Prince Harry is engaged to be married to US actor and humanitarian Meghan Markle, Clarence House has announced, according to BuzzFeed News.

The statement said: "His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales is delighted to announce the engagement of Prince Harry to Ms. Meghan Markle.

"The wedding will take place in Spring 2018. Further details about the wedding day will be announced in due course."

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge congratulated the couple: "We are very excited for Harry and Meghan. It has been wonderful getting to know Meghan and to see how happy she and Harry are together."

Speaking during a visit to Poundbury, Dorset, Prince Charles told reporters that he was "thrilled" and "very happy indeed" at the couple's news.

Markle's parents, Thomas Markle and Doria Ragland, released a statement through Clarence House and said they were “incredibly happy” at the news.

“Our daughter has always been a kind and loving person. To see her union with Harry, who shares the same qualities, is a source of great joy for us as parents.

“We wish them a lifetime of happiness and are very excited for their future together.”

Markle, 36, has reportedly finished filming her final scenes on the TV drama Suits, which she will be exiting after seven seasons playing paralegal turned lawyer Rachel Zane. The couple met in London through mutual friends in July 2016 and quietly began dating.

Following reports and rumors of a new royal romance, Prince Harry confirmed their relationship in a statement condemning the media's "wave of abuse and harassment" towards Markle in November 2016.