Halloween Holds Special Meaning for Harry and Meghan Despite Past Upsets

Halloween has always been a special holiday for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, marking moments of celebration and significant turning points in their relationship. Since their romance began, the couple has made Halloween a cherished occasion, especially as they now share the tradition with their children.

Their first Halloween together in 2016, however, was a mix of joy and a pivotal event that changed everything. The couple, joined by Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank, attended a themed party in Toronto. While they were enjoying the festivities, their night took a turn when a “devastating” phone call interrupted their evening. Despite the challenging experience, the holiday remains filled with special memories for Harry and Meghan, told the Mirror.

According to Finding Freedom by Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand, the couple spent a “perfect” evening at Soho House in Toronto, embracing the Halloween spirit. The authors described their excitement: “They especially didn’t feel like spending Halloween weekend in hiding, as there was much to celebrate. Some four months into their relationship, they were madly in love and eager to take part in the fun of one of their favourite holidays. The evening of October 29, with Harry in town, the couple decided to go to a big costume party being thrown at Soho House in Toronto”, via the Daily Record.

However, the mood changed when a newspaper discovered their relationship, and a story was set to be published the next day. The authors wrote, “A cocktail or so into the party, they were both feeling relaxed, absorbing the Halloween spirit. It was possibly the perfect night out – until they received a call from one of Harry’s aides at Kensington Palace. It wasn’t good news.”

Prince Harry later recounted the incident in his memoir Spare, noting how the night became overshadowed when news of their relationship broke. “Everything was rendered moot,” he explained, adding, “Well, we said, staring anxiously at our phones, it was going to happen eventually. In fact, we’d had a heads-up that it was likely to happen that day. We’d been tipped, before heading off to the Halloween Apocalypse, that another apocalypse might be coming. More proof that the universe had a wicked sense of humour.”

Despite the memories of that night, Halloween remains a treasured time for the couple, especially now with their children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet. Meghan shared in 2021 during an appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show how the family celebrated the holiday, although the children were less enthusiastic.

“We were home and we saw you guys, which was great. But no, we wanted to do something fun for the kids and then the kids were just not into it at all. Archie was a dinosaur for maybe five minutes. Not even five minutes,” Meghan revealed. Ellen recalled how Harry persuaded Archie, then two, to wear the costume: “Finally Harry talked him into putting the head on. But Lili was a skunk… it was so cute.” Meghan added, “She was a little skunk. Like Flower from Bambi.”