Meghan Markle, King Charles and Prince Harry at Royal Ascot in 2018.Photo: Samir Hussein/Samir Hussein/WireImage
Meghan Markle’s August 4 birthday has long been a special date on the royal calendar.
The Duchess of Sussexturns 42 on Friday, andPrince Harryshared the story of whenKing Charlesrealized she was born on the same day as another family member in his memoirSpare, released in January.
In the text, Prince Harry, 38, said the connection came up when he and Meghan visited his father in Scotland at theCastle of Meyduring the summer of 2018, a few months after theirroyal wedding.
“The bond between Meg and Pa, always strong, grew even stronger during that weekend. One night, over pre-dinner cocktails, Fred Astaire playing in the background, it emerged that Meg shared a birthdate with Pa’s favorite person: Gan-Gan,” Harry wrote inSpare,referring to his great-grandmother, the Queen Mother.
“ ’Amazing,’ Pa said with a smile,” he added of his dad’s reaction.
Meghan Markle and the Queen Mother.Kevin Mazur/Getty Images; Hulton Archive/Getty Images
Kevin Mazur/Getty Images; Hulton Archive/Getty Images
“At the memory of Gan-Gan, and the link between her and my bride, he suddenly became buoyant, telling stories I’d never heard, essentially performing, showing off for her,” Prince Harry wrote.
Charles wasfamously closeto his grandmother, who died at the age of 101 in 2002. The two spent much time together while Charles was a child, andhe went on to inheritboth the Castle of Mey and Birkhall Estate at Balmoral Castle from her when she died.
Prince Charles and the Queen Mother in 1969.Fox Photos/Getty
Elsewhere inSpare, Prince Harry touched on how Charles and Meghan clicked when he introduced them for the first time. Harry and Meghan had tea at Clarence House with Charles and Camilla a few months into the courtship, and the Duke of Sussex wrote that the conversation flowed to acting and the arts — an apropos topic, as Meghanstarred onSuitsfrom 2011 to 2018.
Can’t get enough of PEOPLE’s Royals coverage?Sign up for our free Royals newsletterto get the latest updates on Kate Middleton, Meghan Markle and more!
Later, the then-Prince Charles would help them choose the music for their May 2018 wedding day and evenwalked Meghan down the aislewhen her father, Thomas Markle, was unable to make it.
The bride started her walk down the aisle at St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle solo, before meeting the Prince of Wales, as he was known at the time, halfway to the altar. The two were all smiles as they walked down the rest of the aisle together.
As Charles greeted his son, Harry smiled and said, “Thank you, Pa.”
Then-Prince Charles walked Meghan Markle down the aisle on her 2018 wedding day to Prince Harry.Jonathan Brady - WPA Pool/Getty Images
In perhaps an early birthday celebration,Meghan and Harry were spotted getting dinnerat Tre Lune in Montecito on Wednesday.
The Italian restaurant is a celebrity hotspot, attracting famous faces such as Kevin Costner, Kenny Loggins and Kourtney Kardashian and Travis Barker (who may have crossed paths with Meghan and Harry during the night out — the drummer posted a photo on his Instagram story from inside the restaurant on Wednesday).
“From what I gathered, they enjoyed their food and had a nice time,” a source tells PEOPLE.
source: people.com
