Meghan Markle’s Heartwarming Eighth Anniversary Tribute Brings Paula Abdul to Tears

Paula Abdul was left stunned and grateful after Meghan Markle marked her anniversary with a surprise Instagram shout-out.

File this under: unexpected crossover I didn’t see coming. Meghan Markle marked eight years of marriage to Prince Harry with an Instagram post set to Paula Abdul’s 1989 hit Forever Your Girl — and Abdul got genuinely emotional about it.

What happened

• For their 8th wedding anniversary, Meghan posted a simple Instagram tribute to Harry and used Paula Abdul’s Forever Your Girl as the soundtrack.
• The pick hit Paula right in the feels. She told People she was in disbelief, got tearful, and felt flat-out honored that her signature song scored a royal milestone.
• Abdul then reshared Meghan’s post on her own Instagram Story to publicly congratulate the couple.

There’s something very internet-2026 about a throwback pop banger suddenly becoming the audio for a royal anniversary post — and then kicking up fresh attention for a late-80s hit. Abdul, a singer-choreographer who knows a thing or two about cultural moments, seemed genuinely touched by the unexpected nod.

"I pinched myself, and I was like, this is awesome. Well, it’s like I said, you never know. Little gems and moments can come in and just bless your life," Abdul told People. She also described herself as tearful.

Quick refresher: Meghan and Harry married in May 2018, so yes, that does make this the eight-year mark. And while the anniversary post was short and sweet, it doubled as a mini-spotlight on Abdul’s chart classic — which clearly meant a lot to her.

Bottom line: Meghan picked a feel-good track, Paula got a surprise career hug from the algorithm, and the royal anniversary post turned into a pop-culture mashup that made a music icon cry (in a good way).