The announcement of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s engagement delighted royal fans five years ago, but there was much misunderstanding about the time and location of the King Charles III’s son’s proposal.
The former Suits actress unveiled her sentimental engagement ring to the press for the first time as the couple stood in Kensington Palace’s Sunken Garden to announce their happy news. Clarence House announced at the time in a statement that they intended to wed in the spring of 2018 and added: “The King’s Highness The Prince of Wales is happy to announce that Ms. Markle and His Royal Highness got engaged earlier this month in London.” So why are there rumors of a covert South African engagement?
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On that same day, the Prince revealed in a TV interview that he proposed to the American actress during a cozy night in at their then-home, Nottingham Cottage, which is situated within the grounds of Kensington Palace. They were roasting a chicken and having a cozy night in.
However, numerous news sources also claimed that the romantic proposal actually occurred in Africa, a continent that is well-known to be very dear to Prince Harry. We also know that a diamond from Botswana was ethically mined for Meghan’s priceless engagement ring.
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The full details of the UK proposal are covered in Finding Freedom, the royal biography written by Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand. As for the Africa trip, which made the couple “feel more connected than ever,” this is when “Harry made his intentions very clear.” So, although the seed was planted under the starry skies of Africa, the special “down on one knee” moment was saved for British soil.
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Maybe it was the low-key setting that made the proposal completely unexpected for Meghan. She said it was a surprise, sweet, and romantic in the same television interview. Harry responded, “Yes, I think I managed to catch you by surprise.”
However, Prince William, the brother of Prince Harry, did make the decision to propose abroad and picked a stunning Kenyan location for the occasion.
