She followed the former Kate Middleton's lead, opting not to speak to the press about dating one of the world's most eligible bachelors.
It seems, however, that Meghan Markle's boyfriend has given her his blessing to publicly mention their year-long relationship.
The "Suits" actress is Vanity Fair's October cover girl, and though she she didn't take up the entire feature talking about Prince Harry, there was enough mention of "we" to satiate royal fans.
Markle confirmed to Vanity Fair that she and Harry were introduced through mutual friends in July 2016. After that, the two traveled between Toronto -- where Markle films "Suits" -- and Harry's home base in London.
Im March, Markle was Harry's date to friend Tom Inskip's Jamaica nuptials, and though she did not attend the ceremony, Markle joined Harry at the reception for Pippa Middleton and James Matthews' May wedding, held at the Middleton's home in Bucklebury, England.
“We’re a couple,” she told Vanity Fair contributing editor Sam Kashner. “We’re in love. 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.”
Theirs is not a courtship without controversy, however. Last November, Harry issued a statement addressing "harassment" of Markle, whom he referred to as his girlfriend.
"His girlfriend, Meghan Markle, has been subject to a wave of abuse and harassment," the statement from Kensington Palace read. "Some of this has been very public - the smear on the front page of a national newspaper; the racial undertones of comment pieces; and the outright sexism and racism of social media trolls and web article comments."
Harry was likely talking about an article in the Daily Star, which erroneously crowned Markle "gangster royalty" and claimed she hails from one of Los Angeles' "roughest suburbs, famed for its gangland wars."
What's telling about Markle is her ability to remain tight-lipped about the relationship, a difficult task given how ruthlessly the media has treated her.
“It has its challenges, and it comes in waves—some days it can feel more challenging than others,” she said. “And right out of the gate it was surprising the way things changed. But I still have this support system all around me, and, of course, my boyfriend’s support.”
The 36-year-old sums up her romance with the (soon to be sixth)-in-line to the British throne: “We’re two people who are really happy and in love. We were very quietly dating for about six months before it became news, and I was working during that whole time, and the only thing that changed was people’s perception. Nothing about me changed. I’m still the same person that I am, and I’ve never defined myself by my relationship.”
Does this interview indicate an engagement is on the horizon? Royal watchers were certain Harry would pop the question during the couple's recent vacation in Botswana, but so far there's no sign of a ring.
Read more on VanityFair.com.