MEGHAN AND HARRY ENGAGED:

PRINCE Harry and American actress Meghan Markle are engaged to be married, with Prince Charles announcing his son’s happy news to the world in London last night.

“His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales is delighted to announce the engagement of Prince Harry to Ms Meghan Markle,’’ the statement said.

“The wedding will take place in spring 2018. Further details about the wedding day will be announced in due course.

“His Royal Highness and Ms Markle became engaged in London earlier this month.

“Prince Harry has informed Her Majesty the Queen and other close members of his family.

“Prince Harry has also sought and received the blessing of Ms Markle’s parents.’’

Prince Charles said the pair would live at Nottingham Cottage at Kensington Palace, Prince Harry’s current home.

The announcement triggered a wave of royal wedding fever across the UK and followed days of intense speculation after Ms Markle was photographed shopping on the Kings Rd in trendy Chelsea on Tuesday with a royal protection officer by her side.

TV stations in Britain switched to wall- to- wall cover- age of the pair and social media lit up with messages of congratulations.

Ms Markle has been moving her two dogs, Bogart and Guy, from Canada to London and has taken possession of a car in the English capital.

Bookmakers had suspended betting on the royal engagement on Thursday night.

Prince Harry, 33, and Ms Markle, 36, had been maintaining a long- distance relationship, flying across the globe between London and Toronto in Canada, where Ms Markle has been filming the TV legal drama Suits. Filming has wrapped on season seven and Ms Markle will not return next year.

Although there has been no formal announcement to this effect, Ms Markle will now give up her acting career to focus on her new life as a royal.

WHAT’S IN A NAME: Meghan Markle will never be known as Princess Meghan but can take the name Princess Henry of Wales. Those who marry into the British royal family are not entitled to be called Prince or Princess in their own right, although they can take the title in conjunction with the name of their spouse. If Ms Markle and Prince Harry have children, they will be entitled to be called Prince or Princess — but only after the Queen has died. Until that time, any of Ms Markle and Prince Harry’s children would be known as Lord or Lady Mountbatten- Windsor. At a pinch, Ms Markle may be able to call herself Meghan, the Princess of Wales but she will most likely be known as Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex.