Meghan Markle is an American-born member of the British royal family and a former actress who married Prince Harry in 2018 and became the Duchess of Sussex. She is also known for her humanitarian work and advocacy for women’s rights.


Quick Facts


  • Full Name: Rachel Meghan Markle
  • Known As: Meghan, Duchess of Sussex
  • Nickname: Meg
  • Father: Thomas Markle
  • Mother: Doria Ragland
  • Siblings: Samantha Markle (half-sister), Thomas Markle Jr. (half-brother)
  • Husband: Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex
  • Children: Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor (son), Lilibet Diana Mountbatten-Windsor (daughter)
  • Age (Present): 41
  • Height: 5’6" (1.68 m)
  • Weight: 56 kg (123 lbs)
  • Date of Birth: August 4, 1981
  • Birthplace: Los Angeles, California, USA
  • Nationality: American, British
  • Zodiac Sign: Leo
  • Religion: Episcopalian
  • Race or Ethnicity: Mixed-race (African American and Caucasian)
  • Education: Immaculate Heart High School, Northwestern University (B.A. in Theater and International Studies)
  • Occupation: Former actress, member of the British royal family, author
  • Social Media: Instagram (@sussexroyal), Twitter (@sussexroyal), Facebook (@sussexroyal)


Career

Meghan Markle pursued a career as a screen actress, appearing in a number of TV series before landing the role of Rachel Zane on the USA Network show Suits. She also starred in several films, such as Get Him to the Greek, Horrible Bosses, and Anti-Social. She also ran a lifestyle blog called The Tig from 2014 to 2017 and launched a clothing line with Canadian retailer Reitmans in 2016. She retired from acting after her engagement to Prince Harry in 2017.


Early Life & Childhood

Meghan Markle was born on August 4, 1981, in Los Angeles, California, to a mixed-race couple: Doria Ragland, a social worker and yoga instructor, and Thomas Markle, a television lighting and photography director. She has two older half-siblings from her father’s previous marriage: Samantha and Thomas Jr. She grew up in the Hollywood area and attended Immaculate Heart High School, an all-girls Catholic school. She was interested in acting from a young age and had an uncredited role in the sitcom Married…with Children when she was 11. She also wrote a letter to Procter & Gamble when she was the same age, protesting against a sexist soap commercial, which led to the company changing the slogan.


Personal Life & Family

Meghan Markle met Prince Harry, the younger son of Prince Charles and Princess Diana, in July 2016 through a mutual friend. They started dating secretly and made their first public appearance as a couple at the Invictus Games in Toronto in September 2017. They announced their engagement on November 27, 2017, and married on May 19, 2018, at St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle. The wedding was attended by celebrities, royals, and dignitaries from around the world and watched by millions of people on television and online. Meghan became the Duchess of Sussex and the first person of color to join the British royal family in modern history.

The couple welcomed their first child, a son named Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor, on May 6, 2019, at Portland Hospital in London. He is seventh in line to the throne and does not have a royal title. The couple announced their second pregnancy on Valentine’s Day 2021 and revealed that they were expecting a girl during their interview with Oprah Winfrey in March 2021. They welcomed their daughter, Lilibet Diana Mountbatten-Windsor, on June 4, 2021, at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital in California. She is named after Queen Elizabeth II’s nickname and Prince Harry’s late mother.


Later Life & Death

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry decided to step back as senior members of the royal family in January 2020 and moved to North America, citing their desire for more privacy and independence. They settled in Montecito, California, where they bought a $14.7 million mansion. They also signed multimillion-dollar deals with Netflix and Spotify to produce content that would highlight their values and causes. They also launched their own foundation, Archewell, which aims to support various charitable initiatives around the world.

In March 2021, Meghan and Harry gave a bombshell interview to Oprah Winfrey, in which they revealed the struggles they faced within the royal family and the British media. They claimed that there were concerns about how dark their son’s skin would be before he was born, that Meghan was denied help when she felt suicidal, and that Harry was cut off financially by his father. They also said that they had a good relationship with Queen Elizabeth II, but felt let down by other members of the family. The interview sparked a global controversy and a crisis for the monarchy.

In June 2021, Meghan published her first children’s book, The Bench, which was inspired by the bond between Harry and Archie. The book became a New York Times bestseller and received positive reviews from critics and readers. Meghan also announced that she would be producing an animated series for Netflix called Pearl, which would follow the adventures of a 12-year-old girl who is inspired by influential women from history.

In September 2021, Meghan and Harry made their first public appearance together since their Oprah interview at the Global Citizen Live concert in New York City. They urged world leaders to ensure equal access to Covid-19 vaccines and to take action against climate change. They also visited several organizations that support women’s empowerment, mental health, and education.

In October 2021, Meghan made a surprise appearance at Ellen DeGeneres’ talk show, where she talked about her life in California and played a prank on unsuspecting vendors at a nearby market. She also revealed that she had met Prince Harry while wearing a Halloween costume of a frog.

In November 2021, Meghan won her privacy lawsuit against Associated Newspapers, the publisher of the Mail on Sunday, and MailOnline, which had published parts of a letter she wrote to her father in 2018. The judge ruled that Meghan had a reasonable expectation of privacy and that the publication of the letter was unlawful. Meghan said she was grateful for the victory and hoped it would set a precedent for respecting people’s privacy.

In December 2021, Meghan and Harry released their first Christmas card as a family of four, featuring a painting of them with Archie and Lilibet in front of their Montecito home. They also sent gifts and donations to several charities that support vulnerable children and families during the holiday season.

Meghan Markle is still alive as of May 2023. She is expected to attend the coronation of King Charles III with Prince Harry on May 6, 2023 at Westminster Abbey. It will be their first return to the UK since their departure from royal duties.


Meghan Markle 10 Unknown Facts


  • She was an early advocate for women’s rights. At the age of 11, she wrote a letter to Procter & Gamble, complaining about a sexist soap commercial that implied only women do dishes. The company changed the slogan from “women” to “people” after receiving her letter.
  • She is a trained calligrapher. She learned the art of handwriting at her Catholic school and used it to earn extra money while pursuing her acting career. She did the invitations for Robin Thicke and Paula Patton’s wedding in 2005
  • She is related to Shakespeare and George Washington. According to genealogists, she is a distant cousin of both the Bard and the first U.S. president. She shares a common ancestor with Shakespeare in John Harington, a 15th-century English nobleman, and with Washington in Edward III, a 14th-century king of England.
  • She has two adopted dogs. She rescued Bogart, a Labrador-shepherd mix, and Guy, a beagle, from animal shelters in Los Angeles and Toronto respectively. She had to leave Bogart behind when she moved to the UK, but Guy made the trip with her and even rode with Queen Elizabeth II in her car.
  • She loves Tignanello wine. She named her lifestyle blog The Tig after the Italian red wine that she discovered in 2011. She said it was her “first aha moment” when she tasted it and realized the complexity of the wine.
  • She was once a briefcase girl on Deal or No Deal. She appeared on 34 episodes of the game show from 2006 to 2007, holding briefcase number 24. She said it was a “learning experience” but not her “passion”.
  • She has a double major in theater and international studies. She graduated from Northwestern University in 2003 with a bachelor’s degree in both subjects. She also did an internship at the U.S. embassy in Buenos Aires during her senior year.
  • She is fluent in Spanish and knows some French. She learned Spanish while working at the U.S. embassy in Argentina and also studied French for six years. She said she loves learning languages and hopes to teach them to her children.
  • She is a fan of meditation and yoga. She learned yoga from her mother, who is a yoga instructor and practices it regularly to stay fit and calm. She also meditates every morning and evening and credits it for helping her cope with stress.
  • She wrote a book called The Bench. It is a children’s book inspired by the bond between Prince Harry and their son Archie. It features illustrations by Christian Robinson and was published in June 2021. It became a New York Times bestseller and received positive reviews.