All the Things Meghan Markle Has Done in Her First Year as Royal Girlfriend

Updated on Aug 12, 2017 at 2:30 PM

This time last year, Prince Harry was — as far as everyone knew — single, and Meghan Markle was known to Suits fans as cheeky paralegal Rachel Zane. However, behind closed doors, the two were in the early stages of their relationship. It wasn't long before the secret was out, however, and Meghan was immediately catapulted into global fame. The pair were first introduced in May 2016 when Harry was in Toronto to promote the 2017 Invictus Games. Their mutual friend Soho House consultant Markus Anderson played cupid, and Harry and Meghan met up again when the actress was in London in July to promote Suits. Things became serious pretty quickly. Take a look at how things have played out since then.

August 2016

Meghan was maid of honor for one of her best friends from Northwestern University, writer Lindsay Roth.
After wrapping filming on Suits, Meghan embarked on a European month-long Eat, Pray, Love-inspired tour with some of her closest friends. A three-day girlie trip to Ibiza meant tequila and soda, boat trips, swimming, fresh fruit, and fish. Three days in Madrid followed with designer friend Misha Nonoo and Markus Anderson, where the trio visited galleries and ate in tapas restaurants. Meghan then spent three days in Capri and three days in Positano with her stylist friend Jessica Mulroney, and the Italian leg of the trip was all about antipasti, Campari and soda, and relaxing. Her book of choice? Michael Ondaatje's The English Patient. Tellingly, Meghan then spent almost two weeks in the UK, ending the month in the Oxfordshire Soho House property Farm House, where she was already wearing the beaded bracelet that matches Harry's.

September 2016

Meghan spent time in New York shooting for Bobbi Brown, watching her friend Serena Williams in US Open, and going to watch Hamilton with bestie Priyanka Chopra.
Much of the month was spent shooting Suits, but she also found time to pop to Ottawa and meet with Justin Trudeau for her work with the charity One Young World.

October 2016

Meghan and Harry's relationship was not yet public, and Meghan spent much of the month quietly shooting Suits, walking her dogs, and going out for meals with friends.
It was still early days, but things were moving fast for the smitten couple. Harry was spotted in a London art gallery buying a diptych by contemporary artist Van Donna of a painting with a boy and girl holding hands on one side, and "Everybody needs somebody to love" written on the other.
News finally broke of their relationship when Harry was spending a week with Meghan in Toronto, and the actress began to be a lot more coy in her Instagram posts. While Harry was in town the couple attended a Halloween party at Soho House Toronto.

November 2016

Soon after the news of their relationship broke, Meghan posted a picture of two bananas hugging on her Instagram.
On Nov. 8, Harry took the unusual step of issuing a statement referring to Meghan as his girlfriend and asking that the press stop harassing her. Soon afterward, Meghan visited the prince in London and was spotted shopping in Whole Foods near his Kensington Palace home.
Meghan also spent some time in her native LA and celebrated Thanksgiving with her family.

December 2016

Meghan nailed posted a Brit-loving picture of her dog in a Union Jack sweater early in the month.
After Harry's Caribbean tour, he made a 48-hour trip to Toronto, and shortly afterward, she was photographed wearing a Maya Brenner necklace with an M and an H on it.
In the run-up to Christmas, Meghan spent a week with Harry in London. They were photographed together for the first time — going to see the stage show A Curious Incident of the Dog and the Nighttime — and were also spotted shopping for a Christmas tree at Pines and Needles and having lunch at the Sands End pub, before Harry dropped Meghan off at the airport on Dec. 19.
Meghan was back in Toronto for Christmas with her family, but she then flew back to London to welcome in the new year with her prince.

January 2017

It was travel time once again when Meghan and Harry went on their first vacation together. Harry took Meghan to Tromso in Finland to see the northern lights.
It was also reported that Meghan met the Duchess of Cambridge for the first time at Kensington Palace.

February 2017

Meghan was back in the UK for Valentine's Day and she and Harry popped into Soho House for dinner.

March 2017

The couple spent almost a week in Jamaica together for the wedding of Harry's best friend Tom Inskip.
Meghan continued with her work for World Vision — she had previously made a visit with the charity to Rwanda — when she flew to India at the end of the month, spending five days in Delhi and Mumbai.

April 2017

In another sign that things were getting pretty serious between the couple, Maghen announced she was closing her lifestyle blog The Tig. She also posted her last Instagram shot and wrapped up her work with Reitmans.
Harry flew to Toronto to spend Easter weekend with Meghan.

May 2017

Meghan spent much of the month shooting season seven of Suits.
She did, however, fly to the UK twice. The first time she watched Harry play in a charity polo match and they were photographed kissing. It's thought this was around the time he presented his girlfriend with a gold thumb ring.
On her second trip to the UK, Meghan accompanied Harry to Pippa Middleton's wedding.

June 2017

Meghan flew back to London at the end of the month for a 10-day trip that spilled into July.

July 2017

Meghan celebrated the 100th episode of Suits with all her castmates.
At the end of the month, she flew back to London to see Harry, this time with her mother.

August 2017

Meghan and Harry flew to Botswana together, where he took her on safari to celebrate her 36th birthday on Aug. 4. Is a proposal in the cards? If they did get engaged, it's unlikely they would go public with the news straight after the trip, so we may be waiting a little while yet . . .