Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have made their marriage stronger despite a "whirlwind" year, and while 2020 brought on unprecedented challenges for everyone, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex had to deal with personal blows that only brought them closer to each other.
A source close to the couple told Us Weekly that 2020 became a "huge game-changer" for Harry and Meghan. They started the year with their bombshell announcement of leaving their royal roles and then uprooted their lives from London to North America.
While abroad, the pandemic struck and stalled the Sussex pair's plans to launch their new foundation, Archewell. They also had to deal with an unexpected loss when Meghan suffered a miscarriage in July.
But the source said that all these experiences only made Harry and Meghan's marriage stronger. The pair apparently "feel so lucky" to have each other as they weather the ups and downs of their life away from the royal spotlight.
By fall 2020, things started picking up for the Sussexes as they secured a multi-year contract to produce content for Netflix. They've also slowly started building Archewell's online site in October. Harry and Meghan capped off the year with another media deal with the billion-dollar enterprise, Spotify.
During a virtual conference, Harry and Meghan said that the lockdown gave them a chance to witness their only son's first milestones. The Duke of Sussex was happy to share that he and his wife did not miss out on Archie's first steps, first run, or first words because they were mostly at home.
Harry said that, in many ways, staying at home allowed them to actually watch their son grow. If there was no pandemic, they would be likely traveling and working, so they would miss out on all these precious moments.
The time apart from the royal family also helped Harry slowly rebuild his fractured relationship with his brother, Prince William. Sources said that the royal brothers have been having regular virtual calls, especially after Prince Charles and William's COVID-19 diagnosis in the spring.
By the middle of the year, Harry and Meghan could be reunited with the royal family in person as they celebrate several events. Among these are, Prince Philip's centenary birthday in June, the Queen's official birthday with the Trooping the Colour ceremony, and the unveiling of Princess Diana's statue at Kensington Palace in July.
