Long before Meghan Markle became the Duchess of Sussex, she was Rachel Zane — the ambitious, impeccably dressed paralegal who became one of the most recognizable characters on Suits. And according to a story that emerged shortly before Meghan and Prince Harry announced their engagement, one particularly interested viewer was watching from across the Atlantic.
Harry reportedly had a crush on Meghan for roughly two years before they ever met.
The claim came from royal commentator Katie Nicholl in the 2017 Channel 4 documentary When Harry Met Meghan: A Royal Romance. Nicholl said that one of Harry’s friends had once asked the then-single prince to name his ideal woman.
His reported answer was remarkably specific: “Meghan Markle from Suits.” Glamour
Before Meghan, there was Rachel Zane
Meghan joined Suits when the legal drama premiered in 2011, playing Rachel Zane, a paralegal working at an elite Manhattan law firm. The role lasted seven seasons and turned the relatively little-known actress into an international television star.
Rachel was intelligent, ambitious and polished, but her complicated romance with Mike Ross also gave Meghan some of the show’s most memorable romantic storylines.
The claim that Harry had been watching her years before meeting her came from Nicholl rather than Harry himself, an important distinction sometimes lost as the story has been repeated over the years. Contemporary reports said Nicholl learned about the crush through one of Harry’s friends. E! Online
According to that account, Harry wasn’t merely familiar with Meghan’s name. He supposedly identified “Meghan Markle from Suits” as his ideal woman.
Rare photographs and stills from Meghan’s pre-royal years now look especially intriguing in light of that story. They capture the actress long before palace appearances, royal tours and her 2018 wedding transformed her public life.
Then, in 2016, Harry actually met her
The couple’s real story began in the summer of 2016.
Harry and Meghan later confirmed during their engagement interview that they had been introduced through a mutual friend. Harry recalled being immediately impressed when he saw Meghan in person, saying he realized he would have to “up my game.”
Their first dates took place in London. Then came an unusually adventurous early chapter in the relationship: Harry invited Meghan to Botswana.
The trip happened only weeks after they met.
Away from restaurants, photographers and royal protocol, the pair spent several days camping together. Harry later described that period as crucial to getting to know one another.
Years afterward, Meghan shared a rare photograph from their 2016 Botswana trip, showing the future husband and wife standing in water and embracing, both smiling broadly.
It is one of those photographs that looks very different with hindsight. There was no royal wedding yet, no Duke and Duchess of Sussex and no Archie or Lilibet — simply a new couple several weeks into a relationship that virtually nobody knew existed.
Their secret romance didn’t remain secret for long
By October 2016, reports about Harry and Meghan’s relationship had begun appearing publicly.
The following month, Kensington Palace took the unusual step of issuing a statement confirming that Meghan was Harry’s girlfriend while condemning the harassment and abuse she was receiving.
Meghan later said that the couple had been able to enjoy approximately six months of relative privacy before their relationship became a global story. The Standard
That private period became increasingly fascinating once people learned who Meghan was — and discovered the glamorous Hollywood career she had lived before meeting Harry.
Her old red-carpet photographs resurfaced. Her fashion choices as Rachel Zane were scrutinized. Scenes from Suits suddenly found a completely new audience.
And then came the revelation that Harry may have known exactly who she was all along.
Was Harry really watching Suits because of Meghan?
This is where the famous story requires a little nuance.
The claim that Harry had a two-year crush originated with Nicholl and was widely reported in 2017. She said Harry had become attracted to Meghan after seeing her as Rachel Zane and had subsequently named her as his “ideal girl.” Standard
Harry himself, however, has not publicly confirmed the story in those exact terms.
What he did confirm was the strength of his reaction when they finally met.
During the couple’s 2017 engagement interview, Harry described himself as “beautifully surprised” when Meghan walked into the room on their first date.
Whatever he knew about her beforehand, the meeting clearly worked.
Rare photos capture the transformation
There is something remarkable about placing photographs from these different periods beside one another.
First comes Meghan the actress: premieres, promotional appearances and Rachel Zane on Suits.
Then there is Meghan during those first private months with Harry.
Finally comes November 27, 2017.
That morning, Kensington Palace announced that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were engaged. Hours later, they walked into the Sunken Garden at Kensington Palace together, Meghan wearing a white coat and displaying the engagement ring Harry had designed for her.
The ring itself contained another reference to their beginnings: its large center diamond came from Botswana, while two smaller diamonds came from Princess Diana’s collection.
In May 2018, the actress Harry had first met less than two years earlier walked down the aisle at St. George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle and married him.
Seen today, the rare photos from Meghan’s Suits years and the earliest days of their relationship form an extraordinary before-and-after album.
Before the titles, the royal wedding and the intense public attention, there was an actress playing Rachel Zane — and, according to a royal commentator’s much-repeated account, a prince watching from Britain who had already decided that “Meghan Markle from Suits” was his ideal woman.
