Prince Harry and Meghan Markle announced their engagement yesterday at 10am via a statement posted on Clarence House's Twitter account.

The statement read: "His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales is delighted to announce the engagement of Prince Harry to Ms. Meghan Markle. The wedding will take place in Spring 2018. Further details about the wedding day will be announced in due course.”

Harry's fellow royals poured in to give their congratulations to the couple on their Twitter accounts, included the Queen and Prince Philip, Prince Charles and Camilla and Kate Middleton and Prince William.

At 2pm yesterday Meghan and Harry emerged from Kensington Palace to show off Meghan's engagement ring, which was a huge diamond from Botswana.

Who are Meghan Markle's parents?

Meghan Markle joined her then-boyfriend Prince Harry at the Invictus Games with her mother Doria Radlan in September.  Who'd have thought just eight weeks later the pair would be announcing their engagement on Twitter via the Clarence House account. 

Meghan wore a casual black t-shirt and jeans with a cream duster coat that protected against any slight chill. Her mother wore a pink blouse with a pretty feminine print and large sleeves.

Meghan’s mother Doria Ragland is a yoga-loving therapist, who Meghan credits for her love of the Eastern exercise. Who are the rest of the actresses family?

Meghan Markle’s father is the person who introduced her to life on a film set. Thomas W. Markle, Meghan’s father, is a cinematographer.

The 72-year-old met Prince Harry, 33, during one of his visits to Canada and is said to be “pretty happy” about their relationship. Meghan’s half-brother Thomas Markle Jr said that their father knew about the relationship from the start and met Harry soon after. 

“He first met Prince Harry about six months ago out in Toronto,” her brother told the Daily Mail website. 

“He’s pretty happy about Harry and he’s extremely proud of her. They have an amazing relationship, they're very close and they always have been."

Meghan was introduced to Hollywood when she would accompany her father on set while he worked on TV shows like Married with Children and General Hospital.

On her blog, which Meghan was recently deleted, the actress wrote: “There I was, behind the scenes of a glossy soap opera and a TV sitcom, surrounded by famous actors and their glam teams, multi-million dollar budgets, and crew lunches that always included filet mignon and enough sweets to make you think you were at Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory.” 

Thomas has won a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Achievement in Design Excellence For A Daytime Drama Series.

Meghan’s mother, on the other hand, Doria Radlan, 60, is therapist and social worker.

According to Meghan’s blog, her mother, who is African-American, would take her on holidays to remote and impoverished places - sparking the actor’s interest in philanthropy. 

About her parent’s relationship, Meghan wrote: “I like to think he was drawn to her sweet eyes and her Afro, plus their shared love of antiques. Whatever it was, they married and had me."

A relationship expert recently revealed to Express.co.uk what Meghan Markle needs to do to impress the royal family.

The actress, who is used to the limelight, will need to stay firmly in the background in her new role as royal girlfriend, according to India Kang.

Meghan and Harry are also said to be planning a trip to Africa.

This is the romantic location where the pair will be staying.