Meghan Markle Suits exit: Long-time fans of the legal drama devastated as final Rachel Zane scenes air

Meghan Markle's exit from Suits has left fans of the legal drama devastated with long-time viewers vowing to stop watching the show following her departure.

The 36-year-old made her final appearance as Rachel Zane in the US legal drama at the end of its seventh season on Wednesday.

In the two-hour finale titled Good-Bye, Zane tied the knot with character Mike Ross, played by Patrick J Adams, in the show which first aired in 2011.

Ms Markle, who was born in Los Angeles, announced shortly after Harry proposed that she would be leaving the USA Network series and her career.

After watching Ms Markle's final episode, fans took to social media to express their disappointment that she will no longer appear.

One fan tweeted: “I don't know if I'm ready to say goodbye to Mike and Rachel,” with another adding: “This show was already falling for me but now that Patrick [Mike] and Meghan [Rachel] are both leaving, so am I.”

Another said: “Enjoyed watching you both from start to finish,” while one fan added: “While I’m pumped that Meghan Markle is getting married to Prince Harry, why can’t she keep filming Suits? The world needs Rachel Zane.”

One distraught fan said: “What minuscule hope I had that #Suits could survive the loss of Mike and Rachel just died a painful, whimpering death.”

Ms Markle has played astute lawyer Rachel in the show since 2011 and confirmed that she would be leaving her role last year as she gave her first television interview with fiancé Prince Harry following their engagement.

Rachel and Mike’s final season seven shows, which were released together, aired on Netflix on Wednesday night.

In Ms Markle’s final episode, Zane walked down the aisle as John Legend's "All of You" played. Ross told her: "From the second I met you, I knew I wanted to be here with you some day -- walking down the aisle arm in arm.”

She adds: "You're the husband I've always wanted and I can't wait to begin our adventure together."

Suits creator Aaron Korsh said he believes the scene was not the last the pair filmed together, but it was moving nonetheless.

"I would say it was emotional. I remember having a really fun talk with Meghan as we were setting up to shoot the wedding and we were just wrapping up our time together," he told industry website Deadline.

It was in November, during her first joint interview with Harry, that Ms Markle confirmed she would close her acting career.

"I don't see it as giving anything up, I just see it as a change," she told the BBC. "It's a new chapter."

Prince Harry and Ms Markle will wed at St George's Chapel, Windsor, on May 19. Suits season eight is currently in production.