Timeline: Follow Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s royal romance through their early milestones

The royal wedding is nearly upon us. Fervor and excitement continue to swell as L.A. girl and former “Suits� actress Meghan Markle draws closer to becoming a member of the British royal family. It seems like only yesterday we were hearing whispers of a rumored romance between Prince Harry and Markle, and now they are days away from walking down the aisle. In preparation for the big day, let’s recap their romance with a look at all the couple’s reported milestones — including when their relationship was revealed, their first public outing together, Markle’s Vanity Fair cover, her first encounter with the royal family, their engagement and more.

OCT. 31, 2016

Relationship confirmed: A budding romance

People magazine confirms through a friend of the prince that Harry and Markle are a couple. The friend tells the magazine that the smitten duo are in the early stages of their relationship and have only been dating for “a couple months.�

Nov. 8, 2016

Kensington Palace issues a statement

Prince Harry’s communication secretary issues a public statement referring to Markle as his girlfriend for the first time. Additionally, the statement describes how Markle has been “subject to a wave of abuse and harassment� by the media. “It is not right that a few months into a relationship with him that Ms. Markle should be subjected to such a storm,� the release reads.

SEPT. 3, 2017

Meeting Queen Elizabeth II

Us Weekly reports that Prince Harry wanted to introduce Markle to the queen. The magazine’s source says that 24 hours after the couple arrives in Scotland on Sept. 2, they pop over to Balmoral Castle, the queen’s summer residence, and that it goes well.

SEPT. 6, 2017

Markle’s Vanity Fair cover

Markle appears on the cover of Vanity Fair’s October issue. In the cover story, titled “Meghan Markle, Wild About Harry!,� Markle gets candid about her biracial background, her career on “Suits,� and, of course, her romance with Prince Harry. “We’re a couple,� she says in the interview. “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.�

SEPT. 25, 2017

First joint public appearance

Prince Harry and Markle attend the wheelchair tennis competition at the Invictus Games in Toronto. The happy couple sit in the front row and exchange whispers and smiles.

NOV. 27, 2017

A royal engagment

Clarence House announces the royal couple’s engagment with a statement saying that the couple, who have been dating for 16 months, will marry May 19, 2018. Hours after they pose for their first photos as an engaged couple, the two take part in their joint television interview. That same day, USA Network confirms that Markle will depart “Suits� at the end of its seventh season as she prepares to retire from acting.

MARCH 6, 2018

A royal baptism

Markle gets baptized into the Church of England in a secret ceremony at the Chapel Royal by the Archbishop of Canterbury. The baptism marks her commitment to the Anglican faith and her next step toward marriage.

MARCH 12, 2018

Commonwealth Day service

As the royal wedding countdown continues, Markle moves closer to being part of the royal family. She joins Queen Elizabeth II and the rest of the royal family in the first official joint engagement at Westminster Abbey for an important interfaith gathering called a Commonwealth Day service.