'Wild About Harry' - how the famous Vanity Fair cover announced Meghan Markle's romance to the world five years ago this week.

Meghan Markle's interview with Vanity Fair in September 2017 took an unexpected turn when she openly discussed her relationship with Prince Harry, despite the initial agreement to focus on her philanthropy and career. Meghan's decision to speak about her relationship in the interview was not part of the originally planned cautious approach.

Vanity Fair's September 2017 edition cover, featuring Meghan Markle and the headline 'Wild About Harry!'

This candid declaration of being a couple in love likely surprised both the public relations team and Buckingham Palace, as it deviated from the strategy to keep their relationship low-key and private at that time. Tom Bower, suggests that this openness in the interview triggered a sensational reaction and raised questions about whether Meghan was using her relationship with Prince Harry for self-promotion.

This period marked the early stages of Meghan and Prince Harry's relationship, and it was before their official engagement and marriage. The dynamics surrounding their relationship, media coverage, and their transition into public life were complex and closely watched by the media and the public.

Prince Harry and Meghan during an official photocall to announce their engagement at Kensington Palace on November 27, 2017

Meghan Markle's interview with Vanity Fair in 2017, conducted by Sam Kashner, appears to have been a pivotal moment in her public life. Her statements during the interview, especially about her relationship with Prince Harry, took many by surprise, including Buckingham Palace, and led to heightened media attention.

Meghan's comment about their relationship being "our time" and her desire to keep it special and private suggests her intent to protect their personal lives amidst intense public scrutiny. However, as the author Tom Bower noted, this candidness in the interview was unexpected and generated significant media buzz and reactions.

Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, at the Ms Foundation Women of Vision Awards in New York this year

Meghan's claim that she knew little about the British Royal Family before meeting Prince Harry and that she had never looked him up online is her perspective on her life before becoming involved with a member of the royal family. Meghan's background and career were in the entertainment industry, and she might not have been as immersed in royal matters as some others.

Meghan and Prince Harry's relationship, engagement, and subsequent marriage became a global phenomenon, and their journey into the world of the British Royal Family was closely followed and analyzed by the media and the public.

Ninaki Priddy's perspective, as a former childhood friend of Meghan Markle, sheds light on Meghan's longstanding fascination with the British Royal Family.

A 15-year-old Meghan Markle poses in front of Buckingham Palace with childhood friend Ninaki Priddy in 1996

According to Priddy, Meghan's interest in the royal family was not a recent development but something she had carried with her for a considerable time. This interest included having a book about Princess Diana on her bookshelf and expressing a desire to stay in London for an extended period.

Priddy's statement that Meghan wanted to be "Princess Diana 2.0" suggests that Meghan may have seen parallels between herself and Diana, possibly in terms of the media attention, public fascination, and expectations placed on them. The reference to "The Princess Diaries" films, where a commoner becomes part of a royal family, indicates that Meghan had a fascination with the idea of an ordinary person entering the world of royalty.

A young Meghan is shown at an age reaching adolescence in the trailer to her Netflix documentary, Harry and Meghan

Meghan's relationship with Prince Harry and subsequent marriage brought her into the royal spotlight in a way she likely couldn't have anticipated earlier in her life. The complexities of her personal journey, combined with the public's interest in her and the British Royal Family, have made for a compelling and often scrutinized narrative.