Harry and Meghan: royal romance crowned by birth of son

The arrival this week of their first child -- a boy shown off to the public on Wednesday -- crowns the whirlwind love story of Prince Harry and his wife Meghan, coming less than three years since they first met.

It was love at first sight for both parties, who quickly sensed their brief blind date could blossom.

They were set up by a mutual friend when US actress Meghan Markle was passing through London in July 2016.

The couple knew little about each other and the speed of the relationship surprised them both.

"The fact that I fell in love with Meghan so incredibly quickly was a confirmation to me that all the stars were aligned. Everything was just perfect," Harry said.

Within two years, they tied the knot at Windsor Castle, sealing a relationship that rapidly grew out of the media spotlight -- and survived when it went public in explosive fashion.

When the couple first met, she was 34 and a divorcee of three years; he 31 with a few foundered relationships and his 10-year army career recently behind him.

Harry had never heard of Meghan or watched "Suits", the US television legal drama series she had starred in since 2011.

"I was beautifully surprised when I walked into that room and saw her," he recalled, and thought to himself: "I'm going to really have to up my game here!" -