Read the Surprise Letter Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Just Wrote to Their Most Devoted Fan

Prince Harry has a very important BFF named Daphne Dunne, who's an Australian war widow. They first met in 2015 when he was deployed to Australia, and the two have remained close since. Per HELLO!, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex took the time to send a (totally unexpected) letter to Daphne as she just celebrated a very important birthday.

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(Image credit: Trevor Goddard)

For those of you not in the know, Prince Harry has a very important BFF named Daphne Dunne, who's an (adorably sweet) Australian war widow. They first met in 2015 when he was deployed to Australia, and the two have remained close since—Harry made sure Meghan got to meet her when they visited Australia in 2018. Per HELLO!, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex took the time to send a totally unexpected letter to Daphne as she just celebrated a very important birthday.

"Dear Daphne, my wife and I send our warmest wishes to you on the occasion of your 99th birthday on Friday." It went on: "We hope you have a wonderful celebration surrounded by family and friends and that you've managed to escape hospital." (Bawww!)

"Congratulations on reaching this important and impressive milestone before your centenary year next year. Happy Birthday Daphne. Best wishes, Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex."

Apparently, Daphne is suffering a serious illness, but the letter served to brighten her spirits. I love that Harry and Meghan are sending her good vibes to reach the big 100.

Harry and Meghan have made it clear they want to continue the relationship, too. Last time Daphne saw them, the three spent some time chatting and laughing together. Meghan even said, "Hopefully the next time we see you we'll have our little one with us."

Here's a pic of the first time Harry met Daphne while he was deployed in 2015 (they apparently bonded because he noticed the Victoria Cross she was wearing which was awarded posthumously to her husband):

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(Image credit: Chris Jackson)

And here's a close-up of Meghan meeting her in Australia on last year's royal tour:

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(Image credit: Samir Hussein)

I mean, I'm not NOT crying.

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(Image credit: Samir Hussein)
Katherine J. Igoe
Contributor

Katherine’s a Boston-based contributor at Marie Claire who covers fashion, culture, and lifestyle—from “Clueless” to Everlane to news about Lizzo. She’s been a freelancer for 11 years and has had roles with Cosmopolitan and Bustle, with bylines in Parents, Seventeen, and elsewhere. It’s “I go to dinner,” not “Her huge ego,” but she responds to both.