Meghan Markle and Prince Harry managed to keep their relationship secret for several months when they first got together – but the Duchess of Sussex almost put that in jeopardy

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle managed to keep their relationship under wraps for months, allowing them to get to know each other and fall in love without the pressure the world’s eyes on them.

But once news that they were dating hit the headlines, the US actress found herself thrust into the spotlight. Royal fans wanted to know everything about the talented and beautiful woman who had won over the country’s most eligible bachelor – and where better to look than her popular Instagram page. Meghan’s profile was filled with beautiful snaps, including photos from holidays and nights out with pals.

And it didn’t take long for eagle-eyed fans to spot a few not-so-subtle hints that Meghan had dropped about her new royal boyfriend. One post featured a cute snap of two bananas spooning, which she captioned “Sleep tight xx”. But one of her other pictures contained a much clearer hint, which could have given the game away months before the couple were ready to go public.

The Suits star, who was 35 at the time, posted a snap taken during a trip to Soho Farmhouse in Oxfordshire, which showed the book she was reading alongside her American passport. The photo also showed her wrist, which features a blue, white and black beaded bracelet. While the bracelet didn’t seem overly exciting, some fans recognised it as being very, very similar to one Harry wears.

Meghan Markle shares photo of herself wearing bracelet identical to Prince Harry’s amid rumours of romance (
Image:@meghanmarkle/Instagram)

The bracelet could be seen in a number of other snaps on her feed. Meghan and Harry have since confirmed the timeline of their relationship in their Netflix show and Harry’s memoir Spare, which suggests Meghan may have got the bracelet during their first holiday together.

They travelled to Botswana on their third date, spending five nights camping in the country’s stunning countryside. Harry speaks about the special trip in his memoir Spare, revealing they spend their days going on safari, sitting around the campfire and drinking cocktails made from river water. But mainly they chatted, telling stories and really getting to know each other.

But they had a scare on one of the nights, when an unexpected visitor arrived outside their tent. In his memoir Spare, Harry reveals that an elephant came right up to their canvas home while they were sleeping, causing Meghan to “bolt upright”. But moments later things got even scarier. Harry claims the tent “shook” from a loud roar. Lions. Meghan asked if they were going to be okay, putting her head on his trust. Harry replied: “Trust me, I’ll keep you safe.”