Meghan Markle, Prince Harry’s girlfriend and American actress, has received her first seal of approval from the royal family.

However, she has also been warned that joining the firm, as the royals are known, will be nerve-wracking.

Zara Phillips' husband Mike Tindall is the first member of the royals to publicly comment on Harry's year-long relationship with the 36-year-old beauty from the TV legal drama Suits.

Mike, who is married to Harry's cousin, is confident that Meghan will survive the same intense public scrutiny that he experienced after joining the firm.

Mike, a commoner like Meghan, said that joining the royal family comes with a lot of history and is obviously nerve-wracking.

However, he believes that Meghan has been under enough scrutiny and pressure in her day-to-day life, so she will get through it and be fine as long as they are both happy.

Mike and Zara are expected to meet Meghan in the coming months.

Harry is said to be particularly close to fellow royal rebel Zara, who is a horse-riding enthusiast and stunned the royals by piercing her tongue.

Mike also revealed his love for Meghan's hit show Suits, a smooth-talking drama set in a top New York law firm.

Meghan plays Rachel Zane, who is romantically linked to legal hotshot Michael Ross, played by Patrick J. Adams.

Speaking at the 2017 Farm Foods British Par 3 Golf Championship at Nailcoat Hall, Warwickshire, this week, Mike said, ”I'm obviously a big Suits fan, it's a very good show, I will definitely try and get the inside scoop on it.”

Mike's comments are the strongest indication yet that Prince Harry and Meghan could marry.

The actress has already met the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Charles, and last week Harry took his girlfriend on a romantic safari to Botswana to celebrate her 36th birthday.

Meghan had flown to London from her home in Toronto, Canada, after filming the last episode of the latest Suits series.

She is currently planning to move to the UK and give up much of her acting work.

Prince Harry stunned the world when he admitted he was dating Meghan last summer.

They were introduced by mutual friend Marcus Anderson at the private members' club Soho House in London, where Marcus is a director.

Harry was immediately smitten and is said to have wooed Meghan with texts before they agreed a date.

As their romance took off, they met in London several times that month, with Meghan enjoying a prime spot in Wimbledon's Royal Box.

Harry flew to Los Angeles to treat her to a weekend at his best friend's house in the Hollywood Hills.

They were then apart for two months while Harry was in Africa, but Meghan flew to London last September as they could not bear to be apart.

She was the star guest at a shooting party at Balmoral that month, where she met Prince Charles and other royals.

That was followed by a trip to a Cotswolds hotel in October as well as a week-long break at Meghan's apartment in Toronto.

In November, Kensington Palace confirmed their relationship, with a statement saying Harry was worried for her safety.

He confronted the sexism and racism of social media trolls which had left him deeply disappointed that he was not able to protect her.

The statement said Meghan had been subjected to a storm of abuse and harassment and it was not right.

In February, Harry and Meghan were spotted holding hands for the first time in public while out on a date in London.

At the time, pals said the actress had virtually moved into Harry's cottage at Kensington Palace with the couple having been inseparable for weeks.

Their relationship stepped up a level when Harry was reported to have gained the blessing of Meghan's dad Thomas, a TV lighting director.

In May, Meghan made her first public appearance as royal girlfriend when she watched Harry playing polo in Berkshire.

They also attended the wedding of Pippa Middleton and James Matthews.

Last month, a close friend of the prince, former US Marine Kirstie Ennis, told how a wedding was on the cards.

Kirstie, 26, who lost a leg in a helicopter crash in Afghanistan and hopes to compete in the Paralympics, reportedly nodded in response to a question posed by reporters about going to the prince's upcoming wedding.

She then said, “I don't think I'm worried about the wedding, I'm worried about the after-party.”

The 1772 Royal Marriages Act, which was changed in 2013, means that the Queen must give her consent to the weddings for the first six people in line to the throne, Prince Harry is fifth in line.

It took the Queen seven years to meet the Duchess of Cambridge when she was Miss Kate Middleton.

In contrast, the Queen met Princess Diana three years after she had been introduced to Charles.

It has been revealed that Harry and Meghan could have their dream wedding at Westminster Abbey despite the fact she is a divorcee.

Meghan split with her ex-husband, film producer Trevor Engelson, four years ago.

A spokesman for Westminster Abbey said that the Abbey follows the General Senate ruling of 2002.

Since then, it has been possible for divorced people to be married in the Church of England.