They say a lot can change in a year, but—count ‘em—it’s officially been eight years since Prince Harry and Meghan Markle announced their engagement on November 27, 2017 at the Sunken Garden at Kensington Palace. Their life together certainly looks a lot different than how it was when they first shared their happy wedding news. In the years since, we’ve also gotten a heck of a lot more info about the days leading up to their engagement, including the royal who had to grant Harry permission before he could ask Meghan to say “I do.”
Prince Harry Announced His Engagement to Meghan Markle 8 Years Ago Today—But He Needed Permission from This Royal First
Protocol prevails
Published Nov 27, 2025
•2:00pm
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So, who was it? Prince Harry opened up about his experience in his 2023 memoir, Spare. Royal protocol reigns, of course, which meant he had to speak with Queen Elizabeth herself to get the A-OK to get down on one knee and propose to the now Duchess of Sussex.
As Harry reveals in Spare, heeding the insight of royal staffers, he asked his grandmother for permission during a shooting trip to Sandringham in late October where he managed to get some time alone with the late queen: “I saw her waiting for me to speak, and not waiting patiently. Her face radiated: ‘Out with it.’ I coughed. ‘Granny, you know I love Meg very much, and I’ve decided that I would like to ask her to marry me, and I’ve been told that, er, that I have to ask your permission before I can propose.’”
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Queen Elizabeth’s reply? Per Harry, her response was to the point: “‘You have to?’” she asked. “‘Um. Well, yes, that’s what your staff told me, and my staff as well. That I have to ask your permission,’” Harry nervously answered, recounting that he couldn’t quite grasp what his grandmother was thinking at that moment. “At last she replied: ‘Well, then, I suppose I have to say yes.’”
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At that moment, Harry’s mind was filled with worry. “Was she being sarcastic? Ironic? Deliberately cryptic?” he pondered before deciding it was better to just accept the yes. “At long last I realized: She’s saying yes, you muppet! She’s granting permission. Who cares how she words it, just know when to take yes for an answer,” Harry shares.
The rest is royal history—and with two kids, a move to Montecito, California and a formal exit from royal life, it’s safe to say a lot has changed. But, per a recent interview with Meghan in Harper’s Bazaar, their bond has remained strong. “No one in the world loves me more than him, so I know he’s always going to make sure he has my back,” she says.
Here, here.
