Late Queen's cryptic nine-word reply to Harry when he asked to marry Meghan Markle

Six years ago to the day, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle said their 'I dos', but it wasn't without a Royal hiccup first.

Harry had to observe an age-old tradition and obtain permission from his late grandmother prior to popping the question to Meghan.

This long standing rule states that the first six in line for the throne must ask their monarch before deciding to get hitched. So, when Harry felt he was ready to step things up with Meghan, he sought blessings from his grandmother before proposing to the former Suits star.

In his memoir titled Spare, Harry candidly shared how he mustered the courage to discuss this matter with his granny - including her somewhat enigmatic nine-word response.

During a family shooting trip in Sandringham, Harry took the opportunity to speak with the Queen once everyone was in high spirits, hoping that she would be in a 'good mood'.

After the shooting session, Harry managed to pull the Queen aside. He recalls his nervousness in the book, describing how he declared his love for Meghan and expressed his intentions of making her his wife.

In a slightly uncomfortable moment documented in the book, he asked: "I've been told that I have to ask your permission before I can propose". To which the Queen asked him back, "You have to? " This left Harry justifying himself saying, that is what he's been informed.

What followed was a suspenseful silence which ended with the Queen giving her consent by stating, "Well then, I suppose I have to say yes."

Harry confessed he was utterly baffled by her response. He pens: "I didn't get it. Was she being sarcastic? Ironic? Deliberately cryptic? Was she indulging in a bit of wordplay?

“I'd never known Granny to do any wordplay and this would be a surpassingly bizarre moment (not to mention widely inconvenient) for her to start, but maybe she just saw the chance to play off my unfortunate use of the word 'have' and couldn't resist".

Harry alleges he stood there trying to decipher what she meant, but then 'realised' she was giving him the green light, describing himself as a 'muppet'. He then expressed his gratitude, saying it was 'fabulous'.

Once Harry had the approval, it was time to design the ring and plan the perfect proposal with Meghan. He selected two diamonds from Princess Diana's collection and one from his cherished Botswana to craft the gold ring.

Harry proposed during a cosy night in at their Kensington Palace residence. The pair cooked a chicken and then ventured outside with candles to sit under the starry sky.

However, Harry nearly let the cat out of the bag with his choice of beverages for the casual weekday dinner.

Discussing his proposal on their Netflix show Harry and Meghan, the prince revealed: "I did pop a bottle of champagne while she was roasting a chicken and that kind of slightly gave the game away. She was like, 'You never drink champagne, what's the occasion? ' And I was like, 'I don't know, I just had it like, lying around".

While setting up the proposal scene, Meghan excitedly phoned a friend, exclaiming: "Oh my God Jess, Jess, it's happening, it's happening. He told me not to peek."

The lovebirds later shared an intimate snapshot of the proposal in their docuseries, capturing Harry on bended knee with a ring box in one hand and their pooch Guy's leash in the other, as a cluster of pristine white roses adorned the floor before him.

Reflecting on the proposal during their engagement interview, Harry recounted: "She didn't even let me finish. She said, 'Can I say yes? Can I say yes? ' and then there were hugs and I had the ring in my hand and I was like, 'Can I - can I give you the ring?'

"She goes, 'Oh yes the ring'. So no it was - it was a really nice moment, it was just the two of us and I think managed to catch - catch her by surprise as well."