Speaking to Vanity Fair magazine, the American actress also revealed she and the fifth in line to the throne were “really happy”.

And while she was willing to say a few words, she also hinted at a desire to keep things as private as possible, saying their relationship was “for us” and “just ours”.

Regarding the media, Markle, who features in drama series Suits, said that while it had “its challenges”, she had a support system around her, including “my boyfriend’s support”.

The 36-year-old actress met Harry, 32, through friends in London in July 2016, and said it was a while before reporters got the story.

“We were very quietly dating for about six months before it became news, and I was working during that whole time, and the only thing that changed was people’s perception,” she told the magazine.

“At the end of the day, I think it’s really simple. We’re two people who are really happy and in love.”

But she admitted their current, relative privacy was unlikely to last.

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“I’m sure there will be a time when we will have to come forward and present ourselves and have stories to tell,”

For the moment, however, she hoped “people will understand that this is our time”.

She added: “This is for us. It’s part of what makes it so special, that it’s just ours. But we’re happy. Personally, I love a great love story.”

She and Harry celebrated her 36th birthday last month in Botswana.

Their happiness has been disrupted by press reports, though.

Last November, Kensington Palace said Markle had been subjected to a “wave of abuse and harassment” by the media.

In a statement, the palace added: “Some of this has been very public – the smear on the front page of a national newspaper; the racial undertones of comment pieces; and the outright sexism and racism of social media trolls and web article comments.

“Prince Harry is worried about Ms Markle’s safety and is deeply disappointed that he has not been able to protect her. It is not right that a few months into a relationship with him that Ms Markle should be subjected to such a storm.”