Rachel Meghan Markle is an American actress and model. She is most popular for her portrayal of Rachel Zane in ‘Suits’ a legal soap opera that air on USA Network.
On 27th Nov, 2017, it was announced that the British Royal Prince Harry was engaged to Markle. Prince Harry is fifth in line to inherit the royal throne of UK. Meghan subsequently went on to state that she will retire from all forms of acting and dedicate the rest of her life towards humanitarian work.
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Early Life and Education
Markle was born into a mixed race family on August 4, 1981. Her mother is an African American with her roots in Tennessee and Georgia, while her father is a Caucasian with Dutch, Irish, and English ancestry.
Meghan’s mother Doria Ragland holds a masters degree in social work from University of Southern California. She currently works as a psychotherapist and yoga teacher and lives in View Park-Windsor Hills. Meghan’s father is the Emmy award winning lighting director Thomas W. Markle. He currently resides in Mexico. Meghan’s parents divorced in 1988.
Markle grew up in LA’s Hollywood area. She began formal education at the age of 5 and attended different private schools, such as Hollywood Little Red Schoolhouse and the Immaculate Heart High School (a private all-girls Catholic school). Meghan used to be called by her first name ‘Rachel’ but she later started using her middle name.
Markle got her bachelor’s degree from Northwestern University located in Chicago. She graduated with a double major from the University in theater and international studies. She had to do an internship at the American embassy in Buenos Aires, the capital of Argentina as part of the coursework.
Meghan Markle – Childhood Photos
Career
Markle freelanced as a calligrapher while looking for acting jobs. She got minor roles in different episodes of varied TV shows like CSI: NY, The War at Home, and Century City, etc. and in a few movies like Horrible Bosses, Remember Me, etc. Meghan however found fame after bagging the role of Rachel Zane in the TV show ‘Suits.’ She has portrayed the role for 6 seasons till now. She finished shooting for the seventh season for ‘Suits’ in late November. She will not return to the show due to her engagement to Prince Harry.
The cherubic looking Markle was also the editor in chief and founder of lifestyle website known as ‘The Tig’ for a period of 3 years from 2014 to 2017.
Meghan Markle – Parents (Father and Mother Pictures)
Personal Life
Markle dated actor and producer Trevor Engelson from 2004 to 2011. The couple married on September 10, 2011 in Jamaica’s Ocho Rios. They divorced two years later.
Meghan was introduced to Prince Harry by a mutual friend via a blind date. The couple subsequently began dating in 2016. Newspapers and media outlets began reporting about the relationship in October 2016. Meghan was subjected to sexist, racist, and defamatory articles; on Nov 8, 2016, this harassment and abuse against Markle was denounced by the British royal family’s communications secretary via a statement.
Prince Harry and Meghan made their first public appearance as a couple in Sep 2017 at an official royal engagement, i.e., the wheelchair tennis event, and at the closing ceremony of the Invictus Games held in the city of Toronto.
with Trevor Wilson
with Prince Harry
Engagement to Prince Harry
On Nov 27, 2017, the British royal family announced the engagement of Meghan and Prince Harry. The ring consisted of 3 diamonds; two of the diamonds were taken from the jewelry collection of Prince Harry’s late mother, Princess Diana.
The Royal marriage will take place in May 2018. The Royal couple will then reside at Nottingham Cottage located on London’s Kensington Palace grounds. Since the TV show ‘Suits’ was being shot in Toronto, Meghan had an apartment there. She gave it in late Nov 2017 after completing all the shoots for the show.
After the wedding, Markle will become a British citizen. She will also renounce her Protestant faith and get baptized and inducted into the Church of England as a royal member.
No objections have been raised by the Crown or the Church about Meghan being a divorcee or an American. It is important to note this because in 1936, the then ruler King Edward VIII was made to give up the royal throne as he wanted to marry twice-divorced American Wallis Simpson. Marrying a divorcee was not allowed by the Church during those times.
How tall is Meghan Markle compared to Prince Harry?
She is 1.71 meter or 5 feet 6 inch tall compared to Prince Harry who is 1.86 meter or 6.1 feet.
Meghan Markle – Ancestry
Markle’s mother has descendents dating back to the slave plantations in Tennessee and Georgia. Meghan’s great-great-great-grandfather was a slave and adopted ‘Wisdom’ as the surname after emancipation.
In November 2017, it was confirmed that William Skipper, an ancestor of Meghan’s father, was related to King Edward III. The New England Historic Genealogical Society announced that Markle was a direct descendent of the King via this link and the 17th cousin of Royal Prince Harry. It may be noted that William Skipper had come to America (Boston, MA) in 1639.
