Meghan Markle took a heartwarming trip down memory lane this Fourth of July, giving fans a rare peek into a moment that marked the early spark of her love story with Prince Harry.
In a new Instagram post shared on Friday, July 4, the Duchess of Sussex, 43, revealed that the date holds a very special place in her heart—it was the day of her second date with Harry back in 2016. And in true Meghan fashion, she didn’t just drop a detail—she shared it with warmth and charm, along with a couple of meaningful snaps.
“Our second date was the 4th of July 2016 and H brought me cupcakes to celebrate,” she captioned the post. Included in the carousel were red, white, and blue cupcakes fit for the occasion, along with a rare, cozy selfie of the couple enjoying their time together.
Now, nearly a decade later, their Independence Day tradition is still going strong—with their children joining in on the fun. “Now, all these years later, our two children are in on the tradition,” Meghan added, signing off the post with a cheerful note: “Happy Independence Day! May your day be as sweet as these cupcakes 🧁.”
Meghan and Harry’s romance began in 2016 after being introduced by mutual friends. The buzz around their relationship intensified after Meghan confirmed the news herself during a cover interview for Vanity Fair in September 2017.
“We’re a couple. We’re in love,” she told the publication. “I’m sure there will be a time when we will have to come forward and present ourselves and have stories to tell, but I hope what people will understand is that this is our time. This is for us. It’s part of what makes it so special, that it’s just ours. But we’re happy. Personally, I love a great love story.”
That love story led to a royal wedding watched around the world in May 2018 at St George’s Chapel in Windsor. Since then, the Sussexes have expanded their family, welcoming their son Archie in May 2019, followed by daughter Lilibet in June 2021—named after Queen Elizabeth II’s childhood nickname.
After stepping back from royal duties in 2020 and moving to the U.S., Meghan had pressed pause on her online presence. But this year, she made a quiet return to Instagram, slowly re-engaging with her followers and opening up more about her personal journey.
Speaking on the “Aspire With Emma Grede” podcast last month, Meghan reflected on how rejoining the platform has been a source of freedom. “It doesn’t feel like a drag, it feels liberating,” she shared. “I have to look again, what was my intention? I came back, started the account in January of this year.”
Meghan explained that returning to social media has allowed her to reclaim her narrative. “Part of it is just being able to authentically share in real time the things that are happening that I think someone might be able to laugh with or enjoy or be inspired by,” she said.