Meghan Markle and Prince Harry don’t need an Oprah Winfrey interview to make headlines. From the start of their relationship in 2016, controversy has followed the couple just about everywhere they go.
But the Duchess of Sussex had a life before she met Harry and became a part of the royal family. And you might be surprised what Markle was like before the royal years.
Meghan Markle Was Born in 1981 and Grew Up in Los Angeles, California. Her Father, Thomas Markle, and Mother, Doria Ragland, Divorced in 1987 When Meghan Was 6.
When Meghan Markle Was 11 Years Old, She Protested Sexism in an Ivory Soap Commercial That Said Women Did All the Dishwashing Work. Markle Wrote a Letter to Procter & Gamble Asking Them to Change the Commercial and Say, ‘People,’ Instead of ‘Women.’ The Company Changed the Commercial, and Markle Landed a Spot on ‘Nick News’ on Nickelodeon.
Meghan Was Raised Protestant, But Graduated From Immaculate Heart High School, an All-Girl Catholic School in the Los Feliz Area of Los Angeles.
After Graduating From High School in 1999, Markle Went to Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois. She Graduated in 2003 With a Double Major in Theater and International Studies.
She Was in the Kappa Kappa Gamma Sorority at Northwestern.
Markle Interned at the American Embassy in Buenos Aires After Her Junior Year at Northwestern and Considered a Political Career. But Her Scores Weren’t High Enough on the Foreign Service Officer Test for the U.S. State Department.
Evan Agostini/Invision / AP Photo
Meghan Markle Studied with IES Abroad in Madrid in 2002 While She Was a Student at Northwestern. She Spent Six Weeks in Spain and Worked on Her Spanish.
Meghan Markle Started Her Career as an Actress and Has 31 Acting Credits to Her Name.
NBC Universal / IMDb
Markle’s First Acting Credit Was on ‘Married With Children’ in 1995 When She Was 14. Her Dad Was a Cameraman on the Show. That’s Her Singing in the Pale Pink Hat. Her Dad Is Now a Retired Television Lighting Director and Director of Photography.
Married with Children Unofficial / Facebook
She Appeared in 108 Episodes of the TV Series ‘Suits’ From 2011 to 2018.
Hypnotic / IMDb
Markle Played a Character Named Rachel Zane in ‘Suits.’
She Had a Popular Lifestyle Blog Called ‘The Tig’ From 2014 to 2017.
Meghan Markle Is Biracial. Her Mother, Doria Ragland, Is Black and Has a Special Nickname for Her Daughter, ‘Flower.’ Doria Was Born in Cleveland, Ohio, and Grew Up in Los Angeles.
Meghan Markle’s Mother, Doria, Had Many Hats As a Former Makeup Artist, Business Owner, Yoga Instructor and Social Worker.
Markle Showed Support for Race Issues Early in Her Career, But She Has Become an Iconic Figure for Anti-Racism Since Joining the Royal Family and Reportedly Being the Subject of Bigotry and Prejudice.
Matt Sayles / AP Photo
Markle Said It Was Sometimes Hard to Get Acting Roles Due to Being ‘Ethnically Ambiguous’ Since She ‘Wasn’t Black Enough for the Black Roles’ Or ‘White Enough for the White Ones.’
Matt Sayles/Invision / AP Photo
She Worked As a Freelance Calligrapher and Taught Bookbinding Between Acting Jobs.
Todd Williamson/Invision / AP Photo
One of Meghan Markle’s Last Acting Credits Was in a TV Movie Called ‘When Sparks Fly.’
Meghan Markle Started Dating Film Producer Trevor Engelson in 2004. They Were Married in Jamaica in 2011 and Divorced After Two Years.
Markle Started Dating Celebrity Chef and Restaurateur Cory Vitiello for Two Years Before Starting Her Relationship Journey With Prince Harry.
Her First On-Screen Acting Gig Was a Small Part As a Nurse on ‘General Hospital’ in 2002. She Only Appeared in One Episode and Wasn’t a Recurring Star, But She Had a Few Speaking Lines.
Meghan Markle Credits Businesswoman and Network Executive Bonnie Hammer As Being a Major Mentor to Her.
Markle Has Been Friends With Serena Williams Since 2014.
Gareth Fuller / AP Photo
Markle Spoke at the 2014 Summit for One Young World in Dublin. ‘They Are Delegates Who Are Speaking Out Against Human Rights Violations, Environmental Crises, Gender Equality Issues, Discrimination and Injustice. They Are the Change. The Energy Is Palpable, and to Be Able to Be Part of That Is an Honor,’ She Said on ‘The Tig.’
Meghan Markle Lived in Toronto for Nine Months Each Year While Working on the Show ‘Suits.’
Todd Williamson / Invision for the Producers Ball/AP Photo
Markle Is a Major Foodie, and Her Culinary Skills Contributed to Her Home Skills for Her Character, Rachel, in ‘Suits.’
Meghan Markle Was Born on Aug. 4, 1981, the Same Date As Her ‘Suits’ Costar Abigail Spencer.
Photo by Todd Williamson / Invision for UgandaProject/ AP Photo
Markle Acted Alongside Russell Brand in the 2010 Comedy ‘Get Him to the Greek.’
Meghan Markle’s Father, Who She Is Currently Estranged From, Has Pennsylvania Dutch, Irish, Scottish, and Scots-Irish/Northern Irish Ancestry.
Markle Is Friends With Priyanka Chopra. They Met in 2016 Prior to Her Relationship With Harry.
