US TV actor Meghan Markle and Prince Harry, sixth-in-line to the British throne, met in July 2016 after they were introduced through friends. In September 2017, she told "Vanity Fair": "We're in love." They married less than 10 months later. In May 2019, Meghan gave birth to their first child, Archie. Now the couple has surprised the world by announcing that they'd leave their functions as royals.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's wedding was the focus of a media frenzy months ahead of the event, held on May 19, 2018. The traditional royal ceremony included for the first time elements of African American culture, such as a gospel choir, in reference to Meghan's roots. Several high profile Hollywood celebrities were among the guests — friends of the former actress.

Prince Harry and Markle were photographed holding hands for the first time in September 2017, during a wheelchair tennis competition at the Invictus Games in Toronto, Canada. The games for disabled or wounded soldiers and veterans were created by Harry.

The youngest son of Prince Charles and the late princess Diana, Prince Henry of Wales — familiarly known as Prince Harry — was born in 1984. His childhood was dominated by his parents' messy divorce and Diana's tragically early death. The family is shown pictured together in 1995, with Harry on the left side next to his mother, and his brother Prince William next to their father.

Princess Diana died in a car crash in Paris in 1997. Harry was only 12 at the time, and his brother William, 15. This iconic picture shows the young princes bowing their heads as their mother's coffin is carried out of Westminster Abbey. The tragic event deeply affected Prince Harry.

Harry publicly revealed how much he had struggled throughout his life. In support of a mental health campaign, he revealed in an interview with the "Daily Telegraph" that he came "very close to a complete breakdown on numerous occasions." He added: "Shutting down all of my emotions for the last 20 years has had a quite serious effect on not only my personal life, but also my work as well."

The impulsive prince appears to have inherited his mother's ability to connect with people, as well as her sense of mischief. Often photographed with different attractive women, he was long labelled a "playboy." He once told Newsweek that he "wanted out" of the Royal Family.

Photographs of him wearing a swastika at a costume party that were published in 2005 caused outrage. That same year, he entered the army, as many other royals have done, and spent 10 years serving in the British forces. He later admitted that his military service "was the best escape I've ever had" from the constant public attention.

Following his military career through which he served twice in Afghanistan, Harry has turned into one of Britain's most popular royals, not just within the country, but globally. Like his mother, he uses his public profile to raise awareness for different causes, including a recent campaign about mental health with William and Kate.

Britain barely knew who Meghan Markle was when her name started appearing on newspapers' front pages in October 2017. Born in 1981 in Los Angeles, as an actor she portrayed a lawyer in the hit TV show "Suits." News coverage on Prince Harry's girlfriend was hard-hitting, however, including comment pieces with "racial undertones" and "outright sexism and racism" online, said Harry's office.

Part of the criticism came in connection with her former marriage with film producer Trevor Engelson, from 2010 to 2013. Markle also had her own lifestyle blog, thetig.com, which she shut down after she came into the royal family's spotlight. On it, she had proudly declared her independence: "I've never wanted to be a lady who lunches — I've always wanted to be a woman who works," she wrote.

Like the prince, Markle does humanitarian work. She's an ambassador for the Canadian charity "World Vision Canada," which works for children in developing countries, and she also campaigns for women's rights with the UN. The actress has a degree in communications.

Britain may have been ruled by Queen Elizabeth II for over 60 years, but the next monarch will most certainly be a king - with Charles, William and George waiting in line. Princess Charlotte (right) - born to William and Kate in May, and being baptized on Sunday, July 5 - is not a likely contender to the throne, but if her uncle Prince Harry is any example, second borns get to have all the fun.

While second-in-line to the Dutch throne after her big sister Catharina-Amalia, Princess Alexia of the Netherlands (right) nonetheless keeps a busy schedule of royal appointments. At the age of 10 she already speaks Dutch, English and Spanish. Outside of Royal duties, the Princess reportedly enjoys horse riding and ballet, and is a keen hockey player.

Before 1990 and the modernizing of Norway's succession laws, Prince Sverre Magnus (right) would certainly have been monarch, but now that job goes to his big sister Princess Ingrid Alexandra. Born in 2005, His Highness has been called charming and cheeky, and inherited the striking Nordic looks of his mum, Mette-Marit, who brought her older non-royal son, Marius (center), into the family.

The royal household of Monaco has always been a crowd-pleaser - with more than its share of flair and scandal. While reigning monarch Prince Albert II has had two children out of wedlock, the birth of twins to his wife Charlene in 2014 confirmed legitimate succession to newly born Prince Jacques…even though he was born two minutes after his twin sister Princess Gabriella.

So far, Princess Victoria and husband Daniel of Sweden only have one child: three-year-old Princess Estelle, heir to the throne after her mother. However, there are rumors the Princess is again pregnant - rumors currently denied by the royal household. Nonetheless, under Sweden's laws of absolute primogeniture, Princess Estelle's succession to the throne is secure even if a sibling were male.

They say two's a crowd, but in the case of the Danish Royal household there are four. Crown Prince Frederik's marriage to Australian commoner Mary Donaldson enchanted millions, and they haven't disappointed on the procreation front. Princess Isabella (left), born in 2007, is the couple's second child following Prince Christian in 2005. Twins Prince Vincent and Princess Josephine followed in 2011.

European royals have a penchant for tongue-twisting monikers, and King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of Belgium didn't disappoint with their second-born, Prince Gabriel Baudouin Charles Marie, His Royal Highness of Belgium. His hearty name is matched with an equally bold coat of arms, replete with three fierce-looking gold lions, chivalrous armory and an opulently bejeweled crown.

Born in 2007, Infanta Sofía of Spain - the full name Sofía de Todos los Santos de Borbón y Ortiz - is the second child of the freshly crowned King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia. She was named for her paternal grandmother, Sofia of Greece and Denmark, and is second-in-line to the House of Bourbon after her older sister, Leonor. Sofía is a direct descendent of Henry IV, aka Henry the Great.