own ‘Dating Rule’ When He Met Meghan Markle: ‘I Knew…’

After having met on a blind date in 2016, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle tied the knot in 2018. Today, they are proud parents to two children and are going strong despite relocation and hardships. In his memoir Spare, Harry revealed that he broke a ‘strict dating rule’ after meeting Markle. He shared that he made an exception for her because she truly understood him underneath all the layers.

As reported by the Daily Express, he explained, “The main one was that you absolutely must date a woman for three years before taking the plunge.” But he ultimately chose to do otherwise after their trip to Africa together. He shared, “Meg seemed the shining exception to this rule. I knew her straightaway, and she knew me. The true me. Might seem rash, I thought, might seem illogical, but it’s true. For the first time, in fact, I felt myself to be living in truth.” The pair married only after two years of dating at St. George's Chapel at Windsor Castle.

The couple also opened up about some other dating rules. In their Netflix docuseries Harry and Meghan, they revealed that in Africa, they spent a week together in a tent in the wilderness. Harry said, “She had a two-week rule. We had to see each other in or around two weeks. I said, ‘How is that even possible with the stuff that I’m doing? I’m not going to be able to travel to see you that much.'" Going above and beyond, Markle flew to England, stayed on the Kensington Palace grounds, and went for walks around Frogmore.

While Harry ditched his ‘dating rules’ for Markle, he unfortunately couldn't dump the royal ones set by the Palace. In his memoir, he mentioned that his close friend, who was also Queen Elizabeth’s aide, asked him to follow strict protocols before marrying Markle. As reported by The Mirror, he wrote, “A grown man asking his grandmother for permission to marry? I couldn’t recall Willy asking before he proposed to Kate. Or my cousin Peter asking before he proposed to his wife, Autumn.” Despite the Duke’s reluctance, he ultimately sought his grandmother’s permission to marry Markle, which she did grant, albeit in a cryptic way.

In his memoir, Harry shared how he brought up the courage to ask the Queen about proposing to Markle. He claims he said, "I've been told that I have to ask your permission before I can propose." In response, the Queen gave a nine-word cryptic response, "You have to? Well then, I suppose I have to say yes." Known for her sense of humor, the Queen's reply reportedly left Harry a bit uncertain about how she really felt about Markle. Regardless, having received her permission, he proposed to Markle shortly after at Kensington Palace.