Prince Harry & Meghan Markle to Tie the Knot Next Spring.
MEGHAN MARKLE, PRINCE HARRY'S FIANCEE: Just an amazing surprise. It was so sweet and natural and very romantic. He got on one knee.</s>PRINCE HARRY, BRITISH PRINCE: Of course.</s>INTERVIEWER: Was it an instant yes?</s>MARKLE: Yes. As a matter of fact, I could barely let you finish proposing and ask, can I say yes now?</s>PRINCE HARRY: She didn't even let me finish. She said "Can I say yes". Then there were hugs and I had the ring in my finger. I was like "Can I give you the ring". She said, oh, yes, the ring.</s>CAMEROTA: Prince Harry's engagement to a biracial American divorced American actress Meghan Markle making waves around the world. Does her engagement signal a shift in the British monarchy. Let's discuss this and so much more with CNN contributor Sally Bedell Smith, author of "Prince Charles: The Passion and Paradoxes of an Improbable Life". Sally, great to have you here.</s>SALLY BEDELL SMITH, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Great to be here, in London of all places.</s>CAMEROTA: Yes, you're perfect, perfect timing. This does seem --</s>SMITH: I timed with my trip. I thought this was going to happen.</s>CAMEROTA: No, come on.</s>SMITH: I did.</s>CAMEROTA: Come on.</s>SMITH: I was over in Thanksgiving and I thought I would stay a next week.</s>CAMEROTA: But how could you know, if Meghan Markle was surprised by the engagement, how could you know?</s>SMITH: I didn't know. It was my best guess, given the anniversary last week and Christmas coming up, I thought it was the perfect moment. Let's put it that way.</s>CAMEROTA: OK. You have a future as a psychic, number one. Number two, given -- look, Meghan Markle is extremely beautiful. She is accomplished in her own right. She does good works. However, given the history, which is nontraditional, doesn't this signal a sea change for the royal family?</s>SMITH: Well, I think it's more of -- yes, in some respects, it is, because she is American and the first American to marry someone in direct line to the throne. I mean, Harry is fifth and soon will be sixth. I mean, the last American who did that was Wallis Warfield Simpson who 80 years ago was universally rejected by the royal family. But I don't think you could find anybody who was more diametrically oppose d to Wallis Simpson than Meghan Markle. She is a woman of -- obviously, it was clear in the interview yesterday, she's a woman of high intelligence, she's poised, she's knowledgeable. She's warm. She is sensitive. She has a history of philanthropic involvement. You know, in every single -- every single category, she is different from the last American who married, in this case, a British monarch. But I think you could see in that clip a few moments ago what struck me is how, you know, their body language, what a deep connection they have.</s>CAMEROTA: Yes.</s>SMITH: They obviously adore each other. They're the sort of couple who can complete each other's sentences.</s>CAMEROTA: Yes, we did see that. I mean, it's hard to imagine a better introduction of them as a couple than that interview. You really got a flavor for their romance and how deeply connected they are and excited they are, at the moment. But one more thing -- I just want to play, obviously, Princess Diana came up. Harry spoke of his mom.</s>SMITH: Yes.</s>CAMEROTA: And Harry spoke of his mom. So, I want to play this for you and for everyone. Listen to this.</s>PRINCE HARRY: As thick as thieves, without question. I think she would be over the moon, jumping up and down, so excited for me, but then probably would have been best friends with Meghan. No, it is days like today when I really miss having her around and miss being able to share the happy news. But with the ring and with everything else going on, I'm sure, she's --</s>MARKLE: She's with us.</s>PRINCE HARRY: I'm sure she's with us, yes, jumping up and down somewhere else.</s>CAMEROTA: Sally, what did you think?</s>SMITH: Well, I thought it was so sweet. Obviously, William said the same sort of thing when he and Kate had their engagement interview. And I think in Harry's case, Princess Diana really loved the United States. She visited a lot. And so, I think she would -- she would probably really approve of the fact that he's marrying an American. Also I think Meghan's causes -- we have to remember she's not -- she's not, you know, a Jane come lately to this. She has been engaged, in serious issues and edgy issues for a long time. And I think Diana would have appreciated that, the kinds of causes that she advocates. And I think she will slip beautifully into the royal trio of Kate and William and Harry and become a royal quartet. And they will really be a powerful force for the array of philanthropic causes that they advocate.</s>CAMEROTA: Yes, it certainly seemed like it. There were a lot of high hopes yesterday as you hear their interview. And it really is a touching moment and inspirational. Sally Bedell Smith, thank you very much. Thanks for being in London for us.</s>SMITH: You're welcome. My pleasure.</s>CAMEROTA: Chris?</s>CUOMO: All right. Big movements in Washington today. Republican senators are looking to clear a major hurdle for their tax plan. President Trump is going to Capitol Hill. He is trying to sell on the tax bill. What can he offer? Where will it lead? Next.