When Harry met Meghan: A modern day fairytale

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02:23

It’s a love-story that has all the makings of a modern day fairytale.

Prince Harry was the world’s most eligible bachelor – the fun-loving playboy prince and sixth in line to the British throne.

But he was unlucky in love and, according to people who know the prince, had more or less given up hope of finding a bride after a string of romantic disasters.

But then he met Meghan Markle.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle attend an official photocall to announce their engagement at The Sunken Gardens, Kensington Palace, on November 27, 2017 in London, England. /Photo by Max Mumby/VCG Photo

The pair were introduced by a mutual friend just two years ago and hit it off straight away.

Previous girlfriends had been put off by the relentless pressure of media attention and the paparazzi that comes with dating a high-profile royal.

But Meghan was different.

The couple spent months dating in secret and, away from the glare of the media, they fell in love. But eventually the newspapers caught on and their royal romance was front-page news.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle watch wheelchair tennis at the 2017 Invictus Games in Toronto, Canada, September 25, 2017, as they have announced their engagement. /VCG Photo

Ever fairytale needs a villain, and for Harry and Meghan it has been the press.

Markle, a divorced, biracial American actress, is not a traditional wife by royal standards and the British tabloids, renowned for filling their pages with gossip and sleaze, have not been kind to her.

Prince Harry was so outraged over the coverage that he released an unprecedented statement accusing the press and social media trolls of sexist and racial abuse.

His antipathy toward the media dates back to the death of his mother, according to people who know him well. Highly popular Princess Diana was killed in a car crash 21 years ago while she was being chased by paparazzi in Paris. Prince Harry was just 12 years old at the time.

British royal family attends a Christmas service at St Mary Magdalene church on the Sandringham Estate in Norfolk on December 25, 2017, in Sandringham, England. /Photo by Michael Dunlea/VCG Photo

Markle’s family have also been hounded by the media. Her father – Thomas Markle – who lives a quiet life in Mexico, has been a favorite punching bag for the tabloids. Just days before the wedding, he was lambasted in the press after it emerged that he allegedly staged photographs with the paparazzi. On Monday, he told a US celebrity news website that he would not attend the wedding as he did not want to embarrass his daughter. It was later reported that health concerns would be keeping him away.

But while the tabloids have been hostile to Harry’s new love, the same cannot be said for the royal family, which has welcomed her with open arms. The Queen is said to be delighted that her grandson is so happy and reportedly gave her approval for the two to wed without hesitation.

The public also seem to have been swept away by the royal romance. Tens of thousands are expected to line the streets in the hope of getting a glimpse of the newlyweds as they take a horse-drawn carriage ride around Windsor on Saturday. Millions are expected to watch the wedding broadcast live around the world.

Royal wedding rehearsal taking place on May 17, 2017, in Windsor ahead of the nuptials between Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. /VCG Photo

The newspapers might not think that "happily ever after" makes for good headlines, but Harry and Meghan’s very modern royal romance does seem to signal that the British monarchy is changing with the times.