Prince Harry said the royal family were 'surprised a ginger could land such a beautiful woman' after meeting Meghan Markle

• Prince Harry said the royal family was surprised that he was dating Meghan Markle.
• "They were surprised a ginger could land such a beautiful woman," he said.

Prince Harry said members of the royal family were initially taken aback when he said he was dating Meghan Markle.

In the second episode of the Netflix docuseries "Harry & Meghan," which aired on Thursday, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex detailed the early days of their relationship and what it was like to introduce royal relatives into the equation. Meghan, who is American and rose to fame through her role as Rachel Zane on "Suits," met Harry over Instagram in 2016.

As their relationship became more serious, the couple introduced each other to their respective families and loved ones. Harry said he was met with apparent disbelief from his relatives who were shocked that he was dating Meghan.

"I remember my family first meeting her being incredibly impressed," he said. "Some of them didn't quite know what to do with themselves."

"They were surprised a ginger could land such a beautiful woman and such an intelligent woman," Harry added, referring to the color of his hair.

Buckingham Palace did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.

Harry said that they later became skeptical about whether the relationship could go the distance when they learned about her acting career and involvement in Hollywood.

"The fact that I was dating an American actress was probably what clouded their judgment more than anything else at the beginning," he said, adding that members of the family said that it "won't last."

Meghan said that from the UK standpoint, it was easy for the royal family to look at Hollywood and "typecast" her as a typical American actress.

Volume I of "Harry & Meghan" is available on Netflix, and Volume II will air on December 15.