Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are expecting their second child. Here's a complete timeline of their relationship.

The Sunday Express reported that the country's single prince was dating American actress, philanthropist, and blogger Meghan Markle. A source told the publication that he was "happier than he's been for many years."

In their first sit-down interview as a couple, Markle told the BBC in 2017 that she didn't know much about the prince or the royal family before they were set up by a mutual friend.

"Because I'm from the States, you don't grow up with the same understanding of the royal family," she said. "I didn't know much about him, so the only thing that I had asked [our mutual friend] when she said that she wanted to set us up, was, 'Well, is he nice?' Cause if he wasn't kind, it just didn't seem like it would make sense."

While they still had not publicly announced they were dating, Meghan made headlines when she told The Vancouver Sun in a Q&A that "my cup runneth over and I'm the luckiest girl in the world!"

While The Star reported that the pair attended a Halloween party in the city, Us Weekly reported that Markle and Harry stayed put in her apartment all weekend.

People reported that Meghan met Harry's dad, Prince Charles, and that an "engagement was a possibility."

Harry released a statement confirming that he was dating Markle but slammed the press coverage surrounding her and their relationship. He noted that much of the coverage had been sexist and racist, as Markle is a biracial woman.

The statement said, in part, "Prince Harry is worried about Ms. Markle's safety and is deeply disappointed that he has not been able to protect her. It is not right that a few months into a relationship with him that Ms. Markle should be subjected to such a storm. He knows commentators will say this is 'the price she has to pay' and that 'this is all part of the game'. He strongly disagrees. This is not a game — it is her life and his."

After reports that Prince William was not happy with Harry's decision to go public about his relationship with Markle, William disputed the claims and said he was supportive of Harry's decision to speak out about Meghan and the abuse she was receiving in the press.

"The Duke of Cambridge absolutely understands the situation concerning privacy and supports the need for Prince Harry to support those closest to him," the rare statement read.

According to The Sun, Markle and Harry were spotted ringing in some holiday cheer by picking out a Christmas tree, and seeing the Christmas lights in London. Later, they attended the play "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime."

Prince Harry introduced his girlfriend to his sister-in-law, Kate Middleton, and her daughter at the beginning of 2017. Markle apparently "adored" Charlotte.

Prince George was away at nursery school, so she missed meeting him, according to The Sun.

According to Norwegian media reports at the time, they stayed at the luxurious Tromvik Lodge, which gives panoramic views of the Norwegian Sea and the northern lights.

A friend told The Sun, "Harry wanted to make this first holiday something Meg will never forget."

Markle announced that she was shutting down her lifestyle blog, "The Tig." Her post was sweet yet vague, so many hopped to the assumption that this meant she and Harry would be getting engaged. But People reported that she was just too busy to keep it up.

Us Weekly reported the pair was spotted kissing in the parking lot after the annual Audi Polo Challenge in Ascot, England. Harry was participating while Markle cheered from the sidelines.

Harry took a three-hour, 100-mile round trip to pick up Markle and bring her to Pippa Middleton's wedding reception.

Markle did not attend the ceremony because Pippa had a "no ring, no bring" policy, but the break between the ceremony and the reception allowed Harry to pick her up and bring her later for the "less-formal" reception.

"We're a couple," Markle said in the October issue of Vanity Fair. "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. This is for us. It's part of what makes it so special, that it's just ours. But we're happy."

She added that they had been "very quietly dating" for six months before reports of the relationship emerged.

After more than a year of dating, Markle and Harry attended a tennis event during the Invictus Games in Toronto. They were seen holding hands, whispering to each other, and smiling.

According to the couple, the proposal happened quite spontaneously.

"It happened a few weeks ago, earlier this month, here at our cottage; just a standard typical night for us," Prince Harry later told the BBC.

Markle added, "[We were] trying to roast a chicken and it just — just an amazing surprise, it was so sweet and natural and very romantic. He got on one knee."

Harry continued, "She didn't even let me finish, she said 'can I say yes, can I say yes' and then were hugs. I had the ring in my finger and I was like 'can I — can I give you the ring?' She goes — 'oh yes the ring.'"

The world was delighted when the couple announced their engagement on November 27.

The news came via a statement from Kensington Palace and Clarence House, and the couple posed for celebratory photos.

The statement also announced they would be getting married on May 19, 2018.

For their first official public engagement, the pair greeted onlookers in Nottingham, England.

Royal fiancés are not typically included in official royal Christmas activities, but Queen Elizabeth invited Markle to join the family at her Sandringham estate.

"It was fantastic. She really enjoyed it," Harry told BBC Radio 4 in an interview a few days later. "The family loved having her there."

It was also the first time that Markle was photographed with Prince William and Duchess Catherine.

They traveled all over the United Kingdom and even made a surprise appearance in Belfast, Northern Ireland, in March.

Celebrities, including Oprah, Serena Williams, and Elton John, were invited to the celebrations, while thousands of well-wishers lined the streets to wave at the couple, who arrived at the reception via a horse-drawn carriage.

Markle's wedding dress was designed by Givenchy, one of her favorite designers. Her veil featured a motif of different embroidered flowers, including the California state flower. Her bouquet contained forget-me-nots, which were Princess Diana's favorite flower.

Rather than live in Apartment 1 at Kensington Palace, the couple decided to move slightly further afield from the royal family and settled at Frogmore House.

The couple spent millions of dollars in taxpayer funds renovating the home for their growing family, which they eventually paid back in full by making a contribution to the Sovereign Grant, according to Insider.

During the jam-packed tour, Meghan Markle performed a traditional greeting, the Hongi, with the governor-general of New Zealand, pictured.

The couple also cuddled with koalas in Sydney, met with youth mental health organizations, took part in traditional ceremonies, met foreign leaders, and laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior in Wellington, New Zealand.

The couple's appearance at Christmas services temporarily halted rumors that they were on the outs with the royal family, namely Prince Harry's brother and sister-in-law, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.

Markle and Prince Harry broke from royal tradition by skipping the post-birth photo-call on the hospital steps. But outside Windsor Castle, Harry gushed to the media about his newborn son and how proud he was of his wife.

"It's been the most amazing experience I could ever have possibly imagined," he told the media. "How any woman does what they do is beyond comprehension. But we're both absolutely thrilled and so grateful to all the love and support from everybody out there. It's been amazing."

They appeared for their photo-call with Archie three days later. Archie also did not receive a royal title, and details about his christening or godparents were not released publicly.

"The Duke and Duchess of Sussex wanted their son to be as normal as possible to begin with, hence no use of the title Earl of Dumbarton," royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams said at the time.

"Unfortunately, my wife has become one of the latest victims of a British tabloid press that wages campaigns against individuals with no thought to the consequences—a ruthless campaign that has escalated over the past year, throughout her pregnancy and while raising our newborn son," the prince wrote in a statement.

It added, "Though we have continued to put on a brave face—as so many of you can relate to—I cannot begin to describe how painful it has been."

While touring South Africa, the royal couple met with Nelson Mandela's widow, Graca Machel.

Archie accompanied the royal couple on the trip, which took them to Auwal Mosque, the oldest mosque in South Africa, and other famous sites. At the time, Archie was only 6 months old, which made him one of the youngest royals to ever go on a royal tour, according to The Times.

"It was three, maybe four weeks later that I managed to persuade her to come join me in Botswana, and we camped out with each other under the stars," Prince Harry said in the couple's engagement interview. "She came and joined me for five days out there, which was absolutely fantastic."

Markle's engagement ring features two diamonds from Princess Diana's collection, in addition to a center jewel from a conflict-free diamond supplier in Botswana.

At the time the reports were published, a royal source told CNN that the couple was planning to split their time between the UK and Canada.

Though the royals themselves didn't confirm this report, Markle did speak about how the pressure of constantly being in the public eye was affecting her.

"Not many people have asked if I'm OK, but it's a very real thing to be going through behind the scenes," she told ITV reporter Tom Bradby, according to CNN.

"We intend to step back as 'senior' members of the Royal Family and work to become financially independent, while continuing to fully support Her Majesty The Queen," the statement read. "We now plan to balance our time between the United Kingdom and North America, continuing to honor our duty to The Queen, the Commonwealth, and our patronages.

"This geographic balance will enable us to raise our son with an appreciation for the royal tradition into which he was born, while also providing our family with the space to focus on the next chapter, including the launch of our new charitable entity."

"It brings me great sadness that it has come to this," the duke said during a private dinner for his charity Sentebale. "I know I haven't always gotten it right, but as far as this goes, there really was no other option."

In an iconic photo taken by photographer Samir Hussein, the pair wore coordinating blue outfits while looking happier than ever. The romantic snap, taken at the 2020 Endeavour Fund Awards in London on March 5, was quickly shared by fans across the internet.

"I've taken many photos I'm really proud of, but in terms of the huge interest in the subjects and the response I've had, this is probably the most iconic photo I've taken," Hussein said in a statement.

It was the first and final official engagement the "Fab Four" — the nickname given to the two royal couples — participated in after Markle and Harry announced they would be stepping back from their royal duties.

Richard Fitzwilliams, a royal commentator, told Insider that the interactions between the couples, or lack thereof, were visibly "frosty." The couples acted noticeably cold to one another, barely making eye contact or speaking to one another, despite being seated just one row apart.

On April 20, Prince Harry and Markle announced they would no longer engage with or respond to inquiries from journalists from the Sun, the Daily Mail, the Daily Mirror, and the Daily Express, explaining they no longer wished to "offer themselves up as currency for an economy of clickbait and distortion."

That same month, they also announced their plans to launch a non-profit, Archewell, named after their son.

According to Vogue, the pair settled in the private and exclusive neighborhood of Montecito. The publication also reported that, according to property records, the royal couple bought their 14,500-square-foot home for $14.65 million.

"The Duke and Duchess of Sussex moved into their family home in July of this year," a spokesperson for the couple told Insider in August 2020.

"They have settled into the quiet privacy of their community since their arrival and hope that this will be respected for their neighbors, as well as for them as a family."

According to Insider, Harry and Markle planted forget-me-nots, which is widely known as Princess Diana's favorite flower, alongside children at the Preschool Learning Center in Los Angeles, which provides support to local low-income families.

Princess Diana died more than 23 years ago, on August 31, 1997, from injuries sustained after a car crash in Paris. Prince Harry has been vocal about the impact his mother's death had on him and receiving therapy to help process his grief.

According to The New York Times, the couple plans to produce documentaries, docuseries, feature films, scripted television shows, and children's programming under their new business.

"Our focus will be on creating content that informs but also gives hope," Harry and Meghan told the outlet. "As new parents, making inspirational family programming is also important to us."

In a New York Times essay titled "The Losses We Share," Markle opened up about the "unbearable grief, experienced by many but talked about by few" she had after having a miscarriage over the summer.

"I knew, as I clutched my firstborn child, that I was losing my second," she wrote. "Hours later, I lay in a hospital bed, holding my husband's hand. I felt the clamminess of his palm and kissed his knuckles, wet from both our tears. Staring at the cold white walls, my eyes glazed over. I tried to imagine how we'd heal."

In the same month the couple sent out their family Christmas card — which was not shared publicly — they also won one of their first legal battles over paparazzi pics of their son, Archie.

"As explained in today's hearing, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have successfully settled a legal claim brought at the beginning of this year against the paparazzi agency Splash UK," a spokesperson for Schillings, the legal representation for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, said in a statement to Town & Country.

"After two long years of pursuing litigation, I am grateful to the courts for holding Associated Newspapers and the Mail on Sunday to account for their illegal and dehumanizing practiced," she wrote in a statement.

"These tactics (and those of their sister publications MailOnline and the Daily Mail) are not new; in fact, they've been going on for far too long without consequence. For these outlets, it's a game. For me and so many others, it's real life, real relationships, and very real sadness. The damage they have done and continue to do runs deep," she continued.

In the statement, she thanked Harry, and others, for their support.

At the time, a spokesperson for the newspaper told Insider: "We are very surprised by today's summary judgment and disappointed at being denied the chance to have all the evidence heard and tested in open court at a full trial."

"We are carefully considering the judgment's contents and will decide in due course whether to lodge an appeal," the spokesperson added.

The news that Meghan and Harry were expecting their second child was first reported by People and later confirmed in a statement to Insider.

"We can confirm that Archie is going to be a big brother. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are overjoyed to be expecting their second child," a spokesperson for the couple told Insider in an email.

The baby will be eighth in line to the throne.

"The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have confirmed to Her Majesty The Queen that they will not be returning as working members of The Royal Family," Buckingham Palace said in a statement. "While all are saddened by their decision, The Duke and Duchess remain much-loved members of the family."

In addition to losing their involvement with numerous UK charities and patronages, Prince Harry will lose his honorary military appointments with The Royal Marines, the RAF Honington, and the Royal Navy Small Ships and Diving.

People reported that the couple will retain their Duke and Duchess of Sussex titles and will still be referred to as His/Her Royal Highness, though they do not actively use either of their titles.

In a statement released by Prince Harry and Markle, the couple said they "remain committed to their duty and service to the U.K. and around the world, and have offered their continued support to the organizations they have represented regardless of official role."

"We can all live a life of service. Service is universal," they concluded.