We Met at King's: 'King's is truly part of our love story. We are forever grateful that we were brought together.'

Courtney and Henry had their ceremonial wedding last September, exactly four years after they first met. The couple now live in North Virginia with their cat, Doby. Courtney works as a Manager of Industry Relations at the Security Industry Association, while Henry is a consultant at Janes.

A welcome return to campus life

Courtney and Henry were part of the first post-Covid in-person cohort at King’s. They’d both studied undergraduate degrees elsewhere and were eager to return to campus life.

Both were drawn to King’s excellent reputation for war studies and wanted to pursue careers in security and intelligence. Originally from the USA, Courtney was keen to gain an international perspective on security issues. Henry had previously interned at Parliament and wanted to return to London for the academic environment and professional opportunities.

A fleeting first meeting and a night in Tower Hill

Henry and Courtney met at a postgraduate welcome party on 20 September 2021, the first night Courtney moved to London. Across a crowded room, they locked eyes and introduced themselves, before being swept apart by the crowd.

Later that night, Courtney set out searching for the Wetherspoons pub where Henry had gone. After a long walk, searching the many nearby Wetherspoons, she found him near Tower Hill. They talked for hours, crossing into 21 September together.

The next day, Henry asked Courtney on their first date to the Museum of London. Surrounded by centuries of history, they began to write their own story.

Courtney told us: ‘On our first date, Henry and I found out that we had the same birthday! After comparing driver’s licenses, we were convinced it was meant to be.

‘Having spent exactly 8,455 days of our lives without each other, we quickly became inseparable and even ended up sharing one class at King’s.’

Setting their foundations at King’s

Courtney and Henry bonded while studying together at the small library in the Hodgkin Building on Guy’s campus. They fondly remember Lenny the library cat, who would later inspire them to adopt their own Tuxedo cat, Doby. The two would take breaks at Pret a Manger or Borough Market, where they truly got to know each other.

Between lectures and library visits, Henry and Courtney could be found out and about exploring London, taking advantage of the central location of the Strand Campus and their accommodation.

During the Christmas break, they took a road trip across Northern England. A native Brit and hiker, Henry enjoyed introducing Courtney to English history, culture and nature. Both recalled spending most of the journey listening to the Beatles, which inspired the first dance song at their wedding, All You Need is Love.

Other highlights include wonderful memories of the War Studies Ball and graduating together, where the pair’s families finally met in person.

Life together after King’s

After graduation, Courtney and Henry moved in together in North London. They spent a year and a half there, exploring more of London and extensively travelling across Europe.

When Courtney landed her dream job at the Department of Homeland Security, she made the difficult decision to move back to the USA – but not without Henry. Which is when the happy couple made the decision to tie the knot.

‘We got married in London and then got to have a big, white ceremonial wedding in the USA four years to the day when after we first met.

'We feel grateful we could celebrate our love with a ceremonial wedding surrounded by friends and family, including many who travelled from the UK and had become lifelong friends from King’s,’ they told us.

‘King’s didn’t just shape our careers. It shaped our lives. King’s is truly part of our love story, and we are forever grateful that we were brought together.’