Kate Middleton Debuts a New Dress in Her Color of Summer

July 2016: Meghan and Harry meet

After initially meeting on Instagram (a classic plot point for 21st century relationships), Meghan and Harry met for a first date in London.

“I was scrolling through my feed and someone who was a friend had this video of the two of them [and Meghan], it was like a Snapchat,” Harry said of is digital introduction to Meghan in the Harry & Meghan Netflix docuseries. He remembers asking himself, "Who is that?"

November 2016: Meghan and Harry reveal they are officially dating

It was an official statement from Kensington Palace that confirmed Meghan and Harry's relationship.

At the time, Meghan faced mass amounts of sexist and racist backlash through the media for her association with the royal family. Kensington Palace denounced the hate in a statement:

“Some of this has been very public — the smear on the front page of a national newspaper; the racial undertones of comment pieces; and the outright sexism and racism of social media trolls and Web article comments,” the statement read. “Some of it has been hidden from the public — the nightly legal battles to keep defamatory stories out of papers; her mother having to struggle past photographers in order to get to her front door; the attempts of reporters and photographers to gain illegal entry to her home and the calls to police that followed; the substantial bribes offered by papers to her ex-boyfriends; the bombardment of nearly every friend, coworker, and loved one in her life.”

Despite the hate, Meghan and Harry persevered as a couple.

September 2017: Meghan shines a light on her relationship with Harry

Meghan revealed even more information about her connection with Harry in a Vanity Faircover story in September 2017.

“We’re a couple. We’re in love,” she told Vanity Fair. “I’m sure there will be a time when we have to come forward and present ourselves, and have stories to tell, but I hope what people will understand is that this is our time. This is for us. It’s part of what makes it so special, that it’s just ours. But we’re happy. Personally, I love a great love story.”

November 2017: Meghan and Harry are engaged

Meghan officially moved to London in the fall of 2017 and the couple announced their engagement not long after.

Harry proposed to Meghan at Nottingham Cottage on the grounds of Kensington Palace with a ring made from two of Princess Diana's diamonds, and she said "yes" on the spot!

An official statement from the palace detailed their engagement further:

“His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales is delighted to announce the engagement of Prince Harry to Ms. Meghan Markle,” it read. “His Royal Highness and Ms. Markle became engaged in London earlier this month. Prince Harry has informed Her Majesty The Queen and other close members of his family. Prince Harry has also sought and received the blessing of Ms. Markle's parents.”

Meghan recalled the moment Harry proposed on the Harry & Meghan Netflix docuseries:

“He’s down on one knee and I was like, ‘Yes!’ I was so joyful and excited. I was like, ‘Ah we’re doing this."

May 2018: Meghan and Harry’s wedding

Meghan and Harry got married at St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle. They admitted a few years later that they had actually exchanged vows three days before they walked down the aisle, for the sake of privacy.

“No one knows that,” Meghan said in an interview with Oprah Winfrey. “We called the archbishop and just said, look, this thing, this spectacle is for the world, but we want our union between us, so the vows that we have framed in our room are just the two of us in our backyard with the archbishop of Canterbury.”

Millions of people tuned in for their televised wedding ceremony on May 19, 2018.

October 2018: Meghan announced her first pregnancy

On October 15, 2018, Kensington Palace released a statement informing the public that Meghan and Harry were expecting their first child the following spring.

The news broke while Meghan and Harry were on a 16-day royal tour through Australia, Fiji, Tonga, and New Zealand. The pair returned home and settled in at Windsor Castle's Frogmore Cottage to start prepping for the baby.

May 2019: Meghan and Harry welcome their first child

January 2020: The couple steps back from their roles in the royal family

After "many months" of deliberation, Meghan and Harry had decided to "transition" from the royal family in early 2020.

In an official statement, they shared their plans to step back as ‘senior’ members of the royal family, become financially independent from Her Majesty, and split time between the United States and United Kingdom.

"This geographic balance will enable us to raise our son with an appreciation for the royal tradition into which he was born, while also providing our family with the space to focus on the next chapter, including the launch of our new charitable entity," the statement read. "We look forward to sharing the full details of this exciting next step in due course, as we continue to collaborate with Her Majesty The Queen, The Prince of Wales, The Duke of Cambridge and all relevant parties."

They moved to the U.S. a couple months later, staying in Montecito, California until they bought a home in Santa Barbara in the summer of 2020.

November 2020: Meghan announced she had a miscarriage with her second child

Meghan admitted she experienced a miscarriage with her second pregnancy, writing in a vulnerable New York Times op-ed essay that the loss of her second pregnancy with Prince Harry felt like “an almost unbearable grief.”

“I knew, as I clutched my firstborn child, that I was losing my second,” Meghan wrote. “Hours later, I lay in a hospital bed, holding my husband’s hand. I felt the clamminess of his palm and kissed his knuckles, wet from both our tears. Staring at the cold white walls, my eyes glazed over. I tried to imagine how we’d heal.”

March 2021: Interview with Oprah

The couple sat down for a very candidinterview with Oprah in March 2021, coming clean on multiple topics that had arose since living in the public eye. From Meghan’s mental health to the dynamic of the royal family – including the racism Meghan had experienced since becoming a member – they spoke honestly.

June 2021: Meghan and Harry welcome their daughter, Lilibet

The pair publicly announced their second pregnancy in February 2021, welcoming their daughter, Lilibet Diana Mountbatten Windsor, a few months later.

Lilibet was born on June 4, 2021 in Santa Barbara, California.

June 2022: Meghan and Harry attend the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee

Meghan and Harry headed to Buckingham Palace for the Queen's Platinum Jubilee, marking their first joint appearance in the U.K. in over two years at that point.

The two weren’t publicly mingling with other senior royalty in attendance, though they reportedly introduced Lilibet to the Queen in private during their trip.

"They aren't part of the [working] royal family anymore, and that's a decision they have taken — but maybe [the public] hasn't quite accepted that yet," a source close to the couple told Peoplein 2022. "Yes, they were low-key. They paid their respects and went home."

September 2022: Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral

Meghan and Harry were called to Windsor Castle on September 8, 2022, shortly after Queen Elizabeth II passed away at age 96.

They briefly reunited with Kate Middleton and Prince William to support the royal family amid the news. According to Kensington Palace, the rare meeting was actually William's idea, with a source noting that it "was an important show of unity at an incredibly difficult time for the family."

December 2022: The Harry & Meghan docuseries drops

The first volume Meghan & Harry Netflix docuseries hit screens on December 8, 2022. The pair addressed their full love story, their new family, and dived deeper on their reasons for distancing from the royal family in the three-part series.

March 2023: Meghan and Harry were told to leave their royal residence in the U.K.

Meghan and Harry were asked to “vacate” Frogmore Cottage in the spring of 2023.

"We can confirm The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have been requested to vacate their residence at Frogmore Cottage," a spokesperson for the couple's Archewell Foundation told People.

January 2024: The truth comes to light about Queen Elizabeth’s blessing for Meghan and Harry’s daughter’s name

An inside source disputed the claim that the late Queen Elizabeth had not given Meghan and Harry her blessing to name their daughter after her known nickname, Lilibet.

“Meghan and Harry 100 percent got permission from the queen to use the name Lilibet,” the insider said. “The report is not true. [Harry and Meghan] don’t know where this is coming from...They’re shocked that this is coming now; it seems out of nowhere and out of left field. They just feel like it’s more of the same spear campaign that continues against them.”

March 2024: Meghan and Harry were in Austin, Texas for SXSW

Meghan was slated to speak on a South by Southwest panel for International Women’s Day 2024, so she and Harry traveled to Austin, Texas.

While they were in Austin, the couple had a date night at Soho House Austin.

“They were happy and in great spirits,” an eyewitness told People. “Harry was very animated throughout the dinner. They were super low key and seemed happy to be around the upbeat vibes at the lively venue.”

A few celebrities and high-profile figures linked to the royal received individual samples of the very first batch of American Riviera Orchard jam, while the actual jars have yet to be listed for sale for the masses online. Tracee Ellis Ross, Mindy Kaling, Tracy Robbins, Delfina Blaquier, and more revealed their jam jars on social media. The first flavor looks to be strawberry!

“Obsessed,” Mindy Kaling wrote in her Instagram Story featuring the strawberry jam.

The label on the jam jar in Kaling’s photo read “19 of 50,” so I assume the first batch was only as big as 50 jars.

Sadly, there hasn’t been any official word yet on when people like you and I (ahem, not royals or celebs) can buy American Riviera Orchard goodies. The brand’s website is currently blank aside from a prompter box to put your email in for updates. ARO’s Instagram account is also void of information – the owner of the account restricted comments altogether while the bio simply reads: “by Meghan, The Duchess of Sussex⁣⁣⁣.”

According to those close to Meghan, the brand’s name draws inspiration from Santa Barbara, California. It’s where she lives with Prince Harry and their two kids, so the location has some personal significance. The city has also been coined “The American Riviera” for over a century, tugging at the themes of opulence and royalty that Meghan’s brand seemingly highlights.

Jam isn’t all Meghan plans to do with American Riviera Orchard. According to New York Post, her business is currently applying for a trademark that could allow them to sell tableware, drinkware, kitchen linens, and foods like jellies, jams, marmalade, and spreads.

What has Matty Healy said about "The Tortured Poets Department"?

When asked what he'd rate his "diss track" from The Tortured Poets Department, Matty admits he hasn't actually listened to that much of the album yet (if he ever will). "My diss track? Oh!" he laughs. "I haven't really listened to that much of it, but I'm sure it's good."

Debbie Dedes, Matty's aunt, speculated right after the album drop that he wouldn't be affected too much by the music. “She writes about all her relationships, doesn't she? I don't think it will come as a shock to him at all,” she tells The Daily Mail. “He's very happy in his new relationship [with Gabbriette Bechtel] so I'm sure he will be focusing on that.”

Is "The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived" about Taylor Swift & Matty Healy?

While Taylor Swift & Matty Healy never publicly dated until 2023, they were friends for years before that. In 2014, Taylor Swift went to her first The 1975 concert with Selena Gomez and Ellie Goulding. Then, Taylor was seen wearing one of their band shirts while Matty was spotted in a 1989 shirt. "I met Taylor Swift," Matty told Shazam Top 20 in November (via E! News). "That was really nice. We exchanged numbers. Let's see what happens."

Matty Healy & Taylor Swift continued referencing each other over the next couple years, and fans lost their minds when Matty revealed he'd collaborated on a Midnights song — even if he went on to say it was cut. After Taylor Swift performed "Anti-Hero" during a 1975 concert, and then split from boyfriend Joe Alwyn split in the spring of 2023, Taylor & Matty quickly connected. They went on to date from May to June. That brings us to "The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived."

In the song, Taylor wonders if "rusting my sparkling summer was the goal" and talks about "your Jehovah's Witness suit" (Matty is famous for wearing suits during his concerts). She also mentions how the relationship "wasn't sexy once it wasn't forbidden" — which totally ties into the themes within "Guilty As Sin?" (about imaginary trysts she thought about while dating someone else).

"[These Matty Healy-focused songs] started out being like 'f*ck all of you, I love him, I’ll fix him, I don’t care what you say' to ending here basically saying 'alright yeah this guy sucks,'" one Reddit user says. "I think the order of these songs plays a huge role in this throughline of that relationship."

"Heavyweight rappers J. Cole, Drake, and Rick Ross all released diss tracks over the last couple of weeks, and none of them were as scathing as this one," another says.

How long did Taylor Swift and Matty Healy date?

While Taylor Swift & Matty Healy officially dated during the summer of 2023, another song on TTPD, "Fresh Out The Slammer" makes me think they connected before then. Referring to her relationship as a jail, she sings about how she's connected with this person before she started dating her ex. "I'm runnin' back home to you // Frеsh out the slammer // I know who my first call will be to." (Does this mean "Illicit Affairs" from Folklore is actually about Matty Healy too?)

What other The Tortured Poets Department songs are about Matty Healy?

It looks like "Fortnight," "The Tortured Poets Department," "I Can Fix Him (No Really I Can)," and "loml" are just a few of the songs that could be about Taylor Swift & Matty Healy's relationship.

The "The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived" Lyrics

Verse 1: Was any of it true? // Gazing at me starry-eyed // In your Jehovah's Witness suit // Who the f-ck was that guy? // You tried to buy some pills // From a friend of friends of mine // They just ghosted you // Now you know what it feels like

Chorus: And I don't even want you back, I just want to know // If rusting my sparkling summer was the goal // And I don't miss what we had, but could someone give // A message to the smallest man who ever lived?

Verse 2: You hung me on your wall // Stabbed me with your push pins // In public, showed me off // Then sank in stoned oblivion // 'Cause once your queen had come // You'd treat her likе an also-ran // You didn't measure up // In any measurе of a man

Chorus: And I don't even want you back, I just want to know // If rusting my sparkling summer was the goal // And I don't miss what we had, but could someone give // A message to the smallest man who ever lived?

Bridge: Were you sent by someone who wanted me dead? // Did you sleep with a gun underneath our bed? // Were you writin' a book? Were you a sleeper cell spy? // In fifty years, will all this be declassified? // And you'll confess why you did it and I'll say, "Good riddance" // 'Cause it wasn't sexy once it wasn't forbidden // I would've died for your sins, instead, I just died inside // And you deserve prison, but you won't get time // You'll slide into inboxes and slip through the bars // You crashed my party and your rental car // You said normal girls were boring // But you were gone by the morning // You kicked out the stage lights, but you're still performing

Outro: And in plain sight you hid // But you are what you did // And I'll forget you, but I'll never forgive // The smallest man who ever lived