Meghan married into the Royal Family in May 2018 (Image: GETTY)
Meghan Markle officially joined the Royal Family in May 2018, less than two years after meeting Prince Harry during a visit to the UK.
Due to being from the US, the former actress was an unlikely match for the royal, but the pair soon hit it off and celebrated five years of marriage bliss earlier this year.
Although Meghan appeared to fit right into royal life all was not well behind closed doors and the pair soon made the decision to step down from the Royal Family in January 2020.
The couple announced their decision to take a step back from royal duties that month, with them soon moving to begin a new life in California.
Here, Express.co.uk delves into six of Meghan’s key moments as a senior member of one of the world’s most well-known families.
READ MORE Harry has shifted from royal asset to liability as brands question Sussex worth
1. Meghan’s first public appearance with Harry
Standing alongside her royal boyfriend, Meghan made her first official public appearance at the Invictus Games in September 2017.
The couple, who met the previous summer, had already been an item for over a year. Until this moment, the pair had kept their relationship mostly under wraps.
Clearly besotted, Harry showed off his girlfriend to the world, confirming that the two were very much in love.
According to the 2020 book ‘Finding Freedom’, the couple were already secretly engaged at this time – although it was unknown to the public.
Meghan was first spotted out with Harry at the Invictus Games in 2017 (Image: GETTY)
READ MORE Meghan Markle ‘plotting politics move’ as work with Harry ‘waning’, says expert
2. Meghan and Harry’s royal wedding
Just eight months after their first public appearance, Meghan married Prince Harry at St George’s Chapel on May 19, 2018.
The wedding marked Meghan’s official welcome into the Royal Family, with the now-King Charles walking his new daughter-in-law down the aisle.
During the fourth episode of the couple’s docuseries, which was released last year, Meghan opened up about how she felt on her and Harry’s special day.
Meghan said: “On the day of our wedding, it’s like I went into a really calm space. I don’t know how I was so calm.
“I look back and, ‘How was I so calm?’ And all I wanted was a mimosa, a croissant and to play the song, ‘Going to the Chapel.’ And that’s what I did — and it was great!”
Meghan married Harry on May 19, 2018 (Image: Getty)
3. Meghan’s balcony debut
Meghan made her first balcony appearance during the Trooping the Colour celebrations on June 9, 2018 – just one month after their royal wedding.
Meghan joined her new husband, the late Queen, the then-Prince Charles, Camilla, Prince Philip, the now Prince and Princess of Wales and their two eldest children on the Buckingham Palace balcony.
Looking every inch the senior royal, Meghan waved to spectators below as fans appeared delighted by her first appearance.
Meghan made her balcony debut in June 2018 (Image: GETTY)
4. Meghan marks her first royal outing
In June 2018, Meghan joined Queen Elizabeth II on her first official royal visit alongside the late monarch.
The pair opened the Mersey Gateway Bridge in Cheshire, with the two of them seemingly showing off their sweet bond.
Following the late Queen’s death last September, Meghan reflected on the visit in a sweet tribute to the late monarch.
Meghan said: “I’ve reflected on that first official engagement that I had with her, how special that felt. I feel fortunate.
“And I continue to be proud to have had a nice warmth with the matriarch of the family.”
Meghan joined the late Queen for a royal visit in 2018 (Image: GETTY)
5. Archie’s reveal
One year on from their wedding day, Meghan and Harry welcomed their first child, a son.
Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor was born on May 6, 2019 in London.
Just two days after his arrival, the proud parents appeared ecstatic as they showed off their newborn son outside St George’s Hall.
The couple have since welcomed their second child, a daughter named Lilibet. Unlike her big brother, Lilibet was born in America.
Meghan, pictured with Harry and Archie, is now a proud mum-of-two. (Image: Getty)
6. Leaving the Royal Family
Although she only joined the Royal Family in 2018, Meghan and Harry made a joint decision to step down from royal duties in January 2020.
On January 8, 2020, the couple took to Instagram to release a statement that they wished to step back and aimed to “work to become financially independent”.
The pair soon moved to the US – Meghan’s home country – with their young son, before welcoming Lilibet just one year later.
Meghan and Harry announced their royal departure in January 2020 (Image: GETTY)
