A (mostly) evidence-based breakdown of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s rumoured romance

That sound you heard yesterday wasn’t a witch cackling or a werewolf howling. No, it was the sound of a million hearts breaking at the news that Prince Harry of Wales may be off the market. Of course, the future King’s little bro (a.k.a. The Snappy Ginger, a.k.a. The Red Menace, a.k.a. The Hot One) has done his fair share of dating over the years, but this time the fair lady in question has a serious 416 connection. American actress Meghan Markle, best known for her role on the Toronto-shot TV show Suits, has apparently been dating her Prince Charming since they met in Toronto (her current hometown) last spring.

The royal family doesn’t comment on this kind of tawdry gossip, and neither Harry nor Meghan has confirmed or denied. So we went ahead and examined the evidence ourselves.

Exhibit A

The gossip rags are all over this romance

Tabloids are not known for their accuracy (how many times has Jennifer Aniston been pregnant now?), but not all tabs are created equal. The Harry-hearts-Meghan story was originally reported in The Express, a conservative British pub that is more reliable than other gossip rags like The Daily Star et al. Since then, the rumour has been re-reported by People and professional BS detector Lainey Gossip. Royal reliability rating: ? ? ? ?

Exhibit B

The timelines line up

Apparently the future lovebirds met while Harry was in Toronto for the Invictus Games in May and got to know each other better when Markle spent time in London over the summer—she was there at least twice, according to her Instagram. Royal reliability rating: ? ?

Exhibit C

The American knows her British-isms (kind of)

Months before her rumoured royal relationship made international headlines, Markle was quizzed on her knowledge of British slang while promoting Suits in London. The results were…well, not so great, but she did know that chips are called crisps and that the garbage is called the bin, so it wasn’t a total flunk. Royal reliability rating: ?

Exhibit D

The crown jewels

The most compelling evidence of their undying love (or at least a similar taste in jewellery) are the matching bracelets—blue, white and black beads—worn by both Harry and his rumoured lady in various Instagram posts. The Prince has been sporting the low-key wristwear since March, before he met Markle. It may have something to do with one of the charities he supports in Africa. Whatever the case, this bit of evidence is basically one step short of an affirmative press release. Royal reliability rating: ? ? ? ? ?

Exhibit E

Odds are it’s love

British bookies are already issuing odds around the relationship: 5-2 Markle will accompany her Prince to the annual Royal Christmas service at Sandringham, and 6-1 that 2017 will see a royal engagement. That doesn’t make it a sure thing, but the fact that these odds even exist suggest it’s a relationship worth betting on. Royal reliability rating: ? ? ?

Exhibit F

Orange you glad it’s Halloween?

Perhaps this is a stretch, but check out the picture that Markle posted on Instagram yesterday. To some, a fun Halloween snap. To us, a clear declaration of her Orange Crush. Royal reliability rating: ? ?