Suits fan Prince Harry had a crush on girlfriend Meghan Markle two years before romance

Prince Harry is more loved up than ever with girlfriend of 18 months Meghan Markle, but the royal had apparently admired his lady from afar for two years.

The 33-year-old prince, who is fifth in line to the throne, is one of the most eligible bachelors in the world and most would presume he could have any woman he wants – and that he has.

When asked by a friend on a night out who his ideal woman was, Harry is said to have replied: "Meghan Markle from Suits."

Furthermore, his crush on Markle developed two years before the pair even met after watching her star on the US drama series.

LA-born Markle, 36, plays the calm and collected paralegal Rachel Zane on the show, and is known for her polished yet sultry demeanour along with a few steamy scenes since her debut in 2011.

Royal expert Katie Nicholl comes out with the somewhat surprising revelation in Saturday night's Channel 4 documentary When Harry Met Meghan: A Royal Romance, which airs at 9pm.

Fans of the monarchy will be delighted when she says: "He had a crush on Rachel Zane two years before he met Meghan and the reason I know is because I was having drinks with one of his friends.

"She told me she'd been on a night out with Prince Harry. He was single at the time, so she said, 'Harry, who's your ideal girl?' And he said 'Meghan Markle from Suits'."

The romance somehow seems even more special with the revelation that Harry had been a fan of the show. The public had always believed the couple had been introduced by mutual friends at the Invictus Games held in 2016.

It could even be suggested that Harry specifically requested her presence at his paralympic-style sporting event, but that remains to be seen.

Royal sources firmly believe the couple's engagement will be announced after the Queen and Prince Philip's 70<sup>th wedding anniversary on 20 November and a wedding could be expected as early as May or June 2018. British wedding planning website and app Bridebook has already predicted what Markle's engagement ring will look like.

The brains behind the website told IBTimes UK: "Whilst Harry may want to adhere to certain traditions, Meghan has her own very unique, fantastic sense of style. We predict her ring of choice would be traditional, timeless and elegant but with a distinctive, slightly modern twist.

"A large diamond that has been cut and set in a modern way, for example like a marquise or pear shaped diamond which is very popular, could be set with family stones on either side and would suit the modern royal couple beautifully."