A smile that could melt the icebergs, the promise of Kate Middleton as a future best friend, and a handful of actual palaces to live in one day would probably be enough for most guys to land a date. But, despite being armed with all of the above, Prince Harry still went above and beyond to woo his wife Meghan Markle, back when the couple first began dating.
Having been originally introduced through a mutual friend for a double date, Harry and Meghan instantly hit it off when they first met in July 2016, and it’s clear that he was keen to make sure the actress didn’t lose interest. The Duke, who’s previously said that he knew the Duchess was The One from the very first time they met, pulled out all the stops with a super romantic gift for Meghan, just days before news of their relationship was first broken by the press.
Back then, Harry was reportedly spotted art shopping for an unnamed "important person," which resulted in him buying a special painting entitled Everybody Needs Somebody to Love by artist Van Donna. His purchase happened in the very same week that their dating became public knowledge. The two-part diptych artwork features a girl and boy walking hand-in-hand in black and white, alongside the title quote in red script. While he didn’t specifically name Meghan at the time, it doesn’t take a genius to figure out that the romantic, swoon-worthy gift probably wasn’t for his grandmother.
An art collector, who spotted Harry at Walton Fine Arts gallery in London, told People: “Harry is one of the regulars in the area and regularly goes into the shops and galleries with his bodyguard, kind of in stealth mode. He was in the gallery for a little while and liked a few things, then settled on the Van Donna. He said he was looking for something for ‘an important person’."
The source added: “It was literally just before anyone heard about Meghan — literally just days before it was announced he was going out with her. At the time nobody knew about Meghan Markle, but if it was for her then it’s a very romantic gesture.
"It’s wonderful that the piece played a small role in their romance. It’s part of the fairy tale," an onlooker added.
Wow, Harry. And I can’t even get a text back.
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