Montecito, California - Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have been happily married for almost seven years now, and first began dating nearly a decade ago. But in the beginning, the lovebirds had to go to great lengths to keep their blossoming romance a secret!

During a podcast interview shared on Monday, the 43-year-old Duchess of Sussex recalled the start of her relationship with Harry.

Due to the 40-year-old's status as a member of the British royal family, "everything was in code" when the two first got together.

"People didn't know we were dating," Meghan told host Jamie Kern Lima. "I couldn't tell anyone who I was dating, so we were just on a letter basis."

As it turns out, their code names of "M" and "H" have stuck long after they were able to take things public.

Meghan spilled that both she and Harry used the initials, as well as their friends and family.

"I like it. I like nicknames a lot. I love nicknames," the Suits star said.

Meghan and Harry went public with their romance in 2016 and got engaged the following year. After tying the knot in 2018, they welcomed son Archie in 2019 and daughter Lilibet in 2021.