Go behind-the-scenes with images from a year in the life of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.
For two years, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have been one of the world’s favorite power couples. From Harry’s commitment to raising awareness about mental health, to Meghan’s advocacy for women’s rights, this royal pair has educated the public about the issues closest to their hearts, all while building their own unique love story across the Atlantic.
“They’re very touchy feely, they hold hands all the time, so they’re very affectionate. They’re very relaxed with each other,” said Shutterstock Staff Photographer, Tim Rooke, who photographed the couple during the year.
In May, 29 million people watched on television as the Prince of Wales and the American actress married, stepping into the roles of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. They’ve just recently returned home from their first major royal tour, and they are expecting their first child in the Spring of 2019. Let’s take a look back at the public events they’ve attended so far this year. For even more of the Royal Family, take a look at our best photos from 2018.
January 9
Meghan and Harry head to Reprezent Radio, an underground music station in Brixton presented by young people and devoted to social causes like mental health, employment, and more.
Photo by Shutterstock
Photo by Shutterstock
January 18
The royal couple travels to Cardiff, Wales.
Photo by Frank Augstein/AP/Shutterstock
Photo by Tim Rooke/Shutterstock
February 1
Harry and Meghan present at the Endeavour Fund Awards at Goldsmith’s Hall, honoring wounded or ill servicemen and women who have participated in extraordinary sports and adventure challenges as part of their rehabilitation.
Photo by Beretta/Sims/Shutterstock
Photo by Shutterstock
Photo by Shutterstock
February 13
For the royal couple, it’s a trip to Edinburgh, Scotland.
“I know she has experience with fame, but I imagine it must be strange to constantly be surrounded by security,” Rooke said. “I think Meghan is doing well with adapting to the Royal family traditions,” Rooke told news.com.au.
Photo by Frank Augstein/AP/Shutterstock
Photo by Frank Augstein/AP/Shutterstock
February 28
Meghan and Harry join Kate and William at the inaugural Royal Foundation Forum, where they discuss their philanthropic goals and interests.
Photo by REX/Shutterstock
Photo by Shutterstock
March 8
Meghan and Harry come out for International Women’s Day in Birmingham. There, Meghan encourages one young woman to follow her dreams of becoming an actress.
Photo by Matt Dunham/AP/Shutterstock
Photo by Pressphoto/Shutterstock
March 12
On the second Monday of March, the royal couple attends the multi-faith Commonwealth Day Service at Westminster Abbey.
Photo by Tim Rooke/Shutterstock
Photo by Tim Rooke/Shutterstock
March 23
Meghan and Harry arrive in Belfast in Northern Ireland for a surprise visit in honor of Amazing the Space, an initiative that empowers young people to promote peace in their own communities.
Photo by Paul Mcerlane/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock
Photo by Press Eye Ltd/Shutterstock
Photo by Tim Rooke/Shutterstock
April 6
Meghan and Harry make their way to the University of Bath Sports Training Village for the UK team tryouts for the fourth annual Invictus Games, a sporting tournament created by Harry for wounded or sick servicemen and women.
Photo by Neil Munns/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock
Photo by Shutterstock
April 18
The royal couple attends the Commonwealth Youth Forum at the Commonwealth Heads of Government meetings in London.
Photo by Shutterstock
Photo by Shutterstock
April 19
As part of the Commonwealth Heads of Government meetings, Meghan and Harry also join host Boris Johnson at the Women’s Empowerment Reception at the Royal Aeronautical Society, where they meet with members of organizations supporting equality and educational opportunities for girls and women.
Photo by Shutterstock
Photo by Shutterstock
April 21
The royal couple meets with servicemen and women from both the UK and Australia during an Invictus Games reception at Australia House before heading to a concert to honor the 92nd birthday of Queen Elizabeth II at Royal Albert Hall later in the evening.
Photo by Ella Pellegrini/Pool/EPA-EFE/hutterstock
Photo by Tim Rooke/Shutterstock
Photo by Shutterstock
April 23
Meghan and Harry honor the life and legacy of Stephen Lawrence, who was brutally murdered at the age of 18 in a racially-motivated attack, as part of a 25th-anniversary memorial service at London’s St. Martin-in-the-Fields church.
Photo by Shutterstock
Photo by Matt Dunham/AP/Shutterstock
April 23
The royal couple observes Anzac Day at Westminster Abbey in remembrance of fallen servicemen and women from the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps.
Photo by Tim Rooke/Shutterstock
May 19
His Royal Highness Prince Henry of Wales weds American actress and philanthropist Meghan Markle inside St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle.
Photo by Shutterstock
Photo by Shutterstock
Photo by Shutterstock
Mandatory Credit: Photo by REX/Shutterstock (9685471ae)
Photo by Shutterstock
May 22
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex come out for a garden party at Buckingham Palace in honor of Prince Charles’s charitable works in anticipation of his 70th birthday.
Photo by Tim Rooke/REX/Shutterstock (9688571ao)
Photo by Tim Rooke/Shutterstock
June 9
The Duke and Duchess join the parade at Trooping the Colour before heading to the balcony at Buckingham Palace in celebration of the Queen’s 92nd birthday.
Photo by Tim Rooke/Shutterstock
Photo by Frank Augstein/AP/Shutterstock
June 16
The royal couple attends the wedding of Harry’s cousin, Lady Celia McCorquodale, and her groom George Woodhouse in Stoke Rockford, Lincolnshire.
Photo by Geoff Robinson Photography/Shutterstock
Photo by Geoff Robinson Photography/Shutterstock
June 19
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, along with the Queen, head to the races for the first day of the Royal Ascot in Berkshire.
Photo by David Hartley/Shutterstock
Photo by Shutterstock
June 26
At Buckingham Palace, the royal couple makes an appearance at the Queen’s Young Leaders award ceremony, with honors given to 61 members of the commonwealth.
Photo by Shutterstock
Photo by Shutterstock
June 30
Harry plays alongside his brother Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, in the Audi Polo Challenge in Ascot, with Meghan and friend Serena Williams there to watch and cheer.
Photo by Shutterstock
July 5
The royal couple head to Marlborough House for the “Your Commonwealth” Youth Challenge Reception. There they connect with young movers and shakers and hear about their initiatives within their communities.
Photo by Shutterstock
Photo by Shutterstock
July 9
In London, Meghan and Harry celebrate the christening of Prince Louis as aunt and uncle.
Photo by Shutterstock
July 10
On the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the Royal Air Force, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, along with the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, the Queen, and Prince Charles and Duchess Camilla, head to Westminster Abbey for a service, followed by a flypast at Buckingham Palace.
Photo by David Fisher/Shutterstock
Photo by Matt Dunham/AP/Shutterstock
July 11
After arriving in Dublin on the 10th, the couple continues their royal visit to Ireland. Their visit includes a meeting with the Irish President and Taoiseach, a sports festival, and trips to important cultural sites.
Photo by Shutterstock
Photo by Shutterstock
July 17
At Queen Elizabeth Hall in the Southbank Centre, Meghan and Harry attend the Nelson Mandela Centenary Exhibition and remember the life and work of the South African revolutionary and Nobel Peace Prize recipient. While there, they meet Mandela’s granddaughter Zamaswazi Dlamini-Mandela and others close to him.
Photo by Shutterstock
Photo by Shutterstock
July 26
At the Royal County of Berkshire Polo Club, Harry plays in the 2018 Sentebale Polo Cup to benefit the organization he co-founded. Sentebale promotes the mental and physical wellbeing of children in Botswana and Lesotho whose lives have been affected by HIV. Meghan was there to support the cause.
Photo by Shutterstock
Photo by Matt Dunham/AP/Shutterstock
August 4
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex attend the wedding of Harry’s childhood friend Charlie van Straubenzee, and Daisy Jenks, taking place at St. Mary the Virgin Church in Surrey.
Photo by Geoff Robinson Photography/Shutterstock
Photo by Beretta/Sims/Shutterstock
August 29
Harry and Meghan spend the evening at a gala performance of Hamilton to raise funds for Sentebale and their life-changing work.
“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,” Meghan told Vanity Fair.
Photo by Dan Charity/AP/Shutterstock
Photo by Dan Charity/AP/REX/Shutterstock (9826948f)
September 4
The royal couple heads to London’s Royal Lancaster Hotel for the WellChild Awards. These awards are given to courageous young people across the UK dealing with illnesses.
Photo by Shutterstock
Photo by Victoria Jones/AP/Shutterstock
September 6
To mark the 100th anniversary of World War I, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex make an appearance at Westminster Central Hall in London for the 100 Days to Peace concert, a gala fundraiser for three organizations supporting the mental and physical health of veterans: Help for Heroes, Heads Together, and Combat Stress.
Photo by Shutterstock
Photo by Shutterstock
September 20
Meghan hosts a party at Kensington Palace for the launch of her charity cookbook Together: Our Community Cookbook. The book highlights recipes from the Hubb Community Kitchen, cooked up by a group of local women to feed families in the wake of 2017’s Grenfell Tower fire.
Photo by Ben Stansall/AP/Shutterstock
Photo by Shutterstock
September 24
At Loughborough University, the royal couple joins the honorees of Coach Core-a program that trains, empowers, and provides opportunities for young people to create positive change within their communities-for some athletic drills.
Photo by DAVID HARTLEY/Shutterstock
Photo by Eddie Mulholland/AP/Shutterstock
October 3
The Duke and Duchess take their first trip to Sussex, their namesake county.
Photo by Shutterstock
Photo by Shutterstock
October 12
Meghan and Harry return to St. George’s Chapel for the wedding of Princess Eugenie and her groom Jack Brooksbank.
Photo by WILL OLIVER/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock
Photo by Shutterstock
October 15
With the Invictus Games coming up in Sydney, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex embark on a 16-day tour through Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, and Tonga. The same day, Kensington Palace makes a big announcement: the royal couple is expecting their first child. In Australia, they receive their first gift for the baby: a stuffed toy kangaroo and a pair of Uggs.
Photo by Phil Noble/AP/Shutterstock
Photo by Phil Noble/AP/Shutterstock
October 16-31
Harry and Meghan continue their royal tour through the end of October, with stops in Dubbo, Melbourne, Fraser Island, Suva and Nadi, Nuku’alofa, Wellington, Abel Tasman National Park, Auckland, and Rotorua.
Photo by Tim Rooke/Shutterstock
Photo by Shutterstock
Photo by Tim Rooke/Shutterstock
Photo by Kirsty Wigglesworth/AP/Shutterstock
Photo by Shutterstock
Photo by Tim Rooke/Shutterstock
Photo by Rick Rycroft/AP/Shutterstock
Photo by Tim Rooke/Shutterstock
Photo by Shutterstock
November 11
Harry and Meghan looking classy as they pay their respects during the WWI Centennial in London.
Photo by Alastair Grant/AP/Shutterstock
November 19
The Royal Variety Performance was a black tie event for Harry and Meghan as the holidays roll around.
Photo by Matt Frost/ITV/Shutterstock
Photo by Matt Frost/ITV/Shutterstock
November 21
Meghan makes a visit to the Hubb Community Kitchen to volunteer serving food to the needy.
Photo by REX/Shutterstock
Photo by Tim Rooke/Shutterstock
December 18
Meghan shows off her baby bump during a visit to Brinsworth House, Twickenham, London.
Photo by Tim Rooke/Shutterstock
Photo by Tim Rooke/Shutterstock
December 19
Harry and Meghan are spotted on their way to the Christmas lunch at Buckingham Palace.
Photo by FACUNDO ARRIZABALAGA/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock
December 25
Meghan and Harry joined Prince Charles, Prince William and Duchess Kate for Christmas services in London.