13 Ways Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s Relationship Is Different from Prince William and Duchess Kate’s
May 07, 2018
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's wedding is shaping up to be very different from Prince William and Duchess Kate's — and their nuptials are just one example of how they're doing things their own way. Click through to see 13 differences between the two royal couples.
Prince William and Duchess Kate's Origin Story: Prince William and Kate Middleton became friends back in 2001, when they were students in residence at St. Salvator's Hall at the University of St. Andrews. Both dated other people before falling in love with each other in late 2003. (Photo via Andrew Milligan/WPA Pool/Getty Images)
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's Origin Story: Unlike Will and Kate, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were romantic from the start. They were set up on a blind date by a mutual friend and pretty much jumped right into a relationship. (Photo via Andrew Milligan/WPA Pool/Getty Images)
Prince William and Duchess Kate's Courtship: When Prince William and Kate Middleton said "I do" in 2011, they had been fixtures in each other's lives for a decade and dating for almost as long (with a brief breakup in 2007). (Photo via Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's Courtship: In contrast, Prince Harry had known Meghan Markle for less than a year-and-a-half when he proposed in November 2017. (Photo via Chris Jackson/Getty Images for the Invictus Games Foundation)
Duchess Kate's Royal Expertise: Having grown up in England, Duchess Kate knew the British monarchy well. There's even evidence that her ancestors on her father's side were acquainted with and played host to the royal family. (Photo via Chris Jackson/Getty Images)
Meghan Markle's Royal Expertise: In their first post-engagement interview, Meghan Markle told the BBC that she didn't "grow up with [an] understanding of the royal family" because she's from the US. "Everything that I've learned about him, I learned through him, as opposed to having grown up around different news stories," she said. (Photo via Jeremy Selwyn/WPA Pool/Getty Images)
Prince William and Duchess Kate's Long-Distance Relationship: Prince William and Duchess Kate were in the same town — and even the same house — for a good part of their early romance. That made it difficult, though, when William was stationed with the Household Cavalry at Bovington Barracks in Dorset. According to reports, the distance and time apart took a toll, and they split briefly in 2007. Thankfully, they found their way back to each other a few months later, and have been happily coupled up ever since. (Photo via Pool/Tim Graham Picture Library/Getty Images)
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's Long-Distance Relationship: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were long-distance from the very beginning of their romance. Markle was busy shooting her final season of Suits in Toronto, while Harry carried out his royal duties in the UK. In their post-engagement interview with the BBC, the couple admitted it was tricky logistically but said they made it work by flying back and forth and never going more than two weeks apart. (Photo via Chris Jackson/Getty Images for the Invictus Games Foundation)
Prince William and Duchess Kate's PDA: There's a reason you rarely see Prince William and Duchess Kate hold hands in public. While there's no official rule against PDA, reports suggest that Prince William — who is second in line to the throne, several spots ahead of Prince Harry, who is sixth — tends to follow the queen's lead on such matters. (Photo via Sean Gallup/Getty Images)
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's PDA: Unlike the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are very affectionate in public, and are often photographed holding hands or linking arms at official events. (Photo via Chris Jackson/Getty Images)
Prince William and Duchess Kate's Proposal Story: Prince William proposed in the fall of 2010, when he and Kate Middleton were on holiday in Kenya with some friends. (Photo via Arthur Edwards/WPA Pool/Getty Images)
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's Proposal Story: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have been on their fair share of romantic trips — they spent five days in Botswana just a few weeks after their first date — but Harry popped the question on a quiet night at home, when they were "trying" to roast a chicken. (Photo via Chris Jackson/Getty Images)
Prince William and Duchess Kate's Engagement Age: Prince William and Duchess Kate were 28 when they got engaged in 2010. He was still 28 when they married the next April; she was 29. (Photo via Chris Jackson/Getty Images)
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's Engagement Age: When he got engaged to Meghan Markle, Prince Harry was 33 — five years older than Prince William was when he proposed to Kate. Markle was 36. (Photo via Chris Jackson/Getty Images)
Duchess Kate's Career: When Kate Middleton left her position at her parents' party-supply company to assume her royal duties in 2011, her departure was handled mostly behind the scenes. (Photo via Chris Jackson/WPA Pool/Getty Images)
Meghan Markle's Career: Meghan Markle's career change, on the other hand, has been very public — because her career itself was very public. In addition to acting, she ran a lifestyle blog called The Tig, which she shut down once she started dating Prince Harry. After they announced their engagement, she confirmed that she would be quitting acting, too, thus ending her seven-season run as a series regular on Suits. (Photo via Dominic Lipinski/ WPA Pool/Getty Images)
Prince William and Duchess Kate's First Royal Christmas: In keeping with tradition, Kate Middleton didn't join the royals at Queen Elizabeth II's Sandringham Estate for the holidays until after she and William were married. She spent Christmas with her own family even after they were engaged. (Photo via Chris Jackson/Getty Images)
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's First Royal Christmas: In contrast, Meghan Markle was invited to Sandringham for the holidays in 2017, just a little over a month after she accepted Harry's proposal. (Photo via Chris Jackson/Getty Images)
Prince William and Duchess Kate's First Royal Engagement: Kate Middleton joined Prince William at the Thursford Christmas Spectacular about a month after they announced their plans to marry, but their official debut at a royal function wasn't until February 24, 2011, three months post-engagement, when Middleton joined her then-fiancé in Anglesey, North Wales, to christen a lifeboat. (Photo via Chris Jackson/Getty Images)
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's First Royal Engagement: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle made their official debut within days, not months, of their engagement news. Markle joined Harry in Nottingham, England, for a World AIDS Day charity fair hosted by the Terrence Higgins Trust. (Photo via Chris Jackson/Getty Images)
Prince William and Duchess Kate's Age Difference: In both brothers' relationships, the princes are younger than their respective significant others. However, the age difference is considerably bigger for one couple. Duchess Kate was born on January 9, 1982, while Prince William was born on June 21, 1982, making him five months younger than his wife. (Photo via Chris Jackson/Getty Images)
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's Age Difference: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's age gap is wider. Markle was born on August 4, 1981, three years before Prince Harry's birth on September 15, 1984. (Photo via Chris Jackson/Getty Images)
Prince William and Duchess Kate's Wedding: Prince William and Duchess Kate's April 2011 wedding was a grand event that included a ceremony at Westminster Abbey, dignitaries from around the world, a carriage procession through London, and that iconic Buckingham Palace balcony kiss. (Photo via Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's Wedding: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's wedding will be incredible, but it won't be as big as Will and Kate's. The ceremony will be held at the relatively modest (but still stunning) St. George's Chapel, no politicians have been invited, and there will be no balcony kiss at Buckingham Palace. There will be a carriage procession through Windsor, though. (Photo via Dominic Lipinski/WPA Pool/Getty Images)
Prince William and Duchess Kate's Social Media Presence: The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have a fairly significant Twitter and Instagram presence now, thanks to Kensington Palace's official accounts, but prior to 2014, any announcements about them were made the old-fashioned way, through official press releases and statements in the media, or via the Twitter accounts set up for Clarence House and the royal family at large. (Photo via Hannah McKay/Pool/Getty Images)
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's Social Media Presence: The royal family still issues official statements and press releases about both couples, but more often than not, the public learns of big developments via Kensington Palace's Twitter. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's engagement announcement, for example, appeared first on social media, and new wedding details are posted every few days or so. (Photo via Ben Birchall/WPA Pool/Getty Images)
