Meghan surprised Harry by recreating the place they fell in love in their backyard for his 35th birthday
Meghan Markle went the extra mile to make Prince Harry’s 35th birthday special as she recreated the spot in Botswana where they first fell in love in their backyard at Frogmore Cottage, a source has revealed.
Harry turned 35 last year in September, and to make the special day more special, the 38-year-old actress set up a tent and sleeping bags in their garden at their former residence so they could camp out under the stars.
“Last year, for Harry's birthday, Meghan recreated their Botswana camping adventures in their backyard. It's a place that means so much to them — and to Harry in particular — so Meghan wanted to bring that happy place to him on his day so she set up a tent, got sleeping bags, cooked dinner and recreated Botswana where they fell in love,” the insider told PEOPLE.
As per reports, Botswana holds a special place in the heart of Duke and Duchess of Sussex as the two went to Africa together just a few weeks after they first met on a blind date in the summer of 2016. “And then it was I think about three, maybe four weeks later that I managed to persuade her to come and join me in Botswana. And we camped out with each other under the stars. She came and joined me for five days out there, which was absolutely fantastic,” Harry revealed in their 2017 engagement interview.
Again in the summer of 2017, shortly before they got engaged, Harry and Meghan went to Botswana to help Dr Mike Chase of Elephants Without Borders, a charitable organization working to conserve wildlife and natural resources through innovative research, education, and information sharing with all people. During the second trip to Africa, the couple worked close to the elephants while helping in the conservation effort.
Meanwhile, another source has revealed that for their second wedding anniversary celebration that was on May 19, the pair exchanged creatively themed gifts. The Sussexes, who got married on May 19, 2018, at Windsor Castle in London, celebrated their special day in Los Angeles, California, post-Megxit. “They love to do their own take on traditional wedding gifts. The first anniversary was paper, and Meghan wrote out the wedding speech and had it framed for him,” the source said, adding: “This year, they both gave each other gifts based on 'cotton.' Undoubtedly, it was a very creative and romantic gesture as all their gifts are to one another."
As per a wedding website named, The Knot, cotton is a traditional gift. “Cotton's woven threads symbolize how you become more interconnected as time goes on and learn to be more flexible,” the site states.
While a source earlier revealed that the pair spent their wedding anniversary with their son Archie, who recently turned one on May 6. "Today the family is spending a quiet day together,” the source added. This was the first anniversary of the couple away from the royal family. Meghan and Harry stepped down from the senior royal duties in March as the duo wanted to start a financially independent life away from the palace.