Meghan Markle and Prince Harry were initially able to keep their relationship a secret – but when the news broke one incident left the Duchess terrified.

Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex

Meghan was left shaken up by one incident (Image: Getty)

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were able to savour the early stages of their relationship in relative privacy, allowing their love to blossom away from the public eye.

However, it was inevitable that their secret would eventually be exposed. The moment they had been dreading came to pass during an evening out in Toronto, Canada.

The pivotal event is detailed in the book Finding Freedom by authors Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand. They claim that Meghan contacted a friend shortly after receiving the distressing news.

According to the authors: “One night late in October in Toronto, Harry was happy, and so was Meghan. Until they received a call from one of Harry’s aides at Kensington Palace.

“It wasn’t good news. A tabloid was going to run with the story of their relationship. Their main worry was that her place would be besieged by photographers within 24 hours.

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Solo close up photo of Meghan Markle

Meghan reached out to a friend after news of her romance with Harry broke (Image: AFP via Getty Images)
“They had little time to think because there were only a couple of paparazzi in Toronto but it wouldn’t be long before photographers flew in from New York and LA, all hoping to get that first picture of the happy couple.”

Harry was swamped with calls from his staff, many urging him to return to London due to concerns over his reduced security team.

However, he stood firm and refused to leave. According to Scobie and Durand, Meghan, while apprehensive about the future, felt a sense of relief that she no longer had to deceive her loved ones.

They also revealed that they were bombarded with over 100 messages from former friends and acquaintances seeking juicy tidbits, reports The Mirror.

However, the authors suggest that the true magnitude of the fame that came with dating a member of the Royal Family took Meghan by surprise, leading her to send a particularly anxious message to a friend.