Who is Meghan Markle?
Sunday 20 May 2018 07:50, UK
Bethany Minelle, News Reporter
As the newest member of the Royal Family, Meghan Markle is under the spotlight like never before.
Described by Prince Harry as the "beautiful woman who fell into my life", the California-born actress is now one of the most recognisable women in the world.
So who is Meghan Markle?
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Her Childhood
Born Rachel Meghan Markle in Los Angeles on 4 August 1981, she is the daughter of a social worker and yoga teacher and of an Emmy-winning TV lighting director.
Her dad, Thomas Markle, is credited with introducing her to the world of Hollywood when he took her to visit the set he was working on, the Fox sitcom Married… With Children.
Her parents divorced when she was six, with Meghan growing up with her mum in Hollywood and attending private school.
Ms Markle is close to her mother, Doria Ragland, who is African-American, and has described her as a "free spirit".
She also two older half-siblings on her father's side, Samantha and Thomas Junior.
Her Career
Ms Markle studied theatre and international relations at Northwestern University in Illinois, taking an internship at the US Embassy in Buenos Aires in Argentina on graduation.
One of her first acting jobs was as a "suitcase girl" on the American version of Deal Or No Deal.
She also appeared on medical drama General Hospital, and several films including Remember Me and Horrible Bosses.
A creative soul, she worked as a calligrapher to earn extra money in between acting jobs.
Looking back on her acting career in 2015, she wrote: ""I wasn't black enough for the black roles and I wasn't white enough for the white ones, leaving me somewhere in the middle as the ethnic chameleon who couldn't book a job".
She is best known for her portrayal of legal whizz Rachel Zane in Suits.
First marriage
Meghan's first marriage, to film producer Trevor Engelson, lasted for just two years, ending in divorce in 2013.
The couple sited "irreconcilable differences".
Engelson has since penned a comedy about a divorced man fighting for custody after his ex-wife marries a prince.
Thought the couple did not have children, he has said the show is inspired by real-life events.
The Archbishop of Canterbury has said Ms Markle's divorce is something the Church of England has "dealt with" in the same way it would with any other couple.
She has also tied the knot on TV, as her Suits character Rachel Zane in the legal drama season finale.
Walking down the aisle with co-star Mike Ross, played by Patrick J Adams, Ms Markle's character told her groom: "You're the husband I've always wanted."
Social media
Before becoming Prince Harry's fiancee, Meghan was a regular on Instagram and Twitter, posting photos of herself with her friends, her beloved rescue dogs Guy and Bogart, yoga shots - often in exotic locations and sometimes in a bikini.
However, in January Meghan deleted her social media accounts.
She also ran her own lifestyle blog called The Tig (named after her favourite Tignanello red wine).
Featuring health and lifestyle tips, celebrity interviews and photos, the site ran for nearly three years, before its final post, entitled "Farewell, Darling", in April 2017.
Meghan fans will now have to follow the Kensington Palace social media account to keep up with the new Royal's latest news and pictures.
Fashion fan
A lover of fashion, she designed and sold her own collection of dresses with the Canadian outlet Reitmans in 2016.
The dresses - which came in four different styles, including a summer maxi and skin-tight cocktail - were all priced at under £75 ($100) each.
Talking about her first attempt at dress design, she said: "I've been involved in every facet of [the design process], so it's really personal".
Political views
A vocal campaigner for women's rights, Ms Markle is a UN women's advocate and told a packed UN conference in New York: "We cannot implement change effectively without women's political participation".
She has also spoken publicly about the #metoo and #timesup campaigns against sexual assault, harassment and inequality, saying: "There is no better time to shine a light on women".
Talking about US President Donald Trump when appearing on The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore in 2016, she said: "As misogynistic as Trump is, and so vocal about it, Trump has made it easy to see that you don't really want that kind of world that he's painting".
Mr Trump and first lady Melania are not believed to be attending the royal wedding.
Powerful pals
Ms Markle is friends with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his wife, first lady Sophie Gregoire-Trudeau, having met them through her humanitarian work.
The Posh and Becks of Canada - power couple Jessica and Ben Mulroney - are also good friends with Ms Markle.
Although not well known names in the UK, TV host Ben, the son of former Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney, and Jessica, a stylist and descendant of the founder of a national shoe retail empire, are well known in their home country of Canada.
Meghan is also pals with tennis ace Serena Williams and has plenty of showbiz friends, including the cast of legal drama Suits - many of whom are expected to attend the wedding.
Charity Work
A keen humanitarian, Ms Markle has supported various charities including international charity One Young World and World Vision Canada.
Her charity projects have included trips to Rwanda to support a clean water campaign and to India to get better education conditions for girls in her drive for gender equality.
However, her half-sister Samantha Markle has questioned her motivations, saying Meghan should "step up to the plate" and help their bankrupt father Thomas rebuild his life.
Meghan has now given up her charitable roles to start her royal life with a "clean slate".
Meeting Harry
The couple met on a blind date at London's Soho House in July 2016, set up by a mutual friend.
While the pair haven't specifically named the female pal, the friend is suspected to be PR guru Violet von Westenhoz or fashion designer Mischa Nonoo.
The couple kept their relationship out of the spotlight, first appearing together at the Invictus Games in Toronto a year after first meeting.
Speaking about the speed with which he fell in love with Meghan, Prince Harry said: "All the starts were aligned… This beautiful woman just fell into my life, and I fell into her life".
The November proposal took place at Nottingham Cottage, while the couple were roasting a chicken, with Prince Harry getting on one knee for the "very romantic" proposal.
Future role
After the royal engagement was confirmed, Ms Markle announced that she would be retiring from acting.
She told reporters: "I don't see it as giving anything up, I just see it as a change. It's a new chapter."
Ms Markle has said she is keen to focus her energy on causes that are important to her, and use her voice and new high-profile position for good.
She says she is keen to learn more about different communities and smaller causes here in the UK.
It is likely she will join forces with Prince Harry and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge in the Royal Foundation, their charitable trust.
Possible motherhood
Both Prince Harry and Meghan have spoken of their desire to have children in the future.
Prince Harry previously told Sky News he was keen to settle down and start a family but said "there's a process that one has to go through".
During a walkabout in Northern Ireland earlier this year, Meghan joked with Prince Harry while looking at baby products, saying: "I'm sure at some point we'll need the whole lot."
