Today marks the birthday of Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, born Rachel Meghan Markle on August 4, 1981. As an American member of the British royal family and former actress, Meghan has garnered international attention and acclaim. She is married to Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, the younger son of King Charles III.
Meghan was born and raised in Los Angeles, California, and began her acting career at Northwestern University. She is best known for her role as Rachel Zane on the TV legal drama “Suits,” where she starred for seven seasons from 2011 to 2018. During her acting career, she also ran a successful lifestyle blog, The Tig, from 2014 to 2017, which further bolstered her public profile. Meghan’s commitment to social causes, particularly those focusing on women’s issues and social justice, became a prominent part of her public persona during this time.
In 2011, Meghan married American film producer Trevor Engelson, but the couple divorced in 2014. Meghan retired from acting upon her marriage to Prince Harry in 2018, becoming the Duchess of Sussex. The couple has two children, Archie and Lilibet, and in January 2020, they stepped down from their roles as working royals. They subsequently relocated to Southern California and founded Archewell Inc., a mix of for-profit and nonprofit ventures.
In March 2021, Meghan and Harry participated in a highly publicized interview with Oprah Winfrey, shedding light on their experiences and challenges within the royal family. Meghan has also authored a children’s book, “The Bench,” and presented a podcast titled “Archetypes.” The couple’s lives and work were further explored in the Netflix docuseries “Harry & Meghan,” released in December 2022.
Meghan’s early life was marked by her mixed-race heritage, with her father, Thomas Markle Sr., being Caucasian, and her mother, Doria Ragland, African American. Raised in Los Angeles, she attended the Hollywood Little Red Schoolhouse and later Immaculate Heart High School, an all-girls Catholic school. Meghan’s activism began early; at eleven, she successfully campaigned for a gender-neutral advertisement by Procter & Gamble.
She attended Northwestern University, earning a bachelor’s degree in theater and international studies in 2003. Despite initial challenges in her acting career due to her “ethnically ambiguous” appearance, Meghan eventually secured roles in various TV shows and films, including “Deal or No Deal” and “Fringe,” before her breakthrough on “Suits.”
Meghan Markle’s journey from actress to duchess and her continued influence through Archewell Inc. and other initiatives underscore her multifaceted career and enduring impact.
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