It's been almost nine months since Prince Harry sparked dating rumors with Meghan Markle, and as we've reported before, they only continue to grow closer and more serious.
Case in point: An insider close to the red-headed royal told E! News he's "fast approaching" an engagement with the Suits actress...but worry not! We're told they have absolutely no plans to secretly elope.
"It's, of course, very serious and both Harry and Meghan are focused on the future," the insider added. "Engagement talk isn't just between the two of them, even some of Harry's closest aides are quietly expecting news before the end of the year."
No matter the timing, however, a source close to Meghan told us she hopes to keep the engagement news private for a little while, if and when it happens.
"Right now, Meghan is trying to keep her head down, work hard and stay out of the media," the insider explained. "The past few months have been difficult and had its ups and downs with the amount of attention on her future with Harry, engagement talk, wedding talk, etc. She's hoping that if this is something that happens they can keep the news private for a while before having to go public."
This reciprocates recent reporting we got from another source in which we were told Harry and Meghan are in a "solid, strong place" at the moment and are "very future focused."
The insider added, "They talk about their future plans together all the time. There's no doubt that he won't propose before the year is out and it won't come as a surprise to Meghan."
Meanwhile, Kensington Palace first confirmed the couple's relationship in November. Since then, they've taken their romance various places around the world.
Most recently, we confirmed the royal visited her in Toronto mid-June as she filmed her USA TV show Suits. She returned the favor a couple weeks later, flying out to London to visit him at Kensington Palace late last month.
A source told E! News the two were "total homebodies" during her stay.
"They've just been chilling at home," the insider dished. "There's always someone watching or trying to get pics when they go out that they're pretty happy just staying in and doing nothing. They like to cook, watch movies and that kind of thing."
In fact, when Meghan visited Harry at Kensington Palace before, the source told us the two enjoyed Disney's Moana together.
Still, despite dating Harry for months and visiting multiple times on royal grounds, Meghan has yet to attend an official royal event alongside her man. She has, however, been able to spend time with his family and even attended Pippa Middleton's wedding reception in May.