Speaking with ET, royal expert Katie Nicholl breaks down all the connections the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have to the beloved story.
There's a sweet reason why The Lion King is extra special for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.
ET spoke with royal expert Katie Nicholl on Monday, who explained all the connections the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have to the beloved story of Simba and Nala before Jon Favreau's remake hits theaters on July 19.
"The show means a lot to them as a couple. They had one of their first dates there," Nicholl said, referencing the Broadway version. "Harry has seen the movie, I think, more than 20 times, he has said. They [even] had Elton John singing 'Circle of Life' at their wedding."
The lovebirds attended the London premiere of The Lion King on Sunday, following Meghan's appearances at Wimbledon to support her close pal, Serena Williams. Nicholl told ET that these recent outings are engagements Meghan personally "wanted" to attend, and a surprise to many royal fans who weren't expecting to see her out and about so much during maternity leave.
"It's been a very nice surprise for royal watch that we have seen so much of Meghan. We didn't expect to," she explained. "They're not official working engagements. I think what she's doing is going to, as I was told by a palace courtier, a handful of things that she has wanted to go to, to support Harry, but don't expect to see her really in full work mode until later in September."
For Sunday's premiere, Meghan dazzled in a black Jason Wu dress, black pumps by Aquazzura and a Gucci satin clutch, while Harry complemented her look perfectly in a sharp black tuxedo. On the red carpet, the two met and chatted with Beyonce and JAY-Z. In videos captured at the event, Bey could be heard calling Meghan "my princess," and telling the royal couple that their 2-year-old son, Archie, was "so beautiful."
A source told ET that Meghan was "nervous" to meet Beyonce, while another source explained that the pop star and her husband actually broke royal protocol by arriving after the duke and duchess. According to the second source, the Hollywood couple "completely upstaged" the royals, getting a bigger cheer from the throng of onlookers who had congregated in Leicester Square.
More on that in the video below.
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