While millions of Americans celebrate July 4th as Independence Day, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex mark the day for another special reason that stems back to the early days of their relationship

In the early days of their relationship, Prince Harry charmed Meghan Markle with a small but meaningful token to remind her of her home country(Image: Getty)

It’s a very special day today for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle – and they have double reasons to celebrate. While millions of Americans are marking July 4, the Sussexes are also celebrating the day for another special reason. The early days of their relationship filled with new and exciting adventures – and one such date swept Meghan off her feet as Harry paid homage to her home country.

Recalling the early days of their courtship in his autobiography Spare, Harry wrote of how he first met Meghan after being introduced by a mutual friend. The couple met up for a date at Soho House while Meghan was visiting London, with Harry bringing her a small but meaningful gift

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry had one of their first dates on July 4 in 2016(Image: Instagram/Meghan Markle)

Harry was late to the date, which took place on July 4 2016, which prompted him to bring a small token to Meghan to apologise for his tardiness.

In Spare, Harry recalled: “She walked in, wearing a pretty blue sundress with white pinstripes. She was aglow. I stood and said: I bear gifts. A pink box. I held it forward. She shook it and asked ‘What’s this?’”

“She opened the box. Cupcakes. Red, white and blue cupcakes, to be exact. In honour of Independence Day. I said something about the Brits having a very different view of Independence Day from the Yanks, but, oh, well,” Harry wrote, adding that Meghan said the treats “looked amazing.”

The cupcakes seemed to seal the deal for Harry, as he recalled the wonderful first date with the woman who would become his wife.

Harry brought Meghan American-themed cupcakes to apologise for being late, winning her over in the process(Image: Getty Images)

He said: “Again the conversation flowed, crackled. Burgers came and went, uneaten. I felt an overwhelming sense of Overture, Prelude, Kettle Drums, Act I. And yet also a sense of ending. A phase of my life — the first half? — was coming to a close.”

As the date drew to a close, Harry wrote how he and Meghan had a “very frank discussion” about the future, as they decided to give their new relationship a “proper go” and continue to date long distance while Meghan resided in the US and Harry still called the UK home.

Later that year, Harry invited Meghan to spend a week with him in Botswana, a country that holds a special place in his heart, as he wrote: “For me, it was critical to share it with Meg. We had to get to know each other before the rest of the world, before the media sort of, you know, joined it.”

The couple have continued to celebrate Independence Day since relocating to California in 2020(Image: meghan/Instagram)

Since taking a step back from the royal family in 2020 and relocating to California, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have celebrated July 4th with their children Archie and Lilibet, as the family has stepped out each year to attend parades and events around the US.

In 2022, Harry, Meghan and Archie were spotted at an Independence Day parade at a trendy ski resort in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, and in previous years, Meghan has posted a series of family snaps of the couple and their young children celebrating the annual holiday.