Every Meghan Markle TV Special Set to Air Ahead of the Royal Wedding

Lifetime, ABC and Fox are all airing specials and movies about Meghan Markle around the Royal Wedding: Here's everything you need to know about the projects

By Tierney Bricker Mar 22, 2018 5:54 PMTags

Markle-mania continues!

Ah, to think Meghan Markle thought she was giving up her acting career after she accepted Prince Harry's proposal and announced she was exiting USA Network's Suits at the end of its upcoming season.

Ever since the countdown to the Royal Wedding began on Nov. 27, 2017, people haven't been able to get enough of Meghan, 36, who has quickly become one of the most famous women in the world. So naturally, networks are scrambling to get any Meghan-related content on their airwaves, leading to a wave of specials and movies about her and her relationship with Prince Harry. (TLC and GSN already aired their respective tell-all specials.)

It can be hard to keep track of them all and what exactly they are offering, so here's a quick breakdown of all of the Markle-related content set to air ahead of the Royal Wedding on May 19. 

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Meghan Markle's Best Looks
Getty Images; Melissa Herwitt/E! Illustration

Meghan Markle: An American Princess (Fox)
Air-date: Friday, May 11 at 8 p.m.
Per the network, the two-hour special will "offer viewers an inside look into the lives of this global power couple straight from experts, socialites and friends intimately connected with the House of Windsor." Set to participate in the special are Meghan's chatty half-sister, Samantha Markle, Piers Morgan, and Princess Diana's former butler, Paul Burrell, among others, including her former classmates and co-stars. 

"Since the early days of the British monarchy, right up to the present, the royal family has captivated the minds and imaginations of people across the globe," Rob Wade, President, Alternative Entertainment and Specials, Fox Broadcasting Company, said. "With Meghan Markle on the cusp of becoming a real princess, joining the likes of Princess Kate and the late Princess Diana, this special will give viewers a unique look and insight into her journey, from her upbringing in Southern California to her wedding to Prince Harry in Windsor Castle."

Courtesy of Lifetime

Harry & Meghan: A Royal Romance (Lifetime)
Air-date: Sunday, May 13 at 8 p.m.
Just like Prince William and Kate Middleton before them, the couple is getting the Lifetime TV movie treatment, with Murray Fraser and Parisa Fitz-Henley portraying Harry and Meghan. Viewers will also see actors take on the roles of Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Charles, Princess Diana, Prince William, Kate Middleton, and Camilla Bowles. Oh, and even Prince George and Princess Charlotte!

Per the network, the film will follow Harry and Meghan "from the moment they met after being set up by friends, through their initial courtship when they were able to keep their romance under wraps, and ultimately the intense global media attention surrounding their relationship and Meghan's life as a divorced American actress."

The Royal Wedding (All the networks!)
Air-date: Saturday, May 19, beginning at 7 a.m. ET
For fans of the royals, a wedding is like the Super Bowl meets the Olympics. Prince William and Kate's April 2011 nuptials attracted an average of 22.8 million viewers in the U.S. alone, with 72 million live streams on YouTube (breaking the Guinness World Record for most live-streams for a single event), so we'll be curious to see the numbers for Harry and Meghan. 

Richard Pohle/The Times/PA Wire

The Story of the Royals (ABC)
Air-date: Set to debut August 2018
OK, so this one technically comes after the Royal Wedding, but still! It's a TV special! The two-night special will focus on the Royal Family as a whole, showcasing the key players among four generations of the crown: Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Charles, Prince William and Prince George.

To whet the appetite for the late-summer special, ABC teased: "Through its many loves, losses, extravagances, challenges and charms, the British royal family has grown into a 21st-century monarchy, and The Story of the Royals will illustrate that evolution as well as examine the American obsession behind all things royal."

Check back with us as more Markle-ous specials are inevitably announced!