Harry and Meghan's passion for charity and love for independence meant theirs was a marriage made in heaven
From getting criticized by the media to quitting the royal family to becoming global icons — Prince Harry and Meghan have done it all and more together.
It perplexed royal fans when Harry and Meghan easily overtook Prince William and Kate Middleton in popularity after their wedding, who up till then, enjoyed complete monopoly when it came to dominating the front pages of the newspapers. Suddenly the British subjects were extremely interested in the first bi-racial duchess of the royal family. Labels like "American", "divorcee" and "former actress" also helped enhance the general curiosity surrounding Meghan, the new member of the royal family.
During Harry and Meghan's 'farewell tour' before Megxit when they took part in the Endeavour Fund Awards for the third year in a row, handing out awards to outstanding veterans, servicemen, and servicewomen, royal expert Daniela Elser said that the couple has broken moulds when it comes to their glamour, openness, charm and, most notably, their sexiness.
"When Harry and Meghan married and morphed into Sussexes, they were not only a powerful modernizing force they brought something hitherto unheard of to the royal brand — sexiness," she said. "I don't just mean their good looks, rather they made a hoary institution seem like a truly attractive and appealing prospect. When Meghan took to the stage to present an award, her glow and smile would have melted the coldest of republican hearts. Likewise, when Harry delivered a speech later in the night, charmingly flubbing his lines and speaking with true passion about supporting veterans, he brought authenticity and warmth that was reminiscent of his mother."
In short, Harry and Meghan just seemed to work better as a couple. As they celebrate their second wedding anniversary on May 19, here's a look at all the reasons the Duke and Duchess of Sussex make the perfect couple:
Independent people
Although Harry and Meghan quitting the royal family in 2020 might have come as a shock to many followers, it was predicted as a possibility by a number of experts ever since they tied the knot because of their mutual love to lead independent lives. In fact, it was the fire for independence inside the former 'Suits' actress that attracted Harry to her in the first place.
Meghan was always someone who had the drive to succeed in anything and everything she set her sight on and the energy and "competitiveness" in her seemed to be the thing that attracted Harry to her, body language expert Judy James said. One of the events that left Harry in awe of Meghan was the annual forum of The Royal Foundation, which was originally formed by Harry and William to continue the work of their mother Princess Diana.
People had high expectations from Meghan when she joined the three of them on stage to discuss the aims of the organization. James believed that it was her speech that got Harry hooked. “She came straight off the blocks. Wow, she hit the ground running, it was like a CV," James said. "She showed energy and commitment."
Their love for kids
Both of them have been seen to share an innate love for kids. Apart from the fact that they did not waste much time in starting a family after their wedding, once their son, Archie was born, he became the driving force behind their historic decision to step down from the royal family and move out of the United Kingdom.
"[Harry] wants to shield his son from the negativity and tension he would’ve been exposed to back in England. He knows what it’s like to grow up in the spotlight, and he wants to give Archie the most normal upbringing possible, a royal insider dished out about their decision to Megxit back in March.
The pair have been seen to have a seamless rapport with kids when they are out in the public and some of the projects that Meghan has taken up after her royal exit revolve around kids. She did a voiceover for the Disney movie, 'Elephant', and also was rumored to be working on her first children's book, which delved into her love for animals, including tales of her rescue dog.
Dog lovers
Speaking of animals, both Harry and Meghan are well-known dog lovers. They already have two dogs in the household — a labrador named Oz and Meghan's rescue beagle Guy. When they lived in Canada, after moving from the UK, one of the few times that the pair stepped out of their Vancouver Island mansion was to walk their dogs. It was recently revealed that their son Archie had become really close to the family dogs.
Although Archie was not able to enjoy playdates on his birthday, earlier this month, given the ongoing crisis, he was able to enjoy some playtime with the pet dogs. Royal expert Katie Nicholl called the animals "the family's saving grace" as they have been "very good" with Archie and the toddler has become "very used to them".
Charitable individuals
While supporting multiple charities was ingrained within Prince Harry, he was lucky enough to find someone who was equally charitable at heart as him. Despite severing relationships with the royal family, the couple continues to work with the charities back in the UK. They will continue to receive updates about the organizations they passionately championed during their time as royals, but at the same time will be looking to expand their area of work through their new non-profit organization, Archewell, that they announced back in April.
"They will keep in touch with their charities and the system will be reviewed after a year. By that time I think they’ll be on a financial foothold for themselves, and they will have made more decisions on where they are going to live and what their new non-profit will be," Royal commentator Marlene Koenig said.
Previously, the pair revealed that they "look forward" to getting started with the new foundation that will replace their Sussex Royal brand. The couple also shared that they have plans to incorporate their own charity as well as a website in their new venture. Details about the non-profit have been delayed given the coronavirus pandemic.
Private people
High profile individuals can be public figures with an innate want to keep their personal lives private and none have proved this theory better than Harry and Meghan. As they continue to live in Los Angeles, the couple continues to fight for their right to lead private lives when they are not attending public events or carrying out professional engagements. They have been vocal about how each moment of their personal lives was scrutinized by the media when they were living in the UK, which ultimately led them to file a lawsuit against one of the leading British newspapers and also left them no choice but to quit the royal family.
"It brings me great sadness that it has come to this," he said back in January during a speech at a dinner for supporters at the Sentebale Charity in London. "The decision that I have made for my wife and I to step back is not one I made lightly. It was so many months of talks after so many years of challenges. And I know I haven't always gotten it right, but as far as this goes, there really was no other option."