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Meghan Markle and Prince Harry Celebrate 6th Wedding Anniversary Following Africa Trip

Happy anniversary to Meghan Markle and Prince Harry!

Shortly after returning home to California after their three-day visit to Nigeria, the Duke and Duchess of Susš“ˆā„Æš“ marked six years of marriage on May 19.

Meghan, 42, and Harry, 39, had their royal wedding on May 19, 2018, at St. Georgeā€™s Chapel in Windsor Castle. The fairytale ceremony was attended by the coupleā€™s family and friends including Queen Elizabeth, Prince Philip, the future King Charles, the future Queen Camilla, Prince William and Kate Middleton. Meghanā€™s mother, Doria Ragland, attended the event and exited the church arm-in-arm with her daughterā€™s new father-in-law, who walked Meghan down the aisle during the ceremony.

Following the church service, Meghan and Prince Harry took a horse-drawn carriage ride around Windsor to greet the crowds gathered along the streets. They then had an afternoon reception in St. Georgeā€™s Hall of the castle before an outfit change ā€” Meghan inĀ a sleek Stella McCartney gownĀ for the occasion and Harry in a tuxedo ā€” for the evening reception.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle on their royal wedding day on May 19, 2018.

 

AARON CHOWN/POOL/AFP VIA GETTY

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InĀ Harry and Meghan, released on Netflix in December 2022, the pair shared never-before-seen photos of the wedding festivities, including their first dance as husband and wife to ā€œLand of 1,000 Dancesā€ by Wilson Pickett.

ā€œI just really wanted the music to be fun. Even our first dance,ā€ Meghan said in the series.

A source told PEOPLE at the time, ā€œIt was a huge dance party, everyone was letting loose and had a blast.Ā Just a fun night and not stuffy at all.ā€

The bookĀ Finding FreedomĀ sharedĀ details on how Meghan and Prince Harry celebrated one year of marriage in 2019 in a low-key way. Doria had traveled to the U.K. to meet her grandchild,Ā Prince Archie, born just weeks earlier on May 6, and they shared a meal together.

ā€œOn the anniversary of their first year of marriage, Harry and Meghan enjoyed a traditional Sunday lunch with Doria, her last meal before traveling back to L.A.,ā€ wrote authors Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand.

Prince Harry also gifted Meghan anĀ eternity ring, which she debuted at Trooping the Colour the following month.

ā€œHarry also surprised his wife of one year with a ring that he had created with the jeweler to the stars Lorraine Schwartz, a favorite of Meghanā€™s,ā€ the authors said.

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry at their royal wedding on May 19, 2018.

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On Tour with Meghan Markle and Prince Harry in Nigeria: Read PEOPLEā€™s Diary!

The Duke and Duchess of Susš“ˆā„Æš“, who are parents to 5-year-old son Prince Archie and 2-year-old daughterĀ Princess Lilibet, traditionally mark their wedding anniversary byĀ exchanging giftsĀ based on tradition.

ā€œThey love to do their own take on traditional wedding gifts,ā€ a source previously told PEOPLE. ā€œThe first anniversary was paper, and Meghan wrote out the wedding speech and had it framed for him.ā€

Canā€™t get enough ofĀ PEOPLEā€™s Royals coverage?Ā Sign up for our free Royals newsletterĀ to get the latest updates on Kate Middleton, Meghan Markle and more!

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle at their royal wedding on May 19, 2018.

 

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On theirĀ second anniversaryĀ in 2020, shortly after they relocated to California after stepping back as working members of the royal family, ā€œthey both gave each other gifts based on ā€˜cotton.ā€™ Undoubtedly, it was a very creative and romantic gesture as all their gifts are to one another.ā€

Leather is a traditional third-anniversary gift, followed by fruits and flowers for four years and wood for year five.

According toĀ The Knot, gifts of iron are traditionally exchanged on the sixth anniversary.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in Nigeria on May 11, 2024.

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Meghan and Prince Harry traveled to Nigeria this month to champion their Archewell Foundationā€™s mental health initiatives for young people and to promote Harryā€™s Invictus Games, which Nigeria joined for the first time last year.

ā€œIā€™m so happy with the growth of Invictus and to include Nigeria,ā€ the Duke of Susš“ˆā„Æš“ tells PEOPLE. ā€œYou know what Africa means to me over the years. It is a very, very special place, and to be able to include Nigeria now [in Invictus], Iā€™m very happy.ā€

For Meghan, the trip also brought her closer to her roots. In 2022, sheĀ discovered through a genealogy test that she is 43% Nigerian.

ā€œIt was incredibly memorable and special,ā€ Meghan says of their time in Nigeria. ā€œThat alone is the best souvenir to take with us ā€” all the memories weā€™ve made.ā€

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry in Nigeria on May 10, 2024.

 

KOLA SULAIMON/AFP VIA GETTY

The parents of two areĀ anticipating more travel opportunitiesĀ to further their initiatives.

ā€œThereā€™s only so much one can do from home and over Zoom, so we look forward to traveling more because the work matters. Whether itā€™s the Archewell Foundation, Invictus or any of our other causes, there will always be reasons to meet the people at the heart of our work,ā€ Prince Harry says.