For two seasons, fans watched Kit Harington and Rose Leslie's characters fall in love on Game of Thrones.
Behind-the-scenes the 33-year-old actors were also slowly developing feelings for each other. They married and had a child together.
And now, in some very exciting news, the couple are now expecting their second child.
Kit Harington and Rose Leslie in Game of Thrones. Image: HBO.
As the couple prepare to be parents for a second time, following an announcement on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon earlier this month, here's a look back at their relationship.
The couple met on set while filming season two of Game of Thrones back in 2011. Leslie played Ygritte who falls in love with Harington’s character Jon Snow.
Five years later in an interview with Vogue Italia, Harington recalled the moment he fell in love with Leslie while filming the show in Iceland.
"The country is beautiful, because the Northern Lights are magical, and because it was there that I fell in love," he told the publication.
"If you're already attracted to someone, and then they play your love interest in the show, it becomes very easy to fall in love."
In August 2012, rumours began swirling that the actors were dating after paparazzi photos showed the couple holding hands.
But while their characters were falling in love on the show, Harrington confirmed that in real life, he and Leslie were just friends.
"We really get on as friends and we hit it off very quickly when we first met and I think that reflects on-screen, because we've got a good dialogue going on off-screen," he told Winter is Coming reporter Simone Boyce in 2013.
Nonetheless, the rumours continued, leading Harrington to publicly address them for the first time in 2014.
"Me and Rose are very, very close and very good friends," he said. "And continue to be, actually. She's wonderful. But no, no love affair," he told The Standard.
For the next two years, speculation about their apparent relationship continued until the couple eventually made their red carpet debut together at the Olivier Awards in London in 2016.
Since then, the actors have continued to keep their relationship relatively private.
Rose Leslie and Kit Harington at the Olivier Awards in 2016. Image: Getty. Their engagement and discovery about their family history. In 2017, the couple announced they were engaged in a very cute way. They decided to share the news in a traditional style post in The Times of London.
"The engagement is announced between Kit, younger son of David and Deborah Harington of Worcestershire, and Rose, middle daughter of Sebastian and Candy Leslie of Aberdeenshire," the newspaper post read.
There’s going to be a Game of Thrones wedding pic.twitter.com/8UGGMCh9GH
— Elliot Wagland (@elliotwagland) September 27, 2017
Harington later shared that he planned a big surprise for the proposal but ended up ditching his plan at a moment's notice.
"I was going to string up some lights in some trees and do all the romantic stuff," he said on The Jonathan Ross Show in 2017.
"But we were in the country and we were under this beautiful night sky and had a log fire burning and red wine. I blew my load early," he said, before realising how it came across.
"What I meant to say was, I popped my question a bit early."
But days after announcing their engagement, the internet discovered some... interesting information about the love birds. They are sorta, kinda, definitely related.
According to Wikipedia, Harington is a direct descendant of King Charles II of England. And oddly enough, Leslie is also a direct descendant of the very same King.
Considering King Charles II ruled from 1649 until 1660 (aka over 300 years ago), it’s more than likely that the couple are only distantly, distantly related. But still, it was enough to get Game of Thrones fans talking.
Kit and Rose are related now that's like a true Targaryen 😂😂
— No One (@thisweirdlife) September 29, 2017
Alas, that didn't stop the couple from tying the knot in Scotland in 2018, alongside their fellow Game of Thrones cast members.
Kit Harrington and Rose Leslie on their wedding day, 2018. Image: Getty.
Just five months after saying 'I do', Russian model Olga Vlaslova claimed she had an affair with Harrington after they met in Luxembourg in 2017 when he was engaged to Leslie.
Vlasova even shared a nude photo of a man who she claimed was Harington on social media.
The actor's representative later denied the allegations in a statement.
"The allegations in this story are completely false," the statement read. "[Harington] has never even been to Luxembourg nor has he ever met Olga Vlasova."
Despite the rumours, the couple looked loved up at the Game of Thrones final season premiere in New York City.
Rose Leslie and Kit Harington at the Game of Thrones premiere. Image: Getty.
In January 2019, Harrington told GQ Australia that he liked the idea that one day his children will watch how him and Leslie met on Game of Thrones.
"I have no idea if we will, but say me and Rose do have children. They'll know. They'll be able to see the genesis of their parents getting together. Which is quite a wonderful thought, really."
In February 2021, the pair welcomed their first child.
"They have had a baby boy and are very, very happy," Harington’s rep confirmed to US Weekly.
Earlier this month, the actor told Jimmy Fallon he and Leslie were expecting another by saying his son is "about to get the shock of his life."
"Which is that he's about to get a brother or sister," Harington continued.
Watch Kit Harington on The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon. Story continues below.
"I'm terrified," the actor admitted. "You know, with the first baby you're like walking on clouds and dancing through fields of daisies for nine months - well, the man is anyway. But this time, the reality check comes much shorter. You get practical real quick."
When asked what his oldest son thinks of a new baby entering the family, the Game Of Thrones actor said he didn't "quite conceptually" understand.
"We're trying to get him ready for it," he said. "We point to Rose's tummy and we say, 'Mommy's baby, mommy's baby.' And he points to his tummy and goes, 'My baby.' I'm quite sure that's - yeah, you'll know soon enough."
Leslie and Harrington's son, who is now two years old, is "quite smart" according to the actor.
"It's surprising, seeing as we're both actors," he admitted. "We're like, we're not sure quite where that's come from ... He likes applause. Every time he does something good, we give him applause, and we're worrying that's kind of pushing him towards acting. We're a bit like, 'Eh, you might be too smart for this. Go save the word, we're sick, we had no choice.'"
This article was published on February 2, 2020 and has since been updated with new information.
Feature Image: Getty.
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