Rachel Meghan Markle was born on 4 August 1981 in Los Angeles, California’s West Park Hospital to Doria (a therapist and social worker) and Thomas W. Markle. She is of mixed-race with her mother being African-American and her father being of Dutch and Irish descent. Meghan is the youngest of Thomas Markle’s three children and the only child of Doria. She has an older half-sister, Samantha and an older half-brother, Thomas Jr.
Meghan found her love for acting at a young age. With her father being an Emmy Award-winning director of photography, she spent many years on the set of the television show Married… With Children.
Meghan with her cast mates from Suits. Photo: Genevieve/CC BY 2.0/Flickr
Having been educated at private schools her entire life (including Hollywood Little Red Schoolhouse and the all-girls Catholic Immaculate Heart High School), Meghan graduated in 2003 with a double major in Theater and International Relations from Northwestern University close to Chicago, Illinois. During her time at university, she interned at the United States Embassy in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and studied for a semester in Spain. As a result, Meghan has said that she can now speak Spanish. She also studied French for eight years but has called her knowledge in the language “deplorable.”
Meghan is an accomplished actress having worked on shows such as General Hospital, Fringe, Castle and, most notably, Suits where she played character Rachel Zane for seven seasons. In addition to television, she has also had small roles in a few movies including Horrible Bosses, Remember Me and Get Him to the Greek. She also starred in two made-for-tv Hallmark movies Dater’s Handbook and When Sparks Fly. In her spare time, she is also an accomplished calligrapher.
Before gaining international fame as the girlfriend of Prince Harry, Meghan was previously married to actor and producer, Trevor Engleson. They wed on 10 September 2011, after having dated since 2004. The couple split in May 2013, and their divorce was finalised in August 2013.
Photo: UN Women/Simon Luethi
In addition to acting, the Duchess has been an active humanitarian for many years. She has worked as a counsellor for the One Young World charitable organisation, where she spoke in Dublin at its annual summit in 2014 regarding gender equality and modern-day slavery. In 2016, she became the Global Ambassador World Vision Canada. In her role, she also travelled to Rwanda for the Clean Water Campaign. Her Royal High was was also once a United Nations women’s advocate for Political Participation and Leadership and was active in the HeForShe campaign. She spoke at a UN Women event where she told of how she has been advocating for gender equality since she was 11. She also wrote about this on her now-closed website The Tig:
“I was just 11 years old when I was in my classroom at Hollywood Little Red Schoolhouse, and a commercial came on for a popular dishwashing liquid. The tagline of the campaign said, ‘Women all over America are fighting greasy pots and pans.’ The boys in my classroom yelled out, ‘Yeah, that’s where women belong. In the kitchen.’ My little freckled face became red with anger. I went home and wrote letters to powerhouse feminist attorney, Gloria Allred; to a host of a kids news program; to the soap manufacturer; and to Hillary Clinton (who was our First Lady at the time). With the exception of the soap manufacturer, they all pledged support — and within a few months, the commercial was changed to, ‘People all over America are fighting greasy pots and pans.’”
Additionally, she has said regarding humanitarian work, “With fame comes opportunity, but in my opinion, it also includes responsibility — to advocate and share, to focus less on glass slippers and more on pushing through glass ceilings, and if I’m lucky enough –- then to inspire.”
The Duchess chose to start fresh with her humanitarian work once entering the Royal Family – ending her relationships with the organisations she worked with before marriage. She is now one of the patrons of the Royal Foundation of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.
After secretly dating Prince Harry for months, their relationship was confirmed in a statement released by Prince Harry’s Communications Secretary on behalf of the Prince in late 2016 which addressed the “wave of abuse and harassment” directed at Meghan. The letter added that Prince Harry was “worried about Ms Markle’s safety and is deeply disappointed that he has not been able to protect her.”
(c) Invictus Games Toronto 2017
For her part, Meghan confirmed the relationship in an interview with Vanity Fair for their September 2017 issue where she stated that they were “really happy and in love.” She would go on to join Harry in their first official joint appearance at the 2017 Invictus Games in Toronto at a wheelchair tennis event and the Closing Ceremony. She attended the Opening Ceremony but sat separately from the Prince.
Engagement rumours were rife after Harry whisked her away on a trip to Africa in August 2017, and they only strengthened with their joint appearance in Toronto the next month.
The 37-year-old former actress had been active on her social media platforms of Twitter and Instagram until her relationship with Harry became more serious. She closed her accounts after her engagement and thanked everyone who had followed her over the years. Meghan also co-designed a line for the Canadian fashion chain, Reitmans, which sold out quickly after her relationship with Harry was revealed.
Meghan has two beloved rescue dogs, a beagle named Guy and a Labrador-shepherd mix named Bogart. When she relocated to London, she had to make the difficult decision to leave Bogart behind in North America as he was too old to make the trip across the Atlantic. Guy, however, made the trip and lives happily with Harry and Meghan on the grounds of Kensington Palace.
Harry and Meghan in Nottingham for their first official engagement after announcing they were to be married. © Charlie Proctor
After wrapping the seventh season of Suits, Meghan moved in with Prince Harry at his two-bedroom Nottingham Cottage on the grounds of Kensington Palace.
Their engagement was announced on 27 November 2017, and it was said that they had become engaged earlier in the month in London. Their wedding took place on 19 May 2018 at St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle. The couple reside at Nottingham Cottage.
Harry will most likely get an HIV and DNA test before he gets married and the Queen will welcome Meghan’s family into the Royal family and there won’t be any acrimony between her mother and the York family as there has been with the York/Middleton families.
Excuse me, but who is the “York family?”
Prince Andrew York, his live in ex wife and his two daughters
It’s Prince Andrew, Duke of York. His last name is Mountbatten-Windsor NOT York. And HIV and DNA – where on earth do you get such rubbish?
You are quite right about his name. Thank you for the correction. As far as Harry, he has been getting HIV tests once a month and I assumed Meghan would want him to take another. The DNA test should have been ordered by the Crown a long time ago, just to verify that he is a Windsor. There has been a lot of talk that his blood father is not Prince Charles.
Where do you get this fake info? HIV tests?! He does not need a DNA test- he is the spitting image of his grandfather when young. Who the hell are you?! Or think you are?!
Please don’t comment if you haven’t read anything in the last two months.
Luigi, I’m assuming you aren’t British, so don’t pretend to know or understand the first thing about our monarchy. Prince Harry does the HIV tests so it will encourage people in third world countries to have them done, so they can get treated properly. He is carrying on the charities that his mother started, and their can be no arguing his ancestry you heathen idiot, e the family resemblance, brother, father, grandfather, great grandfather are all there. Stop with the bullshit!!!
Only the people who don’t want the truth ridicule those who do.
If a simple DNA test will satisfy the doubters, bring it on. Probably someone will pickup a cigarette butt one day, run a test, and the truth will be out. Are the English people afraid of the truth?
What business is it of yours??
Absolutely, if the subject is the British Monarchy.
Prince Harry took an HIV test with in Barbados for World AIDS. Nothing about your claim about monthly tests on the internet. The DNA test BS is a rumor put out there by the gossip rags to generate business for said gossip rags.
You didn’t mention the HIV test he took a month before in London. As far as DNA, talk is cheap, the test is the only way to the truth. He is not the spitting image of Charles, just look at his ski slope nose. Prince William has Charles’ nose; Harry does not.
Rubbish.
I never said Prince Harry was the spitting image of Prince Charles. Vicious rumors about another man is Prince Harry’s father mean nothing.
Please provide a web site or article from a reliable source Prince Harry took an HIV test in London last month or is tested monthly as per your claim.
I’m surprised you missed the test in London because it was broadcast live on the Royal Family’s Facebook page about 4 or 5 months ago, not sure of the date.
He was born to the Princess of Wales. Under ancient law (IE before DNA testing) children born to a wife have been unrebutably presumed legitimate. Marriage, not paternity, legitimises children as royal. See Charles II.
Nonsense, he is a True royal.
Some people say words like,”nonsense, rubbish, fake news, you’re an idiot, a heathen.”
Doesn’t anyone want to know the results of a DNA test? Doesn’t anyone in England want to know the truth? Or is that my business?
His DNA is None of YOUR business.
Prince Andrew has no beef with the Middleton family. Why would Prince Andrew and Meghan Markle’s mother not get along?
You’ve got to be kidding. Andrew has a beef about everyone and everything. He recently flew into a rage and bashed his own front gate instead of going 1/4 K around it. My original statement was Megan’s mother would not receive acrimony from him or his two daughters. Notice the word, “not”.
Oh yes, and Prince Andrews exwife, Lady Sarah Ferguson lives in the US as do they’re 2 daughters. Prince Andrew lives on an estate in the south of england.
I don’t like her… She has acted in very vulgar and lewd scenes. I don’t think the Queen should bless the marriage
Charles to Camilla – I want to be your tampon! Sucker, please! The royals lost their dignity and moral authority long ago. No one looks to them for anything except entertainment! Meghan and Harry will be far more entertaining than the balding, crochety Charles and buck toothed, ugly and wrinkled Camilla
How do you know that Alistair Sheridan? Are you one of those prunes? Oops sorry I meant prude!
Not really but I am highly religious
So your religion allows you to forgive the WHITE divorced, adulterous, home wrecking whore and accept her as your future Queen, no less, but the divorced Mixed race girl who only ACTED bad on TV and didn’t cheat on her husband with another woman’s husband (like that filthy slut Camilla did) is unacceptable. What a hypocrite and most likely a racist you are!
she is also a divorced adultress FYI
@Animosity4U–Alistair Sheridan has mentioned nothing about race. It appears you are trying to “put words into his mouth”. In addition,he never said he approved of Camilla.
I agree Alistair! She is entirely unsuitable
this is all thankfully an act I hope. to show people they are not ruthless and racist. I highly doubt a marriage.
Yet your future King has married someone who is essentially a home wrecking whore! If the royal family can accept a piece of trash like Camilla and is willing to make her Queen then they should be delighted to accept Meghan. At least she is not an adulterous slut!
Actually she is an adulteress and a divorcee. She has also acted in very horrible scenes.
Have you watched these horrible scenes Alistair? Otherwise how do you know or are you overlooking her very kind soul and believing what you have read in the papers?
I have watched them. He is right
If that is the case, then she and the homewrecking whore should get on splendidly!
shocking that u can incriminate other people ,may God forgive u.Nasty piece of works.
Miss Markle “spent eight years learning French but has called her knowledge of the language ‘deplorable’ “. She has, however, SAID she can speak Spanish.
Really, Ms Markle’s official history sounds as though it’s been written by a Hollywood screenwriter.
Je pense que la femme est faux par excellence (I studied French for three years, and have no knowledge of Spanish).
I think it is easy to understand why Prince Harry chose the bottom of the barrel because when you choose the ugliest pearl those who cannot afford better cheer you on because you are validating their lack of completeness.
Prince Harry only chose a fairly ugly divorcee of exceptionally low birth because he knew it would make him a rock star in the minds of the crooks and sinners at the bottom of the spectrum.