A letter to... Prince Harry
Dear Prince Harry,
After nearly two years of transatlantic romance, you and Meghan Markle are taking the next significant step in your relationship and moving in together. A Nottingham Cottage at Kensington Palace is being zhuzhed for this very purpose. Let us offer our congratulations – and a little advice. Trust us, this stuff is hard-won gold-dust…
If you exit the shower reeking of her Ren Moroccan Rose shower gel, you have erred. Ditto her shampoo (yes, it’s totally possible to pay £35 for a bottle of shampoo) and her moisturiser (you just slapped a bit on because you sniffed it and it smelt good? Well done. You’re now wearing £15 worth of cream and have incurred her wrath). Repeat after us: 'what’s yours is mine' does not apply to beauty products.
We could be wrong here, but we’re thinking that the dream of 'his and her' bathrooms can be a reality when ‘home’ is a wing of a palace. Do it (and don’t even think about sneaking in and “borrowing” her La Prairie).
Lay it out right now: which way up is cutlery stacked? Tines and blades facing up or down? Bowls top or bottom? Saucepans in or out? On such points are some relationships broken. Do not despair if you never reach total agreement. There are couples who have cohabited for years who have yet to reach armistice.
Right now you’re in what we call the honeymoon period. You have snatched weekends which are heady and romantic and full of thoughtful gestures and take-me-now-because-I’m-on-the-plane-to-L.A.-tomorrow sex. Yeah, that won’t happen when you see each other Every. Single. Day. And that’s fine, cosy companionship is great, too.
You know how now you say ‘we’ve only got a weekend together, let’s not argue about the little things’? You’re going to argue about the little things. Sorry, but there it is. Such is co-habitational life.
You’ve probably yet to see her slobbing on the sofa in her oldest pjs/tracksuit, spot cream on her face, eating cereal from the box. Mind you, she probably hasn’t seen you do it either. Welcome to reality.
Do not expect Meghan to know how to use appliances because she’s a woman. Make sure you both know how to – and take turns - use the washing machine/iron a shirt/clean the loo. (For when the staff have the day off…) This said, putting out the bins is always your job.
You will mysteriously need much more of it. Probably twice as much as is required by a person living alone. It’s just the way it is. Deal with it and snap up those bumper packs of 12. Don’t discuss it. Nothing kills romance like talking about loo roll (or, indeed, using the loo whilst the other person is in the shower. We’re pretty sure that your accommodation will have more than one bathroom so you’ll never be faced with the ‘it’s an emergency so I have to bust in (or it out)’ situation.)
Keep the art of conversation alive. Okay, so not every night will involve a candlelit supper for two, but do try. (Hint: you’ll have more of point 4 this way.)
Try not to sit next to each other on the sofa, ostensibly watching Netflix, whilst actually scrolling through social media and sniggering at other people’s Facebook witticisms. Not all the time, anyway.
Respect each other’s need for time alone – and apart.
Are you a binge-watcher or into delayed gratification? If you are on opposing teams, this is flashpoint for argument. Sneakily watching ahead when the other one is out is tantamount to betrayal.
Designed to test your relationship to its limit.
You will have different standards. It’s just the way it is. (And we don’t mean the tidy one is always the woman.) Get a cleaner. An army of staff works, too.
That shelf full of sporting trophies. Your collection of genius fancy dress ensembles. Those charming artefacts you picked up abroad. You might find they start disappearing. One day you’ll do a double take and notice that your collection of Beano annuals is no longer on full display. This happens.
Not just for sitting on. They look pretty. Yes, you really do need another one. (In matters of decoration, compromise is key. You’ll probably have an argument over pattern/colour at some juncture.)
It’s best not to keep track or betray astonishment when there’s another ASOS/ Net-a-Porter/ Topshop delivery. This way, when you have an excess-baggage-sized Mr Porter delivery, no eyebrows will be raised. (This feeds into the bigger issue of picking your battles.)
From the start. About money, bills, chores, bugbears, what drives you crazy about each other (in good and bad ways). Saves trouble later. And don’t compare yourself to other couples. What works for Will and Kate may not work for you.
Love from, The GLAMOUR team
Now go forth enjoy your co-habitation (and keep your hands off that shampoo).
Getty ImagesIf we were going to be trapped in the rain with someone, we'd want it to be Prince Harry, too. No wonder Meghan looks so damn delighted.
- Getty Images
Ever since their wedding, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have been giving us major couple goals. And now, we've found out Meghan's pet name for her husband - and it's a cute one. The couple were at Hamilton and posed for a photo with the cast, where Meghan was heard saying to Harry, "Can you see, my love?". How cute!
Getty ImagesTalk about the honeymoon period! Meghan and Harry had no qualms about indulging in a full-blown smooch when Harry took his trophy at the polo in 2018. While we rarely see William and Kate locking lips, we're glad to see that this pair aren't afraid of a PDA.
Getty ImagesThe couple made an appearance on the balcony at the Trooping of The Colour in 2018 and, naturally, Meghan looked incredible. A lipreader revealed to MirrorOnline (via The Sun) that Harry reassured Meghan as they waited for the fly-past by the RAF's Red Arrows - and what he apparently said is so.damn.cute. Prince Harry apparently asked her: "Okay?", to which she apparently replied, "Yeah, are you?", before admitting she was "nervous!". The lipreader believes that Prince Harry then explained to his wife: "Then there's the fly-past and then we all look up to the sky." What a man!
Getty ImagesHarry and Meghan looked cute as ever as they arrived in Brixton to visit Reprezent radio.
Rex FeaturesThe couple were snapped kissing after watching a polo match at Coworth Park in May 2018. Cue an internet meltdown.
Rex FeaturesThey made their first official appearance together in September 2017 at the Invictus Games in Toronto. Meghan looked gorgeous dressed down in a shirt and ripped jeans, and the pair couldn't keep their eyes off each other. That month the actress also spoke publicly about their relationship for the first time, telling Vanity Fair: "We're two people who are really happy and in love".
Rex FeaturesThey're not shy of PDA and at the same event they broke royal protocol by holding hands in public 😍
Getty ImagesCould they be any more adorable? The pair were spotted looking close backstage at the Invictus Games in 2017.
Getty ImagesThey announced their engagement with beaming smiles on November 27 2017 at Kensington Palace Gardens.
Getty ImagesAs they showed off the ring, Harry said he knew Meghan was the one from the first day they met.
YouTubeLater that day, the couple had their first TV interview in a BBC special. They revealed they were set up on a blind date by a mutual friend and said Harry proposed in their London cottage. It got quite emotional when the prince spoke of his late mother, Princess Diana, saying he believed she and Meghan would have been "best friends".
@kensingtonroyal/InstagramTheir official engagement photos have us swooning! They were taken by fashion photographer Alexi Lubomirski at Frogmore House, Windsor
@kensingtonroyal/InstagramAlex Lubomirski said: "It was an incredible honour to be asked to document this wonderful event, but also a great privilege to be invited to share and be a witness to this young couple's love for one another."
