They're happy, and they're in love.

That's the message Meghan Markle wants to send about her relationship with Prince Harry in her first interview about the issue for the cover of Vanity Fair magazine.

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The 36-year-old actress revealed the two lovebirds dated for six months, having met in London in July 2016 through friends, before it became public.

She admitted the media attention on her for dating Harry "has its challenges" but, she said, "it comes in waves - some days it can feel more challenging than others."

"But I still have this support system all around me, and, of course, my boyfriend's support," Markle added.

Last November, Prince Harry made an unprecedented public statement slamming the "wave of abuse and harassment" Markle had to face.

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He criticised “the smear on the front page of a national newspaper, the racial undertones of comment pieces, and the outright sexism and racism of social media trolls and web article comments.”

Despite the public attention, Markle says her relationship with Harry has not changed her.

“I can tell you that at the end of the day I think it’s really simple. We’re two people who are really happy and in love.

"We were very quietly dating for about six months before it became news, and I was working during that whole time, and the only thing that changed was people’s perception."

“Nothing about me changed. I’m still the same person that I am, and I’ve never defined myself by my relationship.”

She carried on saying she hopes to keep her relationship with the prince private.

“We’re a couple,” she said. “We’re in love. I’m sure there will be a time when we will have to come forward and present ourselves and have stories to tell, but I hope what people will understand is that this is our time.

"This is for us. It’s part of what makes it so special, that it’s just ours. But we’re happy. Personally, I love a great love story.”