When Prince Harry and Meghan Markle first started dating, many people thought it was an unlikely match. After all, he's British royalty, and she's an American actress. But as it turns out, the couple bonded over something deeply personal: their parents' heartbreak. According to recent reports, Harry, now 38, and Meghan, 42, connected because of the emotional struggles they faced during their childhoods.

A Shared Experience: Growing Up With Parental Heartbreak

Both Harry and Meghan have been open about the challenges they faced when their parents' marriages ended. Meghan's parents, Doria Ragland and Thomas Markle, split when she was just six years old in the mid-1980s. Despite the separation, Doria and Thomas maintained a close relationship as co-parents. Meghan once described how the three of them would spend Sundays together, watching "Jeopardy!" and eating dinner on TV trays. "We were still so close-knit," she said. However, Meghan's childhood friend, Ninaki Priddy, revealed that the divorce was not easy for her. "Sometimes she felt like she had to pick sides," Priddy explained. "She was always trying to make sure each of them was happy. She’d have to relay messages, like, ‘Tell your mother,’ or ‘Tell your father.’ It was tough on her."

Read also:
Marie Osmond Shares Heartfelt Message After Losing Nephew Troy Osmond

Harry, too, experienced a difficult childhood when his parents, Prince Charles and the late Princess Diana, separated in 1992. Harry was just eight years old at the time. While Charles and Diana publicly referred to their breakup as "amicable," Harry has spoken candidly about the emotional toll it took on him and his brother, Prince William. "There was a point where our parents split, and [Prince William and I] were bouncing between the two of them," Harry recalled. "We probably never saw our mother enough or our father enough. There was a lot of traveling, and a lot of fights on the backseat with my brother—of which I’d win. So, there was all of that to contend with, and I don’t pretend that we’re the only people to have to deal with that. But it was an interesting way of growing up."

Support Through Heartbreak: The Role of Diana's Love

Diana’s former royal butler, Paul Burrell, shared how the boys coped with their parents' separation. "It was upsetting for them to watch the fallout of their parents' marriage," Burrell said. "Whenever Diana got upset, they would push notes under her door saying, ‘It will be OK.’ Diana smothered them in love, and they always slept in her room during that time and not the nursery." It's clear that both Harry and Meghan were shaped by their experiences with parental heartbreak, and it's no surprise that they found solace in each other's understanding.

We’re so glad Harry and Meghan found common ground in their shared experiences and built a life together. Their connection proves that even the toughest moments in life can lead to meaningful relationships.

Join our Facebook group for the latest updates on Kate Middleton, Prince William, and all things royal!