While Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were dating, the couple went on a romantic New Year’s getaway.

Harry and Meghan visited Norway for New Year’s Eve in 2016 (Image: Karwai Tang/WireImage)

During the early days of their relationship, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle went on a secret trip to Norway to ring in the New Year. In 2016, Prince Harry spent Christmas with his family at the Sandringham Estate in Norfolk, while Meghan spent it with her mother, Doria Ragland, in Toronto where she was filming the TV show, Suits – but they reunited towards the end of the year.

The couple travelled to Tromsø, where it is reported they enjoyed “whale-watching, sunsets in the snow, and watched the Aurora Borealis.” A source told The Sun: “Harry wanted to make this first holiday something [she] will never forget. It wasn’t an obvious choice like a glitzy beach resort or tropical island.

“He’d put a lot of thought into it and wanted to make it as romantic and special as possible.”

The insider added: “Harry wanted to get away from everyone and be totally on their own – just them. The Northern Lights are at their best at this time of year and have been the most amazing for ages. They really have had an unforgettable time.”

In their 2020 book Finding Freedom, royal biographers Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand wrote that “Harry planned a New Year’s trip where they could really get away from it all. He rung up his pal Inge Solheim, a Norwegian adventure guide Harry had befriended during a Walking with the Wounded charity trek back in 2011.

“Inge had gone all out for Harry when he was with [ex-girlfriend] Cressida [Bonas], arranging a top secret 2014 ski trip to Kazakhstan.”

Meghan spent her first Christmas at Sandringham in 2017 (Image: Chris Jackson/Getty Images)

Harry proposed 10 months later in November 2017, and the couple spent their first Sandringham Christmas together the next month.

When Meghan Markle spent her first Christmas at Sandringham with the Firm in 2017, it marked a break in tradition for the family – as the couple were not married.

A few days after the holiday, Harry revealed to BBC Radio 4’s Today show that his then fiancée had a “fantastic” time with his family over Christmas: “The family loved having her there. I think together we had an amazing time.”