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Prince Harry and Meghan Markle engagement: 7 burning questions answered

By Ava Baccari

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Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's romance is showing no signs of slowing down. If anything, the lovebirds are inching closer to the altar every day.

With an engagement possibly in the cards, we've round up answers to some of the most burning questions surrounding their union.

Click through for everything you need to know about a Prince Harry and Meghan Markle engagement...

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What's the protocol for a royal engagement?

As outlined in the Royal Marriages Act 1772, any potential bride for Harry requires the official stamp of approval from his grandmother, the Queen.

"Prince Harry is one of the first six people in line to the throne, so he does need the Queen's permission to marry," says Carolyn Harris, a royal historian and author of Raising Royalty: 1,000 Years of Royal Parenting.

An announcement of the couple's happy news via Kensington Palace would soon follow, though Harry may decide not to host a formal press briefing like the one held after the announcement of his brother Prince William's engagement to Kate Middleton in 2010.

Meghan Markle, who was previously married to film producer Trevor Engelson from 2011 to 2013, will be allowed to remarry in the Church of England. Historically, royals were not permitted to marry divorcees – it was King Edward VIII's decision to marry American divorcee Wallis Simpson that led to his abdicating the throne in 1936 – but that rule was amended with a church ruling in 2002.

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What would Harry and Meghan's titles be?

Keeping with royal tradition, Meghan would adopt a rank based on her husband's title upon saying "I do." So if Harry is made a Duke, Meghan would become a Duchess.

It's likely that Harry could inherit a lesser-known title in the event of a marriage, with royal experts suggesting he could become the next Duke of Sussex (originally conferred to Prince Augustus Frederick, left, son of King George III) or perhaps Duke of Clarence – peerages that haven't been used since the 18th and 19th centuries.

Should Harry keep his current title – His Royal Highness Prince Henry of Wales – his new bride would be: Her Royal Highness Princess Henry of Wales.

While Meghan would technically become a princess by marriage, she would not be titled Princess Meghan – the styling of princess before the first name is reserved for members born into the Royal Family.

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Does Harry have any of Diana's jewellery to give Meghan?

"William and Harry seemed to have decided between them in terms of dividing up key pieces," Carolyn tells HELLO! of their late mother's collection of jewels.

It was always known that Diana's Garrard Jewelers 18-carat oval sapphire engagement ring, which she received from Prince Charles in 1981, would go to William; he gave it to Kate when he proposed in 2010.

"It remains to be seen, if there is an engagement, if we see pieces associated with Princess Diana reappearing."

Of course, Harry may take a page from his grandfather Prince Philip's book and custom design a ring for Meghan himself. The Duke of Edinburgh made the Queen's engagement ring with diamonds from one of his mother's tiaras.

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Who would attend the royal wedding?

Between Harry's inner circle of childhood friends and royal loved ones and Meghan's A-list BFFs, there will be no shortage of high-profile guests to attend their wedding!

The prince has a long-standing friendship with Olym­pic sprinter Usain Bolt and counts British pop stars James Blunt, Ellie Goulding and Joss Stone as close pals, so it’s likely they could receive coveted invitations.

Harry also shares a close bond with Elton John, a dear friend of his late mother, so he would surely be part of Harry’s big day. Meanwhile, Me­ghan has said that her Suits castmates are like "family" so Patrick J. Adams and Sa­rah Raf­ferty would be sure to save the date.

Her close confidante, Quan­tico star Priyan­ka Chopra, would also likely be by her side.

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Where would they live?

Meghan and Harry regularly jet back and forth between his apartment, Nottingham Cottage, at Ken­sington Palace and Meghan's Tor­onto home.

Despite living on opposite sides of the Atlantic, the lovestruck duo spend as much time together as possible, dropping in for quick visits in between their busy work schedules.

When Meghan arrives in London, she spends date nights in with the Prince at his two-bedroom flat, cooking and watching movies to­gether.

But it seems that Harry is readying for a move into a larger apartment on palace grounds, close to where the Cambridges will live this fall. The Prince is said to be overseeing renovations of the royal pad, which previously belonged to his mother and could accommodate his future bride.

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Where would the couple marry?

While William, as heir to the throne, and Kate opted for the traditional pomp and pageantry of a royal wedding ceremony at Westminster Abbey, it's likely that Harry could follow in his late mother Diana's footsteps and marry at St. Paul's Cathedral.

Given Meghan's marital history, it remains to be seen whether the Queen would attend the nuptials and would depend on how the wedding is structured, says Carolyn.

The attitude toward royals marrying divorcees has softened over time, with the most recent example of Prince Charles marrying Camilla Parker-Bowles in 2005.

At the time, the Queen – who, as monarch, is Supreme Governor of the Church of England – was not present at the wedding held at Windsor Guildhall.

Instead, she and Prince Philip attended a service of blessing at St. George's Chapel at Windsor Castle and hosted the reception for the couple.

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Who would design Meghan's dress?

California-native Meghan has become an honorary Canadian since setting up shop in Toronto, where Suits is filmed.

So perhaps she will turn to a local designer when it comes time to selecting her wedding wardrobe. Meghan has already made a marital debut in a Canadian creation, stepping out in a floral maxi dress by Montreal-born designer Erdem Moralioglu to attend Tom Inskip's wedding in Jamaica with Harry.

Should she opt for one of Erdem's flowery, fit-for-a-princess confections on her big day, she will surely win the sartorial approval of the Duchess of Cambridge, who is a fan of his covetable collections and has worn his designs before.

It's likely that Meghan would enlist the help of her best friend, Toronto fashion stylist Jessica Mulroney, to create her perfect fairytale look!

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