Day 2 of Prince Harry’s 15-day trip in the West Indies took an interesting turn on Monday, November 21. The Prince attended a reception in his honor that was hosted by the prime minister of Antigua and Barbuda, Gaston Browne. Harry, however, didn’t expect to hear a mention about his girlfriend, Meghan Markle.
“I understand that there may be a new addition to the royal family very soon,” Browne told the surprised British royal (via E! News). “I am told that there may be a princess, and I just want to say that should you make the decision to honeymoon, then Antigua and Barbuda want to welcome you.”
The prime minister added: “We have been voted consistently as the best honeymoon destination in the Caribbean—and one of the best in the world—so there will be nowhere in the world as special to spend your honeymoon when that day arrives.”
Browne later told reporters that he thought Markle is “a very beautiful looking girl” who makes a “very good looking couple” with the prince. “Yes, I heard about her, and I hear they are speculating that they will now get married,” the leader of the Commonwealth country expressed. “I hope that Harry and Meghan come here for some quiet time very soon.”
Meghan Markle (Credit: Shutterstock.com)
Prince Harry confirmed in early November that he is dating Suits actress Markle. The royal, 32, issued a strongly-worded statement addressing his new romance, however, out of fear for her well-being and safety.
“He feels lucky to have so many people supporting him and knows what a fortunate and privileged life he leads,” read the statement, which was released by Harry’s communications secretary on November 8. “But the past week has seen a line crossed. His girlfriend, Meghan Markle, has been subject to a wave of abuse and harassment. Some of this has been very public — the smear on the front page of a national newspaper; the racial undertones of comment pieces; and the outright sexism and racism of social media trolls and web article comments.”
Markle, meanwhile, released a thoughtful essay this week for Elle UK, alluding to her relationship with Harry from a humanitarian standpoint. “My parents came from little so they made a choice to give a lot: buying turkeys for homeless shelters at Thanksgiving, delivering meals to people in hospices, giving spare change to those asking for it,” she wrote. “It’s what I grew up seeing, so it’s what I grew up being: a young adult with a social consciousness to do what I could and speak up when I knew something was wrong.”
She shared her mission as a celebrity activist. “With fame comes opportunity, but it also includes responsibility,” Markle noted. “To advocate and share, to focus less on glass slippers and more on pushing through glass ceilings. And, if I’m lucky enough, to inspire.”
