Britain’s Prince Harry Engaged to Meghan Markle

Britain’s royal family has announced that Prince Harry, fifth in line to the throne, is set to marry American actress Meghan Markle.

The highly anticipated official announcement came Monday morning from Clarence House, the office of heir apparent Prince Charles, Harry’s father. The statement said that Harry, 33, and Markle, 36, who stars in the USA Network show “Suits,” had become engaged earlier this month and that the wedding is to take place next spring.

“Prince Harry has informed Her Majesty the Queen and other close members of the family. Prince Harry has also sought and received the blessing of Ms. Markle’s parents,” the statement said.

Queen Elizabeth II and her husband, Prince Philip, “are delighted” with the news, Buckingham Palace said. Harry’s older brother, Prince William, and his wife, the Duchess of Cambridge, said they were “very excited for Harry and Meghan. It has been wonderful getting to know Meghan and to see how happy she and Harry are together.”

The bride-to-be’s parents, Thomas Markle and Doria Ragland, described their daughter as “a kind and loving person. To see her union with Harry, who shares the same qualities, is a source of great joy for us.”

Markle and her royal fiance are to appear in a broadcast interview Monday evening in Britain. They have been dating for more than a year, and their expected engagement has had local media outlets in a lather. At the end of October, the U.K.’s Channel 4 aired a hastily-put-together documentary, “When Harry Met Meghan,” which one critic dismissed as “little more than a Wikipedia entry stretched over an hour.”

The couple plan to live on the grounds of Kensington Palace, in London, after their marriage.

The red-headed prince, who regularly made tabloid headlines in his younger days for his party-boy antics, spent a decade in the British Army and is a vocal advocate for wounded veterans. He has also spoken out recently on mental health issues, recounting the depression he suffered after the death of his mother, Princess Diana, when he was barely into his teens.

Besides “Suits,” Markle has also appeared in “90210” and “Horrible Bosses.” She was previously married to Trevor Engelson, producer of the upcoming series “Heathers.”