Prince Harry had one preferred emoji when texting Meghan Markle early in their relationship

Meghan Markle was charmed by Prince Harry‘s frequent use of the ghost emoji in their text exchanges during the early stages of their relationship, it has been claimed.

When the Duke and Duchess of Sussex first started dating, the duchess found her future husband’s use of emojis “funny and adorable”, it states in Finding Freedom, a biography about the couple written by royal journalists Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand.

According to the book, which is due to be published on 11 August and has been serialised by The Times and The Sunday Times, Meghan left a significant impression on Prince Harry after their first date in the summer of 2016.

The duke supposedly told a friend that the former Suits actor was “the most beautiful woman I’ve seen in my life,” People reported.

Having met for a blind date at Soho House in London, Prince Harry texted Meghan later that night when she had returned to her hotel in the English capital.

“His messages were often short and full of emojis, in particular the ghost emoji, which he often used instead of a smiley face,” the co-authors wrote.

“For what reason? Nobody knows. But Meghan found his texting etiquette funny and adorable, just like the prince.”

A source told the authors that the couple were “in their own little world” during their first date, with a friend of Meghan saying that the prince “definitely didn’t hide the fact that he was keen”.

“He wanted her to know he was very interested,” they said, with Meghan and Prince Harry meeting up for a second time the following evening.

In Finding Freedom, a source is reported as saying that the duke was “in a trance” after meeting the duchess.

Six weeks after their first date, the couple went away together to Botswana, in southern Africa.

“We camped out with each other under the stars,” Prince Harry said during their engagement interview in 2017.

“She came and joined me for five days out there, which was absolutely fantastic. We were really by ourselves, which was crucial to me to make sure that we had a chance to get to know each other.”

A spokesperson for the Sussexes explained in a statement that the couple had no involvement in the publication of the biography.

“The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were not interviewed and did not contribute to Finding Freedom. This book is based on the authors’ own experiences as members of the royal press corps and their own independent reporting,” they said.