Finally! After months of secrets meet-ups behind palace gates, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have officially debuted their romance to the world, sending the wedding rumours into overdrive.
Meghan Markle couldn’t have looked happier as she cheered on her boyfriend Prince Harry as he opened his beloved 2017 Invictus Games at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto, Canada on Saturday evening.
Due to the couple not being married (just yet), royal protocol dictates that Meghan couldn’t be seated with Prince Harry in his VIP box, but the star was only a few meters away from her man and joined by her best friend Markus Anderson, who is the mutual mate responsible for introducing them.
Meghan positively beamed with pride when Harry took to the stage to address the crowd with an inspirational speech.
“You are all winners. You are Invictus,” Harry said as Meghan clapped and smiled.
Harry, who was seated with FLOTUS Melania Trump and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, could be seen looking down at Meghan, who was just four rows below him.
Although Meghan and Harry were not next to each other, the 36-year-old was assigned one of Prince Harry’s Scotland Yard protection officers who, along with three other bodyguards, will look after her security during the event.
According to The Daily Mail, royal protection officers are traditionally only tasked with looking after royal family members so the fact they’re protecting Meghan, who is technically a citizen, is yet another huge sign of just how serious they are.
Meghan looked stunning in a plum-coloured Mackage leather jacket, worth a cool $867, draped over her shoulders and a chic maroon dress.
And the actress is really making the most of having Harry in Toronto, where she films Suits.
According to Hello!, earlier in the week the royal made a low-key visit to the show’s set.
“He’s incredibly supportive of her work. Meghan showed him around set. Everyone was so excited,” an insider told the publication.
This is a massive milestone for the pair, who have been dating for just over a year, as it marks their first official outing.
Until now, Meghan and Harry have gone to great lengths not be seen together and have only been sighted in public together a few times.
In March, Meghan joined Harry as his plus one for his best mate Tom Inskip’s wedding in Jamaica’s Montego Bay.
In May, the American actress was spotted cheering on her man from the stands at a charity polo match in Ascot, England.
Most recently they jetted off on a romantic holiday for Meghan’s 36th birthday, spending three weeks travelling around Africa. They also enjoyed a brief stay at The Queen’s Scottish highlands estate in Balmoral, with speculation rife he could have introduced Meghan to his grandmother.
Today’s event makes for a very fitting debut, considering they first hit it off at the 2016 Invictus Games.
WATCH: Prince Harry delivers a powerful at the opening ceremony. Post continues below…
Having Meghan at his beloved sporting event, which the 33-year-old royal launched in 2014 for wounded service men and women, further proves just how serious the lovers are.
It comes amid the Suits star’s ground-breaking interview with Vanity Fair earlier this month, where she shared fascinating details about her relationship with Prince Harry.
“We’re a couple. We’re in love. I’m sure there will be a time when we will have to come forward and present ourselves and have stories to tell, but I hope what people will understand is that this is our time,” she told the publication.
Adding: “This is for us. It’s part of what makes it so special, that it’s just ours. But we’re happy. Personally, I love a great love story.”
Royal sources say there’s no way Meghan would have been sanctioned by the palace to do an interview had an engagement not already occurred.
Further spurring engagement chatter is a recent report from The Daily Mail, which claims Kensington Palace are helping Meghan scale back her public appearances for the hit TV show Suits, in which she plays Rachel Zane.
WATCH: Meghan and Harry’s fairy tale romance. Post continues…
Indeed since her romance with Harry broke, Meghan has shut down her lifestyle blog The Tig, pretty much ceased all activity on social media and distanced herself from Suits.
Many within the palace view this as Harry’s cunning plan to roll out “Operation Princess.”
The legal firm Harbottle & Lewis, who represent the royals, have also reportedly started to work for Meghan, too.
But the most exciting element to “Operation Princess”?
The fact that Harry’s aides are reportedly crafting an engagement announcement to drop any day now!
The Mail On Sunday claim Harry and Meghan were keen not to share their news during the memorials for Princess Diana’s 20-year anniversary but now the milestone date has passed the pair, who are said to be “as good as engaged”, are bracing to share their wonderful news.
The 2017 Invictus Games run from September 23-September 30 and are set to be held in Sydney next year.
Here’s hoping Harry brings Meghan along then, too!
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