Eight Years On Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Share Unseen Wedding Photos and the Most Personal Anniversary Moment Yet

May 20, 2026 by apost team

Eight years ago, on May 19, 2018, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were married at St. George's Chapel at Windsor Castle in a ceremony watched by an estimated 1.9 billion people around the world. The guest list included Sir Elton John, who performed at the reception. The gown was by Clare Waight Keller for Givenchy. The flowers were arranged by florist Philippa Craddock. The vows were exchanged in front of the Queen, the royal family, and a watching world.

Eight years on, the world they occupy looks entirely different. Harry, born Sept. 15, 1984, and Meghan, born Aug. 4, 1981, have left senior royal life behind, settled in Montecito, California, and built something quieter and more private than almost anyone predicted when that chapel fell silent and they became husband and wife. They share two children: Prince Archie Harrison, born May 6, 2019, and Princess Lilibet Diana, born June 4, 2021.

Their eighth anniversary, celebrated on May 19, 2026, was marked the way much of their life together now is — through carefully chosen photographs, shared on their own terms, with their own voices. On the eve of the anniversary, Meghan posted two carousels to Instagram: one featuring never-before-seen photographs from the private evening reception at Frogmore House, including intimate moments from their first dance and a passionate kiss surrounded by guests; a second showing behind-the-scenes images from the ceremony itself, including a rare photo of King Charles walking Meghan down the aisle, seen from behind.

Her caption was simple: "Eight years ago today… ☀️" Photo credit was given to photographer Chris Allerton.

Then, on the day itself, something even more personal was shared.

On May 19, 2026, Meghan posted a series of Instagram stories that offered a glimpse into how the day was actually spent. The first showed their children, Archie and Lilibet, singing 

Happy anniversary to Mama and Papa

— an unscripted moment that landed warmly with fans who have followed the couple since long before the children arrived.

In the next video, Meghan filmed Harry holding a cake — a lemon elderflower cake, the same flavor served at their wedding reception in 2018. As Harry held it, Meghan leaned in, said "I love you," and they kissed. A small voice could be heard off-camera telling them to blow out the candles. Then Meghan showed off the gift Harry had given her: a pair of bronze penguins. The choice was deliberate. Penguins, known for mating for life, have become a personal symbol for the couple.

The anniversary fell just days after Meghan's solo trip to Geneva, Switzerland, where she unveiled the Lost Screen Memorial at the Place des Nations as part of the 79th World Health Assembly — a project focused on children lost to online bullying and digital harm. It also came weeks after the couple's four-day visit to Australia in May 2026, their first trip there since 2018.

Far from the chapel at Windsor, from the billion-strong audience, and from the institution they left behind, the eighth anniversary of Harry and Meghan's marriage looked like what they have always said they were building: a family, a home, and a life on their own terms. The lemon elderflower cake was the same. Everything else had been rebuilt from the ground up.

apost.com

Are you a fan of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle? Do you think the way they celebrated their anniversary shows the life they have built together is stronger than ever? Let us know in the comments and pass this on to your family, friends, and other royal fans out there!

Follow this link if you can't see the photos: https://www.instagram.com/meghan/p/DYgtZzDnN6O/