Prince Harry takes girlfriend Meghan Markle to meet the Queen

Prince Harry has reportedly taken girlfriend Meghan Markle to meet the Queen, as speculation continues to mount a royal engagement is on the way.

Markle arrived at the gates of Buckingham Palace last week in a Ford Galaxy with blacked out windows and was discreetly waved through the security gates, The Daily Mail reports.

The teatime meeting, where insiders say the Queen normally enjoys a selection of sandwiches, fruit and scones, reportedly lasted nearly an hour.

The Queen had only returned to Buckingham Palace two days earlier after enjoying her summer break.

The meeting comes just weeks after Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were photographed together in Toronto, where he was attending the Invictus Games.

The couple sat in the front row holding hands as they sat side-by-side watching the wheelchair tennis semi-finals.

They were later snapped sharing their first public kiss while in a private luxury box at the closing ceremony of the games.

In a recent interview with Vanity Fair, Markle confessed her love for Prince Harry, in her first comments about their relationship.

"We're two people who are really happy and in love," she said.

"We were very quietly dating for about six months before it became news, and I was working during that whole time, and the only thing that changed was people’s perception."

"Nothing about me changed. I’m still the same person that I am, and I’ve never defined myself by my relationship."

Earlier this week it was reported the 36-year-old actress quit her job on the television show Suits, which only fuelled the speculation an engagement is on the way.

Her character Rachel Zane has become a fan favourite.