Meghan Markle: From Suits's actress to the Duchess of Sussex and Threat of Buckingham

Early Life Rachel Meghan Markle was born on August 4, 1981, in Los Angeles, California. Her mother, Doria Ragland, is a former social worker and yoga instructor living in View Park–Windsor Hills, California. Markle has often been described as having a very close friendship with her mother. Her father, Thomas Markle Sr., lives in Rosarito, …

Early Life

Rachel Meghan Markle was born on August 4, 1981, in Los Angeles, California.

Her mother, Doria Ragland, is a former social worker and yoga instructor living in View Park–Windsor Hills, California. Markle has often been described as having a very close friendship with her mother. Her father, Thomas Markle Sr., lives in Rosarito, Mexico, and is a retired television director of photography and lighting director whose profession resulted in his young daughter often visiting the set of Married…with Children. Markle’s parents divorced when she was six years old. Her older paternal half-siblings are Samantha Markle and Thomas Markle Jr., from whom she is reportedly estranged.

Markle is descended on her mother’s side from enslaved Africans, and on her father’s side from European settlers. She described her heritage in a 2015 essay for Elle magazine: “My dad is Caucasian and my mom is African American. I’m half black and half white …. While my mixed heritage may have created a grey area surrounding my self-identification, keeping me with a foot on both sides of the fence, I have come to embrace that. To say who I am, to share where I’m from, to voice my pride in being a strong, confident mixed-race woman.”

Markle grew up in Hollywood. She was educated at private schools, beginning at age two at the Hollywood Little Red Schoolhouse. Nick News with Linda Ellerbee profiled her successful campaign at age 11 to get Procter & Gamble to change a national television commercial that she viewed as sexist. Raised as a Protestant, she nonetheless attended Immaculate Heart High School, an all-girl Catholic private school in Los Angeles. Markle was then admitted to Northwestern University, where she joined Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority and participated in community service and charity projects. She also served an internship at the American embassy in Buenos Aires, and studied for one semester in Madrid. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Northwestern’s School of Communication in 2003, with a double major in theater and international studies.

When she was 11, Markle wrote a letter to various notables, including then-First Lady Hillary Clinton, about a TV advertisement featuring the idea of women being bogged down by greasy cookware. The youngster deemed the ad sexist when male classmates started yelling, upon seeing the commercial, that the kitchen is where women belonged. (The language of the ad was subsequently changed.) Markle went on to study theater and international relations at Northwestern University School of Communication, graduating in 2003.

In 2002, Markle landed her first TV role with a guest spot on General Hospital, and she went on to appear in a number of other series that included Cuts, The War at Home, CSI: NY and 90210. As a biracial actress, Markle would eventually talk about the challenges of navigating Hollywood’s check-a-box casting landscape while also finding her voice as an actress.

From 2011 to 2017, she played Rachel Zane on the American legal drama Suits. She is an outspoken feminist and has addressed issues of gender inequality, and her lifestyle website The Tig featured a column profiling influential women. She represented international charity organizations and received recognition for her fashion and style, releasing a line of clothing in 2016.

Markle has done big-screen work as well, appearing in such films as Get Him to the Greek (2010), Horrible Bosses (2011) and Anti-Social (2015), as well as the TV movies When Sparks Fly (2014) and Dater’s Handbook (2016).

Markle began a relationship with actor and producer Trevor Engelson in 2004.They were married in Ocho Rios, Jamaica, on September 10, 2011, and concluded a no-fault divorce in August 2013, citing irreconcilable differences. Markle’s subsequent relationship with celebrity chef and restaurateur Cory Vitiello lasted almost two years, ending in May 2016.

The Duchess of Sussex

In June 2016, Markle began a relationship with Prince Harry, whom she had met on a blind date set up by a mutual friend. At the time, he was fifth in line to the British throne; his grandmother is Elizabeth II, queen of the United Kingdom and 15 other Commonwealth realms, as well as head of the Commonwealth. In November, the British royal family’s communications secretary released an official statement that addressed sexism, racism, and defamatory stories directed toward Markle. In September 2017, Markle and Prince Harry appeared together in public for the first time at an official royal engagement at the Invictus Games in Toronto.

On November 27, 2017, Markle and Prince Harry revealed that they had secretly gotten engaged earlier in the month. Among the congratulatory messages, Prince William and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, said, “It has been wonderful getting to know Meghan and to see how happy she and Harry are together.” 

A few weeks later, Kensington Palace announced that the royal wedding would take place May 19, 2018, in St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle. The news came shortly after Google’s announcement that Markle had topped the year-end rankings for most searched actress for the second year in a row, finishing only behind fired TV personality Matt Lauer for 2017’s most Googled person. On December 21, fans found another reason to hit their search engines with the release of the couple’s official portrait photographs.

In January 2018, it was confirmed that Markle was adhering to royal tradition by shutting down her Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts. Through Kensington Palace, Markle said she was “grateful to everyone who has followed her social media accounts over the years.”

On February 10, more details about the royal wedding emerged: After the marriage ceremony, scheduled to begin at 12 p.m. U.K. time, the newlyweds would ride in a carriage along the High Street through Windsor Town, before returning to Windsor Castle along the Long Walk. Later, following an afternoon break, they would attend a private evening reception hosted by Prince Charles.

Markle made headlines by breaking royal protocol — albeit in adorable fashion — during a visit to Birmingham on International Women’s Day in March 2018. Introduced to a 10-year-old student, who told the soon-to-be princess that she wanted to become an actress, Markle gave the girl a hug, violating the handshake-only rule in place for the royal family.

News soon leaked that the couple would not sign a prenuptial agreement before the big day, despite their hefty individual assets. Insiders pointed to the lack of prenup enforcement in U.K. courts, as well as Prince Harry’s steadfast belief that the marriage would be a lasting one.

In late March, it was reported that the duchess-to-be and her family would receive a specially designed coat of arms from Kensington Palace before the wedding. Markle’s father, a U.S. citizen residing in Mexico, reportedly needed to prove one of his ancestors was a subject of the Crown in order to receive his gift. Markle’s coat of arms was expected to be completed in time to feature on the souvenir program for the royal wedding, with elements from that design and Prince Harry’s to be incorporated into the coats of their future children.

On May 19, 2018, the couple married at St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle. The bride wore a dress designed by Clare Waight Keller for Givenchy. Shortly before the wedding, Queen Elizabeth conferred Meghan with the title of Meghan, Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Sussex.

On October 15, 2018, Markle and Prince Harry announced that they were expecting their first child in spring 2019. “Their Royal Highnesses have appreciated all of the support they have received from people around the world since their wedding in May and are delighted to be able to share this happy news with the public,” Kensington Palace said in a statement.

The baby boy, Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor, arrived at 5:26 a.m. on May 6, 2019. Seventh in line to the British throne, he was christened two months later in a private ceremony at Windsor Castle.

Family Drama

On the eve of Meghan and Harry’s nuptials, a few members of Markle’s family became the subject of tabloid drama that unfolded on an almost daily basis.  

Markle’s half-brother, Thomas Markle Jr., wrote a handwritten letter, warning Prince Harry, not to marry Meghan, describing her as a “jaded, shallow, conceited woman that will make a joke of you and the royal family heritage.” Clearly offended he wasn’t invited to the wedding, he added: “… To top it all off, she doesn’t invite her own family and instead invites complete strangers to the wedding. Who does that?” The letter was published in In Touch on May 2nd. 

Shortly after, Markle’s father, Thomas Sr., who was expected to walk his daughter down the aisle, was caught allegedly staging photos of himself that showed him preparing for the big day. When the news broke, Markle’s father was so embarrassed, he told reporters he was rescinding his invitation.

If that weren’t enough, Markle’s half-sister, Samantha, publicly interjected in their father’s defense, claiming she was behind the staged photos because she had hoped it would put him in a good light. (Samantha, who was not invited to the wedding, is reportedly writing a book about her relationship with Meghan and has granted interviews on various TV shows, despite reports that claim she and Meghan were never close.)

Soon after, Thomas Sr. told the media he had recently suffered a heart attack and regretfully would not be going to the wedding. “I hate the idea of missing one of the greatest moments in history and walking my daughter down the aisle,” he told TMZ.

After communicating with Meghan, Thomas Sr. quickly changed his mind but ultimately had to return to the decision of not attending the wedding because he needed to undergo heart surgery. 

Meghan, through a statement from Kensington Palace, formally acknowledged her father would not be present. “Sadly, my father will not be attending our wedding. I have always cared for my father and hope he can be given the space he needs to focus on his health,” she stated.

Meghan Markle has branded her father a liar and denied she knew her influential friends planned to reveal details of her deteriorating relationship with him to an American magazine, new court papers have revealed.

Text messages revealed in new court documents claim the Duke and Duchess of Sussex tried to protect Thomas Markle in the days leading up to their wedding while he was forced to drop out of the lavish Windsor Castle wedding due to his failing health.

The Duchess of Sussex also states Thomas Markle did not answer truthfully when asked if had colluded with a photographer to stage pictures of him in the weeks leading up to the 19 May 2018 ceremony.

The 37-year-old actress also maintains she was unaware that five close friends had chosen to intervene in the growing public debate about her relationship with her father by giving interviews to People magazine for an article published in February 2019.

The Duchess alleges invasion of privacy, breach of copyright and misuse of personal data over the publication of excerpts of a letter to her father about his treatment of her in February 2019. The Mail on Sunday argues that as a member of the royal family the Duchess did not have a reasonable expectation of privacy and that that there was no agreement with Thomas Markle that the letter should remain private.

The series of text messages from Prince Harry and his bride-to-be Meghan Markle reveal how they questioned Thomas Markle’s reason for dropping out of wedding but continued to offer him protection and urged him not to talk to the press.

In one message Prince Harry says; ‘If u love Meg and want to make it right please call me’, and in another Meghan says; ‘Very concerned about your health and safety’.

But Thomas Markle feels aggrieved, saying; ‘I’m sorry my heart attack is there any inconvenience for you’.

The papers submitted today by the Duchess’ legal team also state: ‘Mr Markle did not answer truthfully when asked about the photographs taken and staged by a paparazzo photographer…

‘Despite discovering that he had not told her the truth, with all the distress this caused her, the Claimant [Duchess of Sussex] was still focused on finding a way for him to travel to London safely [for her wedding], and the Claimant [Duchess of Sussex] tried to reassure her father that there was no ill feeling between them.’

On 15 May 2018, four days before the wedding, she wrote: ‘I’ve been reaching out to you all weekend but you’re not taking any of our calls or replying to any texts … Very concerned about your health and safety and have taken every measure to protect you but not sure what more we can do if you don’t respond … Do you need help? Can we send the security team down again? I’m very sorry to hear you’re in the hospital but need you to please get in touch with us … What hospital are you at?’

After not hearing back from her father The Duchess of Sussex followed up this text about ten minutes later saying that she and Harry had decided to send the security anyway.

She wrote: ‘Harry and I made a decision earlier today and are dispatching the same security guys you turned away this weekend to be a presence on the ground to make sure you’re safe… they will be there at your disposal as soon as you need them. Please please call as soon as you can.. all of this is incredibly concerning but your health is most important’.

Mr Markle responded to this simply saying he would be in hospital for a few days and was okay but refused the offer of security, the documents reveal.

They state: ‘While Mr Markle responded later that evening to say that he appreciated the offer but did not feel in danger and would instead recover at a motel, the Claimant responded 10 minutes later to make a further request for the hospital details so that she would know where he was.’

Thomas Markle finally called his daughter on the morning of her wedding, but the 4.57am phone call on 19 May 2018 went unanswered and father and daughter have not spoken since, legal documents have revealed.

Despite all the drama, Meghan’s mother, Doria Ragland, was reportedly in good spirits and already in London, socializing with the Royal Family and helping her daughter get ready for her big day. 

Leave Royal in drama

On January 8, 2020, after spending the holiday season in Canada, Meghan and Harry delivered the stunning announcement that they planned to “step back” from their senior roles in the royal family and work to become “financially independent.” 

“It is with your encouragement, particularly over the last few years, that we feel prepared to make this adjustment. We now plan to balance our time between the United Kingdom and North America, continuing to honor our duty to The Queen, the Commonwealth, and our patronages,” they wrote in a joint statement on Instagram. “This geographic balance will enable us to raise our son with an appreciation for the royal tradition into which he was born, while also providing our family with the space to focus on the next chapter, including the launch of our new charitable entity.”

A few days later, Buckingham Palace released a statement that addressed several details of the new arrangement, including confirmation that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex would no longer receive public funds for royal duties or use the honorific His/Her Royal Highness styling. The Queen released an accompanying statement to express her support of the young couple, noting that she was “particularly proud of how Meghan has so quickly become one of the family.”

Having set up shop in their new home base of Los Angeles, Meghan and Harry closed their @SussexRoyal Instagram account and formally signed off as senior royals on March 31, 2020.

Prince Harry allegedly did not tell his father Prince Charles that he and Meghan would be launching an unprecedented boycott of sections of the British Press in a protest over the way their lives have been covered.

In a move that stunned Buckingham Palace courtiers and prompted allegations of ‘censorship’, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have decided to withdraw all forms of co-operation from many of the country’s most popular titles, including the Daily Mail.

Last night one Palace insider said: ‘We have been left stunned. They have not taken any of our advice.’ 

The Duke of Sussex also did not tell his father Prince Charles before they took the action.

A source told the newspaper that he called the Queen from his new home in Los Angeles at the weekend to discuss his plans – but ‘did not go into specific details’.

Those close to the Queen were angered that the couple chose to release details of their new media policy on the eve of her birthday – today – and at a time when Britain remains in the grip of the coronavirus crisis.

Harry and Meghan have moved to the duchess’s American home town of Los Angeles with their son Archie after stepping down as senior working royals in pursuit of commercial careers.

They issued their letter on Sunday night. Notably, only British publications were targeted and the move was timed for maximum publicity yesterday when the duchess was appearing on Good Morning America to publicise the Disney nature film Elephant, which she has narrated.

In their letter, Harry and Meghan said they believe a free press is a cornerstone of any democracy, ‘shining a light on dark places’.

But they maintained that sections of the media had not wielded their power responsibly and there was a ‘human cost’.

The pair believe Meghan has been treated unfairly by the British press. The prince also smarted at criticism of their jet-setting lifestyle while preaching an environmental message.

Their letter told the newspapers the couple will no longer talk to them. ‘There will be no corroboration and zero engagement,’ it added. ‘This policy is not about avoiding criticism. It’s not about shutting down public conversation or censoring accurate reporting.

‘Media have every right to report on and indeed have an opinion on the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, good or bad.

‘But it can’t be based on a lie. What they won’t do is offer themselves up as currency for an economy of clickbait and distortion.’

It came after Harry was condemned for criticising UK news outlets at the weekend over their coronavirus coverage.

Former royal press secretary Dickie Arbiter said the couple’s ‘timing seems horribly crass’, adding: ‘In current circumstances people are having to make sacrifices, they are dealing with losing loved ones without having the opportunity to say goodbye to them…. this is not what people are worrying about.’ 

Even the Queen had been subject to scrutiny and ‘criticism’ but had always accepted that came as part of the Royal Family’s position as public figures, he said.

He added: ‘[Harry] seems to be very ill-advised by all these Hollywood types. To issue a blanket non-engagement about any story is actually very self-defeating. And it won’t improve their press.’

One royal source said the ‘incredibly thin-skinned’ couple had ‘lost sight of the bigger picture’, adding that their decision was ‘foolish and, some might say, undemocratic’.

Former Sun editor David Yelland told Radio 4’s Today programme: ‘It’s one of the worst pieces of communications I have ever seen… It will have no positive effects whatsoever.’

Last night Labour peer Lord Falconer, a member of Tony Blair’s government at the time of Princess Diana’s death, said: ‘It’s very obvious that Harry feels the tabloid press and middle market press behaved very, very badly towards his mother. One can understand why he feels like it.’ 

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