When Prince Harry proposed to Meghan Markle, it meant he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. Of course, Markle accepted. The idea of another royal wedding got most people excited, especially due to the nature of it. His Royal Highness is breaking all kinds of barriers, marrying an American divorcée who is mixed race and a Hollywood actress.
Couple that with Harry being everyone's favorite royal family member, and it's safe to say they're going to get twice the coverage Will and Kate ever did. Because it's so high-profile, we're getting a glimpse into the newest royal relationship, and we're learning things we never knew!
For example, unless you're a close member of the family, you don't get invited to Christmas dinner. In 2010, Kate Middleton was not invited, even though she and William had gotten engaged one month before. However, this rule can be broken, as Markle will be a guest at this year's dinner.
"In 2010 Kate was not invited to do so after her engagement to William nor was Mike Tindall after his to the Princess Royal's daughter Zara Phillips and only spouses and close family are usually invited," royal family expert, Richard Fitzwilliams, explained. "However Harry and Meghan will be living together at Nottingham Cottage at Kensington Palace and her family are in the United States."
Not everything is that simple, though. Markle is also being prepared for life-threatening situations.
Prince Harry is a trained military combatant, retiring from duty in 2015 after 10 years of service.
Despite his training, he won't always be with future-wife to protect her. That's why the actress will undergo military training from the British Special Air Service, which is standard for royals-to-be.
Kate and Diana underwent the same training, which focuses on how to deal with a hostage situation. According to Scott Jones, director of a security firm in London, the training will last about a week. It will train her how to deliver distress signals if she's held hostage and is forced to record a video. These signals include keywords, micro-expressions, and other behaviors to signify to law enforcement that she is in distress. Markle will also learn some basic psychological techniques to deal with potential captors.
A source from the British Armed Forces says the training won't involve weapons or combat, and will primarily be focused on "facilitating a rescue."
It's unclear as to when the training will take place, but it will most likely be as soon as possible.