This was published 6 years ago
From relative unknown to most-Googled actress to royalty: The rise of Meghan Markle
By Caitlin Gibson
After more than a year of social media speculation, gossipy headlines and rampant rumours, it's finally official: Meghan Markle will marry Prince Harry in the spring.
The royal palace made the highly-anticipated announcement on Monday morning, confirming that the couple became engaged in London earlier this month, and will live together at Nottingham Cottage, Harry's home at Kensington Palace.
It has been a bit of a whirlwind for Markle, who sent the Internet into a Google-frenzy in October, 2016 when tabloids broke the news that the American-born actress appeared to be Prince Harry's new girlfriend.
"Who is Meghan Markle?" asked seemingly everybody, and the answer was perfectly charming. Before she made headlines as the love interest of a royal family member, Markle had established herself as an actress and star of the USA legal drama Suits, as well as a vocal humanitarian who served as a UN Women's Advocate for gender equality and a global ambassador for World Vision.
Britain's Prince Harry and Meghan Markle pose for photos after announcing their engagement.Credit: Dominic Lipinski
She founded a lifestyle blog called The Tig in 2014 and attracted a robust following with posts about political and social issues, food and travel. Her Instagram feed was filled with aesthetically flawless images of her home, the Suits set and her two rescued dogs Bogart, a labrador/shepherd cross, and Guy, a beagle.
Last year, she wrote an essay for Elle magazine about the challenge of balancing the glitz and glamour of Hollywood with her commitment to humanitarian work.
"Reflecting on where I came from helps me to appreciate and balance what I have now," she wrote, adding that her hardworking parents emphasised a sense of compassion and responsibility. "With fame comes opportunity, but 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, to inspire."
But news of Markle's blossoming relationship with Prince Harry drew plenty of vicious criticism, as she didn't quite fit the typical archetype of a would-be princess: Markle is American, born and raised in Los Angeles. She is older than Harry. She is biracial, with an African-American mother and white father. And she's been divorced (fans of The Crown will recall that, where prospective royal spouses are concerned, a previous divorce has historically been frowned upon).
Britain's Prince Harry's fiancee Meghan Markle shows off her engagement ring.Credit: AP
The onslaught of racist and sexist attacks on Markle was intense enough to prompt a rare response from Kensington Palace, which came to her defence in a statement in November 2016.
"Prince Harry is worried about Ms. Markle's safety and is deeply disappointed that he has not been able to protect her," the statement said. "It is not right that a few months into a relationship with him that Ms. Markle should be subjected to such a storm. He knows commentators will say this is 'the price she has to pay' and that 'this is all part of the game.' He strongly disagrees. This is not a game - it is her life and his."
Markle, speaking at AOL's BUILD Speaker series in 2016, has been viciously criticised by some commentators for not fitting the typical profile of a royal.Credit: Evan Agostini
Beyond presenting a strong rebuke of Markle's treatment by the tabloid media, the statement also offered official confirmation of the blossoming relationship, which immediately fuelled more rumours about if and when an engagement might be expected.
And for royal watchers, there were certainly plenty of tantalising clues.
Markle, pictured at New York fashion week in 2013, found fame in the TV series Suits and is also known for her humanitarian work.Credit: Donna Ward/ABACAUSA.COM
In December 2016, a "palace source" told Us Weekly that a spring 2017 engagement seemed likely (off by a few months, as it turns out). Markle bid farewell to her lifestyle blog, and reportedly planned to depart the cast of Suits. Rumours circulated that Markle was preparing to move from Toronto to London. Daily Mail columnist Richard Kay wrote last month that Markle and Harry had visited Buckingham Palace for a private meeting with Queen Elizabeth, Harry's grandmother.
Monday's announcement swiftly consumed social media, with Markle's name once again trending on Twitter, alongside "Prince Harry," "Harry and Meghan" and #Royalengagement. The couple's names ranked among the top trending Google searches, and in response to one common question - what will Markle's title be? - the British press reported that the actress will likely soon be officially known as the "Duchess of Sussex" (per royal tradition, the queen is anticipated to bestow the title of "Duke of Sussex" upon Harry on the couple's wedding day).
The pair will wed in the northern hemisphere's spring 2018.Credit: AP
Who is Meghan Markle?
Born: Rachel Meghan Markle was born in Los Angeles on August 4, 1981. It's unclear when or why Markle started going by her middle name.
Family:
- Mum is Doria Ragland, an African American social worker and yoga instructor.
- Dad is Emmy Award winner Thomas Markle, a lighting director who has Dutch and Irish heritage.
- They met in the late 70s when Markle was a lighting director on a TV soap and Ragland was working as a temp at the studio. They split when Meghan was six.
Siblings:
- Meghan has two older half siblings, Samantha Grant and Thomas Markle Junior, who were born when Thomas Markle was with his first wife Roslyn.
- Grant, 52, is a former actress and model, who lives in Florida and has multiple sclerosis. She reportedly hasn't spoken to Meghan since 2008.
Education:
- The Hollywood Little Red Schoolhouse and the Immaculate Heart High School, a private Catholic school for girls in LA.
- Graduated in 2003 from the Northwestern University School of Communication, Illinois, where she studied theatre and international relations.
Previous marriage:
- In September 2011, Meghan married movie producer and manager Trevor Engelson in Jamaica after a seven-year romance. The couple divorced in August 2013, citing irreconcilable differences.
Hobbies/interests:
- Cooking, writing, travel, yoga, politics, social issues.
Career:
- Best known as Rachel Zane in US TV drama Suits.
- Markle got her break on US soap General Hospital in 2002.
- Minor TV roles followed on shows including CSI New York, Knight Rider, 90210 and Without A Trace.
- Her movie credits include British thriller Anti-Social and the comedy romance Random Encounters.
- Before breaking into acting, Markle worked as a freelance calligrapher.
- She also ran a lifestyle blog, The Tig, as a "hub for the discerning palate - those with a hunger for food, travel, fashion & beauty", but brought it to a close in April 2017 as things began getting serious with Harry.
Humanitarian work:
- Markle is a global ambassador for World Vision Canada, an ambassador for UN Women, and an advocate for gender equality.
- She told Vanity Fair her social awareness began during the Los Angeles riots sparked by the police beating of Rodney King, in 1991.
- As an 11-year-old she was also enraged by a TV ad suggesting women belong in the kitchen washing up.
Washington Post and AAP