In a rare (yet totally candid) new interview with Vanity Fair, Meghan Markle opened up about dating Prince Harry, and she wasn’t shy about discussing the media scrutiny she’s faced since her relationship with the royal became public in late 2016.
The Suits star appears on the cover of Vanity Fair‘s October issue, and she openly talks about the ways her life has changed since she started dating Prince Harrylast year…and you might be surprised by what she has to say about it all.
Markle says the couple met “through friends” in July 2016, and quietly dated for several months before “it became news.”
The Canadian-born actress swiftly received backlash and media scrutiny when news of their relationship broke last November. As for how Markle is handling it all?
“It has its challenges, and it comes in waves — some days it can feel more challenging than others. And right out of the gate it was surprising the way things changed. But I still have this support system all around me, and, of course, my boyfriend’s support.”
But she is quick to point out that though pretty much everything around her has changed, she’s still exactly the same person she always was.
“I can tell you that at the end of the day I think it’s really simple,” she says. “We’re two people who are really happy and in love. We were very quietly dating for about six months before it became news, and I was working during that whole time, and the only thing that changed was people’s perception. Nothing about me changed. I’m still the same person that I am, and I’ve never defined myself by my relationship.”
Though Markle quickly became a household name (and the most Googled actress of 2016), she says she doesn’t read any of the reports about her.
“I don’t read any press. I haven’t even read press for Suits. The people who are close to me anchor me in knowing who I am. The rest is noise.”
As for speculation about what the future holds for Markle and Harry? She refuses to comment on any of that, but offers only the sweetest of words about her boyfriend:
“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. 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.”
