Meghan Markle and Prince Harry Bonded Over Heartbreak

Their unique bond stems from their difficult childhoods.

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Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's relationship is akin to a fairy tale in many ways—a successful Hollywood actress meets a British prince and then moves halfway across the world to be with him. And as the royal wedding approaches, we're gradually finding out more about how Prince Harry and Meghan Markle got together.

According to a new report in E!, Prince Harry's friends knew that Markle was the one when he took her camping in Botswana for their third date. The romantic, yet surprising, date, which involved camping "out under the stars in the African bush" was apparently a clear sign to many that the royal had finally met his match.

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(Image credit: Getty Images)

The publication suggests that one of the main factors bonding Markle and Prince Harry together is the fact that they're both "the offspring of couples who fell out of love." Markle's parents got divorced when she was six, while Prince Charles and Princess Diana separated when Prince Harry was eight. As such, the couple has a similar family history, and has experienced what it's like when your parents split up.

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Even though Markle is still close with her mother, Doria Ragland, and father, Thomas Markle, it's clear that she has found a true family with her new fiancé. As Prince Harry said of Markle's first Christmas at Sandringham, it would be an experience "that I suppose [Meghan's] never had."

E! reiterates that, "For Meghan and Harry, their similar struggles seem to have helped cement their connection." Having both experienced familial break-ups as children, their bond is all the stronger, and it explains their keen focus on being a family.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are due to marry on May 19, 2018.

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Amy Mackelden
Contributing Editor

Amy Mackelden is a contributing editor at Marie Claire, where she covers celebrity and royal family news. She was the weekend editor at Harper’s BAZAAR for three years, where she covered breaking celebrity and entertainment news, royal stories, fashion, beauty, and politics. Prior to that, she spent a year as the joint weekend editor for Marie Claire, ELLE, and Harper's BAZAAR, and two years as an entertainment writer at Bustle. Her additional bylines include Cosmopolitan, People, The Independent, HelloGiggles, Biography, Shondaland, Best Products, New Statesman, Heat, and The Guardian. Her work has been syndicated by publications including Town & Country, Good Housekeeping, Esquire, Delish, Oprah Daily, Country Living, and Women's Health. Her celebrity interviews include Jennifer Aniston, Jessica Chastain, the cast of Selling Sunset, Emma Thompson, Jessica Alba, and Penn Badgley. In 2015, she delivered an academic paper at Kimposium, the world's first Kardashian conference.