Meghan Markle has become a household name ever since she married Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex in 2018. But before she became an American member of the British royal family, the Duchess of Sussex had a career of her own. Here is the evolution of Meghan Markle.
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Born in Los Angeles
Rachel Meghan Markel was born on August 4, 1981, to Thomas Markle Sr., a white man, and Doria Ragland, a Black woman, in Los Angeles California. She has two half-siblings, Samantha Markle and Thomas Markle Jr. She is estranged from her father and half-sibling but still has a close relationship with her mother.
Northwestern University
Markle attended Northwestern University in Illinois and graduated in 2003 with a double major in theater and international studies.
Acting career
Originally struggling to earn roles, Markle had small guest appearances on TV shows such as Century City, The War at Home, and CSI: New York. She also appeared in small film roles such as Get Him to the Greek, Remember Me, The Candidate and Horrible Bosses.
Suits
Markle’s most successful and longest-running acting gig was on the TV show Suits, on which she starred from 2011 to 2017. She played Rachel Zane, a paralegal who eventually becomes an attorney.
Other TV appearances
Along with other modeling jobs, Markle also appeared as a “briefcase girl” on the game show Deal or No Deal.
First Marriage
Markle started dating film producer Trevor Engelson in 2004. In September 2011, the couple got married in Jamaica. Less than two years later, the couple divorced in August 2013.
Other relationships
Markle also dated a celebrity Canadian chef Cory Vitiello shortly after her divorce from Engelson. The two were together for two years and ended the relationship in May 2016.
Relationship with Prince Harry
Markle started a relationship with Prince Harry, the grandson of Queen Elizabeth II, in July 2016. The couple first appeared together in public on September 2017.
Second Marriage
On November 27, 2017, Markle’s engagement to Prince Harry was announced by Harry’s father, Charles, then the Prince of Wales. The two got married on May 19, 2018, and many Black celebrities were invited including Oprah Winfrey, Serena Williams, Idris Elba, Gina Torres and many others.
Royal Duties
Once she became engaged to Prince Harry, Meghan was responsible for many royal duties, including multiple public appearances and engagements and a list of official overseas trips she had to make with Prince Harry.
Stepping back from the royal family
After a vacation, Meghan and Harry announced that they would be stepping away from their royal duties as members of the royal family, which was met with a lot of controversy and criticism. They said they would split their time between the United Kingdom and North America. They eventually settled down in California, where Meghan is from.
Non-profit organization
The couple launched Archwell Inc. in October 2020. The company focuses on non-profit activities and other business ventures.
Oprah with Meghan and Harry
During the television special Oprah with Meghan and Harry on March 7, 2021, Meghan discussed some of the personal and public struggles she’s had since she married into the royal family. She claimed that she faced racism and even contemplated committing suicide.
Archetypes podcast
Meghan recently launched a Spotify podcast called Archetypes. On one of the episodes, in which she was joined by Mariah Carey, she discussed that she finally understood what it was like to be “treated as a Black woman” after she married Prince Harry.
Death of Queen Elizabeth II
On September 8, 2022, Queen Elizabeth II died at the age of 96. Trolls on social media could not help themselves and tried to blame the Queen’s death on Meghan for no reason. It was shortly announced after her death that Prince Harry would be traveling to Balmoral without Meghan.
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