Meghan was born and raised in Los Angeles, California. Her acting career began atNorthwestern University. She played the part ofRachel Zane for seven seasons (2011–2018) in the legal drama seriesSuits. She also developed a social media presence, which includedThe Tig (2014–2017), a lifestyle blog. During The Tig period, Meghan became involved in charity work focused primarily onwomen's issues andsocial justice. She was married to the film producerTrevor Engelson from 2011 until their divorce in 2014.
Rachel Meghan Markle was born on August 4, 1981, at West Park Hospital inCanoga Park, Los Angeles, California. She identifies asmixed race; "My dad isCaucasian and my mom isAfrican American. I'm half black and half white."[1] Her parents – the former makeup artistDoria Ragland (born 1956) andThomas Markle Sr. (born 1944), a television lighting director and director of photography[2] – separated when she was two years old and divorced four years later.[3][4][5]
Markle reportedly has a close relationship with her mother.[6][7] Until the age of nine, both parents contributed to raising her; then, her father was left in charge of caring for her (while her mother pursued a career) so Meghan lived with him full-time before commencing university at age eighteen.[8][9] Markle Sr. worked as a director of photography and lighting forGeneral Hospital andMarried... with Children, and Meghan occasionally visited the set ofMarried... with Children as a child.[10][11] In later life, she became estranged from her father and paternal half-siblings,Samantha Markle andThomas Markle Jr.[12][13]
According to Markle, she had some difficulty getting roles early in her career due to being "ethnically ambiguous" because "I wasn't black enough for the black roles and I wasn't white enough for the white ones."[35] To support herself between acting jobs, she worked as a freelancecalligrapher and taughtbookbinding.[10][36] Her first on-screen appearance was a small role as a nurse in an episode of the daytime soap operaGeneral Hospital,[37][38] a show for which her father served as a lighting director.[39] Markle had small guest roles on the television showsCentury City (2004),The War at Home (2006) andCSI: NY (2006).[37] For her role inCentury City, she told the casting directors that she was aSAG-AFTRA member when she was not, but after being cast, the employers were obliged to help her join the union according to theTaft–Hartley Act.[40] Markle also did several contract acting and modeling jobs. Between 2006 and 2007, she worked as a "briefcase girl" on 34 episodes of the US version of the game showDeal or No Deal.[10] She appeared inFox's seriesFringe as Junior Agent Amy Jessup in the first two episodes of its second season.[41]
Markle appeared in small roles in the filmsGet Him to the Greek,Remember Me (produced by her then-partner Trevor Engelson) andThe Candidate in 2010 and the filmHorrible Bosses in 2011.[42] She was paid $187,000 for her role inRemember Me and $171,429 for her role in the short filmThe Candidate.[43] In July 2011, she joined the cast of theUSA Network showSuits through to late 2017 and the seventh season. Her character, Rachel Zane, began as aparalegal and eventually became an attorney.[44] While working onSuits, she lived for nine months each year inToronto.[45][46]Fortune magazine estimated that she was paid $50,000 per episode, amounting to an equivalent annual salary of $450,000.[47]
Markle and American film producerTrevor Engelson began dating in 2004.[49] They were married inOcho Rios, Jamaica, on August 16, 2011.[50] They separated in 2013, and were granted a divorce in 2014.[51][52] Markle's subsequent live-in relationship with Canadian celebrity chef and restaurateurCory Vitiello ended in May 2016 after almost two years.[53]
In mid-2016,[54] Markle began a relationship withPrince Harry, a grandson ofQueen Elizabeth II.[55][56] According to the couple, they first connected with each other viaInstagram,[57] and they have also said that they were set up on a blind date by a mutual friend in July 2016.[54] On November 8, eight days after the relationship was made public by the press, the prince directed his communications secretary to release a statement on his behalf to express personal concern about pejorative and false comments made about his girlfriend by mainstream media andinternet trolls.[58][59] Later, in a letter to a British media regulator, Markle's representatives complained about harassment from journalists.[60] In September 2017, Markle and Prince Harry appeared together in public in Toronto at theInvictus Games, of which Harry is founding patron.[61][62]
Meghan Markle's engagement to Prince Harry was announced on November 27, 2017, by Harry's fatherCharles (then the Prince of Wales).[63] The announcement was greeted with enthusiasm by the British media and prompted generally positive comments about a mixed-race person as a member of the royal family,[64] especially in regard to Commonwealth countries.[8] Markle announced that she would retire from acting[65][66] and her intention to become aBritish citizen.[67]
Carriage procession through streets of Windsor, May 2018
After the wedding, the Duke and Duchess lived atNottingham Cottage in London, in the grounds ofKensington Palace.[74] In May 2018, it was reported that they had signed a two-year lease on Westfield Large, located on the Great Tew Estate in theCotswolds.[75] They gave up the lease after photos of the house and its interior were published by a paparazzi agency.[75] The couple considered settling at the twenty-one room Apartment 1 within Kensington Palace,[76] but moved toFrogmore Cottage in theHome Park ofWindsor Castle instead.[77][78] TheCrown Estate refurbished the cottage at a cost of £2.4 million, paid out of theSovereign Grant, with the Duke later reimbursing expenses beyond restoration and ordinary maintenance, a part of which was offset against rental payments that were due at the time.[79][80] Meghan gave birth to a son,Archie, on May 6, 2019.[81] The Duke and Duchess of Sussex's office moved toBuckingham Palace and officially closed on March 31, 2020, when the Sussexes withdrew from undertaking official royal engagements.[82][83] After some months in Canada and the United States, in June 2020, the couple bought a house on the former estate ofRiven Rock, Montecito, California.[84][85] The next month, Meghan suffered amiscarriage.[86] She gave birth to a daughter,Lilibet, on June 4, 2021.[87] Meghan later revealed that she had suffered frompostpartum preeclampsia.[88] The Duke and Duchess have owned aLabrador named Pula and twoBeagles named Guy and Mamma Mia.[89][90] Meghan previously owned a Labrador-German Shepherd cross named Bogart.[91]
In July 2018, Irish senatorCatherine Noone tweeted that the Duchess was "pleased to see the result" of theIrish referendum on legalizing abortion. Meghan received criticism for potentially breaching the protocol that prohibits royals from interfering in politics;[95] She deleted her tweet and emphasized that her statement was misleading and "the Duchess was not in any way political".[95]
After she returned to the United States and as an eligible voter, she released a video with her husband encouraging others toregister for the2020 United States presidential election onNational Voter Registration Day. Some media outlets took it as an implicit endorsement of the Democratic candidate,Joe Biden, which prompted then-president Trump to dismiss their messaging at a press conference.[96] In October 2021, she penned an open letter toSenate Majority LeaderChuck Schumer andHouse SpeakerNancy Pelosi, advocating forpaid leave for parents.[97] Her remarks were met by backlash from Republican representativesJason Smith andLisa McClain, who found her statement "out of touch" and criticized her interference with American politics while utilizing her British royal titles.[98] Meghan has reportedly lobbied senators from both parties on the issue of paid family leave, including Democratic senatorsPatty Murray andKirsten Gillibrand, as well as Republican senatorsShelley Moore Capito andSusan Collins.[99][100] She has also publicly spoken in support of federal voting protections.[101]
After becoming engaged, Markle's first official public appearance with Prince Harry was at aWorld AIDS Day walkabout inNottingham on December 1, 2017.[105][106] On March 12, the 2018Commonwealth Day service atWestminster Abbey was the first royal event she attended with the Queen.[107] On March 23, Harry and Meghan made an unannounced day visit to Northern Ireland.[108] In total, Markle attended 26 public engagements prior to the wedding.[109] Meghan's first official engagement after marriage was on May 22, when she and her husband attended agarden party celebrating the charity work ofKing Charles III (then the Prince of Wales).[110]
In July 2018, Meghan's first official trip abroad as a royal was toDublin, Ireland, alongside Harry.[111][112] In October 2018, the Duke and Duchess traveled to Sydney for the 2018Invictus Games.[113] This formed part of a Pacific tour that included Australia, Fiji, Tonga and New Zealand.[114][115] As representatives of the Queen, the couple were greeted warmly by crowds inSydney, and the announcement of Meghan's pregnancy hours after their arrival delighted the public and media.[115][116] During their visit to Morocco in February 2019, the Duke and Duchess focused on projects centered on "women's empowerment, girls' education, inclusivity and encouragement of social entrepreneurship".[117] Meghan also participated in her husband's work asyouth ambassador to the Commonwealth, which included overseas tours.[118][119]
As part of establishing a separate office from that of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge in 2019, the Duke and Duchess created an Instagram social media account, which broke the record for the fastest account at the time to reach a million followers.[120] In July 2019, the Duchess's security team were criticized for creating an empty zone of about 40 seats around her atWimbledon where she was watching a match betweenSerena Williams andKaja Juvan.[121] In August 2019, Meghan and her husband were criticized by environmental campaigners for using private jets regularly when taking their personal trips abroad, which would leave morecarbon footprint per person compared to commercial planes. The criticism was in line with similar criticism faced by the royal family in June 2019, after it was claimed that they had doubled their carbon footprint from business travel.[122][123]
At ActionAid in South Africa, 2019
In September and October 2019, a Southern African tour included Malawi, Angola, South Africa and Botswana. Archie traveled with his parents, making it "their first official tour as a family".[124] Meghan completed 179 engagements in total in 2018 and 2019.[125]
In January 2020, Meghan and Harry returned to the UK from a vacation in Canada and announced that they were stepping back from their role as senior members of the royal family and would balance their time between the United Kingdom and North America.[126][127] A statement released by the Palace confirmed that the Duke and Duchess were to cease to undertake royal duties as representatives of the Queen and would therefore no longer receive the relevant financial support.[128] The couple would retain their HRH styles but not use them.[128] The formal role of the Duke and Duchess was subject to a twelve-month review period, ending in March 2021. Meghan's final public solo engagement as a senior royal was a visit toRobert Clack School inDagenham on March 7, 2020, ahead ofInternational Women's Day.[129] She and Harry attended the Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey on March 9, 2020, which was their last engagement as a couple before they officially stepped down on March 31. Two years later, they made their first official appearance in the UK in June 2022 while attending thePlatinum Jubilee National Service of Thanksgiving.[130]
They visited the UK and Germany in September 2022 for a number of charity events inManchester andDüsseldorf.[131] On September 8, 2022, while Meghan and Harry were in London preparing to attend a charity event,Queen Elizabeth II died atBalmoral Castle in Scotland, and they remained in the United Kingdom for her funeral.[132]
Meghan and Harry visited Nigeria in May 2024 to honor the work of theInvictus Games. Meghan had previously stated that agenetic test had found she was of 43% Nigerian ancestry. According to CNN, their trip focused on "sports rehabilitation, mental health, and women's empowerment".[133] Meghan co-hosted a women's empowerment summit with the head of theWorld Trade Organization,Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, and she was honored in a ceremony by some of theNigerian Chiefs.[133]
Further career and investments
In summer 2019, before announcing their decision to step down in January 2020, Meghan and her husband were involved in talks withJeffrey Katzenberg, the founder of the now-defunct streaming platformQuibi, over a possible role in the service without gaining personal profits, but they eventually decided against joining the project.[134] In September 2019, it was reported that the couple had hired New York-based PR firmSunshine Sachs, which represented them until 2022.[135][136] The couple has also been associated withAdam Lilling's Plus Capital, a venture capital fund designed to connect early stage companies with influencers and investors.[137]
In June 2020, they signed with the Harry Walker Agency, owned by media companyEndeavor, to conduct paid public speaking engagements.[138] In September 2020, the Sussexes signed a five-year private commercial deal withNetflix.[139][140] In December 2020, it was announced that Meghan had invested in Clevr Blends, a coffee company based in Southern California.[141] In the same month, Meghan and Harry signed a multi-year deal withSpotify to produce and host their own programs through their audio producing company,Archewell Audio.[142] A holiday special was released by the couple on the service in December 2020,[143] while Meghan's podcast, titledArchetypes, premiered in August 2022.[144][145] In June 2023, Spotify cancelled the podcast, which ran for a single season of 12 episodes.[146][147]
The Bench, a picture book written by Meghan with illustrations byChristian Robinson, was published in June 2021 byRandom House Children's Books. It is based on her perception of the relationship between her husband and their son.[148] The book received a mixed response; it garnered praise for its illustrations and messaging but was criticized for its structure and writing.[149][150][151] On June 17, the book reached number one in the children's picture books category ofThe New York Times Best Seller list.[152] In July 2021, it was announced that Meghan would executive produce, alongsideDavid Furnish, a Netflix animated series calledPearl.[153] The series was originally pitched to Netflix in 2018.[154]Pearl would have depicted the adventures of a 12-year-old girl who was inspired by influential women from history,[155] but the project was canceled in May 2022.[156] Also in July 2021, it was reported that Meghan and Harry had signed a four-book publishing deal with Random House, including a wellness guide by Meghan and a memoir by Harry.[157]
In October 2021, Meghan and Harry announced their partnership with Ethic, asustainable investment firm based in New York City, which also manages the couple's investments.[158][159] According to state filings from Delaware, where the couple's Archewell foundation is registered, Meghan and Harry incorporated 11 companies and a trust beginning in early 2020 which include Orinoco Publishing LLC and Peca Publishing LLC to hold the rights for their books as well as Cobblestone Lane LLC and IPHW LLC which are holders of their foundation's logos.[160] Frim Fram Inc., which ranThe Tig, had been registered earlier as a new corporation in Delaware in December 2019.[161]
Harry & Meghan, adocuseries about the couple directed byLiz Garbus, was produced by Netflix and the couple's Archewell Productions and premiered on December 8, 2022.[162] The series received mixed reviews.[163] In April 2023, it was announced that she had signed with talent agencyWME, which would represent Archewell as well.[164]
In March 2024, Meghan launched the lifestyle and cooking brand American Riviera Orchard, which was later renamedAs Ever.[165][166] In April 2024, it was announced that Archewell Productions was collaborating with Netflix to produce two new shows on lifestyle and on polo, respectively.[167][168] Later in August, it was revealed that she had invested in the handbag brand Cesta Collective, which sold handwoven basket bags prepared by a group of women in Rwanda that were then completed in Italy.[169] In November of the same year she invested in the haircare line Highbrow Hippie.[170] Her lifestyle series,With Love, Meghan premiered on Netflix in March 2025.[171] In August 2025, Archewell Productions renewed its partnership with Netflix under a multi-year first-look deal, which included plans for a holiday special ofWith Love, Meghan, as well as further development of the As Ever brand and other documentary and scripted projects.[172] On August 26, 2025, the second season ofWith Love, Meghan was released.[173]
In March 2025, it was announced that Meghan would host a second podcast series,Confessions of a Female Founder, withLemonada Media.[174] Between March and September 2025, she ran an online site via ShopMy, which allows content creators to share links to their favorite items while earning revenue through commissions.[175][176]
Markle became a counsellor for the international network One Young World in 2014, spoke at its 2014 summit in Dublin[178] and attended the 2016 opening ceremony inOttawa.[179] Also in 2014, she toured Spain, Italy, Turkey, Afghanistan and England with theUnited Service Organizations.[180]
In 2016, Markle became a global ambassador forWorld Vision Canada, traveling to Rwanda for the Clean Water Campaign.[181][182][35] After a trip to India focused on raising awareness forwomen's issues, she penned an op-ed forTime magazine concerning stigmatization of women in regard tomenstrual health.[183] She has also worked with theUnited Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women as an advocate.[181][184] Her speech at the UN Women's 2015 conference as an advocate for political participation and leadership contained a number of sentences that were nearly identical to a 1951 speech byEleanor Roosevelt.[185][186] In 2017, Markle joined Prince Harry in teaming up with the charity Elephants Without Borders to assist with the conservation efforts taking place in Botswana.[187]
In January 2018, Markle became interested in the Hubb Community Kitchen run by survivors of theGrenfell Tower fire. She visited the kitchen regularly and suggested that the displaced women publish a cookbook to assist in funding for the group.[188]Together: Our Community Cookbook, her first charity project as Duchess of Sussex, was announced in September.[189] In August 2020, Meghan used proceeds from the cookbook to donate £8,000 to the UK charity Migrateful, which supports refugees, asylum seekers and migrants by helping them organize cookery classes.[190] In March 2021, she donated £10,000 from the proceeds to the UK-based charity Himmah to assist them with stocking the group's food bank, provide them with equipment and help the Salaam Shalom Kitchen, the only Muslim and Jewish community kitchen in the UK.[191]
In March 2020, it was announced that Meghan's first post-royal project would be the narration ofDisneynature's documentaryElephant, which was released on April 3.[192] In support of elephants, Disneynature and the Disney Conservation Fund would donate to Elephants Without Borders for species conservation in Botswana.[193] In June 2020, the couple backed theStop Hate for Profit campaign and encouraged CEOs of different companies to join the movement.[194] In July 2020, she spoke in support of theBlack Lives Matter movement.[195]
In April 2021, the couple were announced as campaign chairs for Vax Live: The Concert to Reunite the World, an event organized byGlobal Citizen to increase access to COVID-19 vaccinations.[196] They also announced their support for a vaccine equity fundraiser initiated by the same organization,[197] and penned an open letter to thepharmaceutical industry CEOs urging them to address the vaccine equity crisis.[198] In July 2021, Meghan and Harry were among people who were selected by UK-based charityPopulation Matters to receive the Change Champions Award for their decision to have only two children and help with maintaining a smaller and more sustainable population.[199] In August 2021, to mark her 40th birthday, Meghan launched 40x40, a campaign that asks people around the world to spend 40 minutes of their time mentoring women reentering the workforce.[200] In October 2021 and ahead of the2021 G20 Rome summit, the couple penned an open letter together with theDirector-General of the World Health OrganizationTedros Adhanom, asking theG20 leaders to expedite efforts for the global distribution of COVID-19 vaccines.[201]
In February 2022, the couple were selected to receiveNAACP'sPresident's Award for their work on causes related to social justice and equity.[202] In the following month, they were among more than a hundred people who signed an open letter published by the People's Vaccine Alliance, asking for free global access to COVID-19 vaccines and calling out the UK, EU and Switzerland for opposing a waiver that would allow vaccine intellectual property protections to be lifted.[203] In October 2022, Meghan and Harry were named asRipple of Hope Award laureates for their work on racial justice, mental health and other social initiatives through their foundation Archewell.[204] In April 2023, she was named as a recipient of theMs. Foundation for Women's Women of Vision Award.[205] In October 2025, she and her husband received the Humanitarians of the Year award at Project Healthy Minds' annual gala in New York City in recognition of their commitment to mental health support.[206] In the same month, they joined a coalition of public figures, scientists, and tech experts in signing an open letter calling for a global ban on the development ofartificial superintelligence until there is strong scientific consensus and public support ensuring it can be created safely and ethically, emphasizing the existential risks such unchecked AI could pose to humanity.[207]
Patronages and interests
From January 2019 to February 2021, Meghan was patron of London'sNational Theatre and theAssociation of Commonwealth Universities.[208][209] She continued her role as the private patron ofMayhew until 2022.[210] She remains a private patron of Smart Works.[209] From March 2019 to February 2021, she was the vice president ofThe Queen's Commonwealth Trust.[211][209] Until February 2021, periodically, online QCT chat sessions were conducted and uploaded to YouTube for general public viewing.[212] In October 2019, along with other members of the royal family, Meghan voiced aPublic Health England announcement, for the "Every Mind Matters" mental health program.[213]
In 2019 Meghan was a contributor and guest editor for the September issue ofBritishVogue and highlighted the works of 15 women from different areas, who were described as "Forces for Change".[214]Edward Enninful, editor-in-chief of the BritishVogue, later revealed that the issue had become the "fastest-selling issue in the history of BritishVogue".[215] In the same issue, it was announced that she had collaborated with a number of British fashion houses and stores to launch acapsule collection, called The Smart Set, in September 2019 to benefit the charity Smart Works. The collection sought to help "unemployed and disadvantaged women", through selling items "on a one-for-one basis, meaning an item is donated for each item purchased".[216] Taking advantage of the "Meghan Markle effect" (driving consumer purchases), in 10 days the collection provided a year's worth of clothes for the charity.[217]
Sussex Royal and Archewell
In February 2018, Markle and fiancé Harry attended the first annual forum ofThe Royal Foundation.[218] After marriage, Meghan became the foundation's fourth patron alongside Prince Harry,Prince William and his wife,Catherine.[219] In May 2019, as a part of their Heads Together initiative, the Duchess of Sussex together with her husband and in-laws launched Shout, a text messaging service for those who suffer from mental issues.[220] In June 2019, it was announced that Harry and Meghan would split from the charity and establish their own foundation. Nevertheless, the couples would collaborate on mutual projects, such as the mental health initiative Heads Together.[221][222] The following month, "Sussex Royal The Foundation of The Duke and Duchess of Sussex" was registered in England and Wales.[223] However, it was confirmed on February 21, 2020, that "Sussex Royal" would not be used as a brand name for the couple, following their step back from official life as working royals.[224] On August 5, 2020, the Sussex Royal Foundation was renamed "MWX Foundation" and dissolved the same day.[225]
In March 2021, it was reported that theCharity Commission for England and Wales was conducting a review of the Sussex Royal organization in a "regulatory and compliance case" regarding its conduct under charity law during dissolution.[226] Representatives for the couple claimed that Sussex Royal was "managed by a board of trustees" and that "suggestion of mismanagement" directed exclusively at the Duke and Duchess would be incorrect.[226] The commission later concluded that the foundation did not act unlawfully, but criticized the board of directors for expending a "substantial proportion of funds" to setting up and closing the charity.[227][228]
In April 2020, Meghan and Harry confirmed that an alternative foundation (in lieu of Sussex Royal) would be called "Archewell".[229] The name stems from the Greek word "arche", which means "source of action"—the same word that inspired the name of their son.[229] Archewell was registered in the United States.[230] Its website was officially launched in October 2020.[231]
Between 2010 and 2012, Markle anonymously ran the blogThe Working Actress, which detailed the "pitfalls and triumphs of struggling to make it in Hollywood".[232] In 2014, she founded her own lifestyle blogThe Tig, which posted articles about food, fashion, beauty, travel, and inspirational women.[233] The viewing audience consisted primarily of the fans of Markle andSuits. Promotion of the blog on other social media platforms targeted three million followers on Instagram, 800,000 on Facebook and 350,000 on Twitter.[234] In April 2017,The Tig closed. In January 2018, she took all articles offline and deleted her social media accounts.[234] It is estimated that Markle's social media activities annually earned her about $80,000 from endorsements and sponsorships.[43] She rejoined Instagram in January 2025.[235] She was also known for socializing atSoho House.[236]
Markle became known throughThe Tig for her fashion sense,[46] releasing two fashion collections with Canadian clothing companyReitmans in 2015 and 2016.[234] The lines were based on her personal style and that of herSuits character.[46] Markle has citedEmmanuelle Alt as her style inspiration.[237][238] In 2016, she hostedUSA Network's video seriesPower Lunch with Meghan Markle in collaboration withLexus andEater, discussing the culinary inspirations of five different New York kitchens.[239]
In 2015, Markle visited Malta after discovering an ancestor had been born there. Her trip was documented byElle UK.[240][241] She was featured in the cover story for the October 2017 issue ofVanity Fair and the December 2017 issue ofElle France.[242][243] Shortly after her engagement to Prince Harry in 2017, she caused a surge of interest in Scottish retailerStrathberry after carrying one of its handbags to a public event.[244][245] This was reported as an indication that her fashion choices would produce results similar to theKate Middleton effect.[244][246] After Markle and Prince Harry's first appearance as a couple, brandsMackage,Birks, R&R Jewelers, Crown Jewelers, andEverlane noted an upswing in their website hits and sales.[247][248][245] It was speculated that Markle's effect would be broader internationally because she already had a strong American appeal.[246] Consequently, the United States saw a boost in yellow gold jewelry sales in the first quarter of 2018.[249]
In 2018,Tatler included Meghan with other senior royal women on its list of Britain's best dressed people.[250] Following the announcement of her pregnancy, she appeared in aKaren Gee dress that resulted in the Australian designer's website crashing.[251] Fashion websiteNet-a-Porter ranked Meghan as one of the best dressed women in 2018.[252] She was nominated for the2018 Teen Choice Awards in the category Choice Style Icon.[253] In 2019, British brandReiss reported a growth in profits after Meghan was seen wearing a mini dress by them onInternational Women's Day.[254] In 2022, the blackArmani dress worn by Meghan during herOprah interview was selected by theFashion Museum, Bath, asDress of the Year 2021.[255] In the same year, she was featured in the cover story for the 2022 Fall Fashion issue ofThe Cut.[256] There was controversy over her claim in the interview that she had been told at the premiere ofThe Lion King that her marriage resulted in rejoicing in South Africa similar to that seen atNelson Mandela's release from prison in 1990.[257]
In 2018,Time selected Meghan as one of the100 Most Influential People in the World[258] and placed her on its shortlist forPerson of the Year.[259] Her name appeared again on thelisticle in 2021, and she and her husband were featured on one of the magazine's seven worldwide covers.[260] In 2019, the magazine named Meghan and Prince Harry among the 25 Most Influential People on the Internet.[261] She was also chosen as one of the 25 most influential women in the United Kingdom byBritishVogue magazine in 2018, 2019, and 2021.[262][263][264] Her influence was also recognized in both the 2019 and 2020 editions ofPowerlist, the 100 most influential Britons of African and Afro-Caribbean descent.[265] In 2022, she was named as one of the 50 Women Changing the World over the past year byWorth magazine.[266] In the same year,Variety named her as a stellar honoree for its Power of Women issue,[267][268] andFinancial Times included her on its list of "25 most influential women of 2022".[269] In December 2022, Meghan was found to be the second most disliked member of the British royal family by statistics and polling companyYouGov, behind her husband's unclePrince Andrew.[270] In March 2023,The Independent included her on its "Influence List 2023".[271] Meghan and Harry's exit from the royal family was satirized ina 2023 episode ofSouth Park.[272] In the same year,James Hibberd ofThe Hollywood Reporter named Meghan and Harry among the Hollywood losers of 2023.[273]
Following Meghan and Harry's trip to Nigeria in May 2024, Lucia Stein of theABC argued that the couple could have been used by the royal family, and added that "perhaps how helpful they would have been" had an agreement on a "hybrid working model" been achieved.[274] Among other things, she noted Meghan's style and meetings were extensively covered internationally.[274] In October 2025,Ranker rated her the most disliked celebrity in the United States, in its poll of 48,000 people.[275]
Privacy and the media
Court cases
Associated Newspapers Limited
In November 2016, theMailOnline was criticized for running an article on Markle's family background titled "(Almost) Straight Outta Compton", which triggered a response from Prince Harry's communications secretary.[14] Between 2019 and 2020, Meghan and Harry contributed to the bookFinding Freedom through athird-party source.[276] Despite initially denying their involvement with the book,[277] their contributions to the book became apparent duringher court case against Associated Newspapers who were trying to use the book in their defense.[278][279] In October 2019, Meghan filed a lawsuit againstAssociated Newspapers Limited (ANL), the publisher ofThe Mail on Sunday and MailOnline over the publication of a letter she had sent to her father.[280][281] Thomas Markle Sr. had provided the publisher with excerpts of the letter after five of his daughter's friends referenced it in aPeople article.[3][282][283] She subsequently received support from more than 70 femaleMPs from different parties who in an open letter condemned the use of "outdated, colonial undertones" against her in some national media outlets.[284] In May 2020, the court dismissed claims of the tabloid's alleged dishonesty and malice, as they were deemed either vague or irrelevant to the case.[285] In February 2021, theHigh Court of Justice found in asummary judgment that ANL'sMail on Sunday had invaded Meghan's privacy by publishing the letter,[286] and she won her claim for "misuse of private information andcopyright infringement" in May 2021.[287] She was given a £450,000 down payment on her £1.5 million legal fees as an interim payment, and pursuant tocopyright law, her legal team asked for a front-page statement byThe Mail on Sunday and MailOnline to acknowledge her legal victory.[288]
An appeal was subsequently launched by ANL in November 2021.[289] In December 2021, three senior appeal judges upheld the judgement of the High Court against ANL, prompting Meghan to call for reform of the tabloid industry.[290] In the same month, ANL'sThe Mail on Sunday and MailOnline published a front-page statement onBoxing Day acknowledging Meghan's victory, adding that there had been an agreement on "financial remedies".[291] In addition to covering a portion of Meghan's legal costs, the outlet agreed to pay her £1 in damages for invading her privacy and a confidential sum for infringing her copyright.[292] They were also banned from naming Meghan's friends, who had spoken toPeople magazine about the letter in 2018.[292]
Other cases and complaints
In November 2016,The Sun ran the headline "Harry girl's onPornhub".[59] The outlet denied any smear after it was revealed that the clips were illegally uploaded scenes from the TV seriesSuits and not pornographic material.[59] They subsequently apologized via an official statement in February 2017.[293] In February 2018, a letter containing white powder and a racist note addressing Markle was sent toSt James's Palace, triggeringcounter-terrorism andhate crime investigations byScotland Yard.[294] Meghan and Harry obtained a formal apology in May 2019 fromSplash News for privacy invasion at theirCotswolds residence.[295][296] In December 2019,PA Media retracted the publishing of aChristmas card photograph of Meghan, Harry, and their son Archie. The agency said that the photo was retracted because they had been advised that the photograph was "not representative of the Christmas card sent by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex".[297] The couple had a legal warning issued to the press in general in January 2020 after the publication ofpaparazzi photographs.[298] In March 2020, the couple took Splash UK to court after Meghan and her son were photographed without permission in Canada during a "private family outing". The case was settled later that year with Splash UK agreeing to no longer take unauthorized photos of the family.[299] The Duke and Duchess announced in April that they would no longer cooperate with theDaily Mail,The Sun,Daily Mirror andDaily Express.[300] They won an apology in October from American news agency X17 for taking photographs of their son at their home usingdrones.[301]
In March 2021,ITV News reported Meghan had complained directly toITV's CEO aboutPiers Morgan's comments on mental health following her interview with Oprah Winfrey.[302]Ofcom received over 57,000 complaints about the program including one from the Duchess of Sussex.[303][304] In the same month, it was reported that an American private investigator unlawfully handed over personal details about Meghan toThe Sun, including herSocial Security number, cell phone number and address, when she first started dating Prince Harry in 2016. Meghan and her husband condemned the "predatory practices" of the British tabloids, whileThe Sun stated that the investigator "was instructed clearly in writing to act lawfully", and they did not "use the information he provided for any unlawful practice".[305]
In July 2021, Meghan filed legal complaints againstThe Times for two separate articles, with the first one covering an unproven allegation fromRobert Lacey's book that she had left an engagement in Fiji for not being appointed byUN Women as a goodwill ambassador and the second one claiming that the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge had refused to talk to Prince Harry afterPrince Philip's funeral due to fears of a potential leak.[306][307] In January 2022, the couple jointly filed a legal complaint againstThe Times for an article reporting on Archewell raising less than $50,000 in 2020.[308] In the same month, she complained to the BBC regarding their five-partpodcastHarry, Meghan and the Media, in which the presenterAmol Rajan stated that Meghan had "apologized for misleading" the Court of Appeal in her case against theMail on Sunday.[309][310] The BBC responded by issuing a statement on its "corrections and clarifications" website to emphasize that she had "apologized to the court for not remembering email exchanges".[310]
In March 2022, Meghan's half-sister, Samantha Markle, filed a defamation lawsuit against her in Florida, accusing her of lying in the Oprah interview and disseminating false statements via her communications secretary for the bookFinding Freedom and sought damages in excess of $75,000.[311][312] In June 2022, Meghan's initialmotion to dismiss the case was rejected by a judge following amendments made by Samantha in her complaint.[313] She filed a second motion in the same month.[313][314] In addition to applying for the case to be dismissed, Meghan's lawyer also applied for the discovery process to be delayed, pending the outcome of the dismissal application.[315] A Florida judge later denied the application to halt the discovery process,[316] but dismissed the lawsuit in March 2023.[317] In April 2023, Samantha refiled the lawsuit with another amended complaint that covered statements made by Meghan in her Netflix docuseries as well.[318] The lawsuit was later dismissedwith prejudice in March 2024, after a judge ruled that the claimant was unable to provide evidence of defamation.[319] Samantha later appealed the decision.[320]
Between December 2022 and January 2023, more than 25,000 complaints were submitted to theIndependent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO) abouta column byJeremy Clarkson inThe Sun,[321] in which he stated that he hated Meghan "on a cellular level" and dreamed "of the day when she is made to parade naked through the streets of every town in Britain while the crowds chant, 'Shame!' and throw lumps of excrement at her."[322] On December 20, 2022,Conservative MPCaroline Nokes wrote toThe Sun's editor,Victoria Newton, calling for "action [to be] taken" against Clarkson. The letter was signed by more than 60 cross-party MPs.[323] On December 23,The Sun issued an apology, stating "columnists' opinions are their own" but they "regret the publication of this article" and are "sincerely sorry".[324] On the following day, a spokesperson for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex described the apology as "nothing more than a PR stunt".[325] Clarkson said his column was a reference toa scene from the television seriesGame of Thrones and he later revealed that he had emailed Meghan and Harry on Christmas Day 2022 to apologise.[321][326] A spokesperson for the couple said Clarkson wrote solely to Harry and the article was not an isolated incident.[321] In February 2023, IPSO announced that it was launching an investigation about the article.[327] In June 2023, IPSO concluded that the column was sexist and contained a "pejorative and prejudicial reference" to Meghan's sex, but it rejected complaints that the piece raised an issue of fact, or was meant to harass her or included discriminatory references on the grounds of race.[328]
Bullying allegations and Oprah interview
In 2021, shortly before Meghan and Harry were due to be interviewed by Oprah Winfrey,Valentine Low reported inThe Times that Meghan's former communications secretary, Jason Knauf, complained in October 2018 that her conduct atKensington Palace had caused two personal assistants to quit and had undermined the confidence of a third employee,[329] prompting an investigation byBuckingham Palace into the bullying allegations.[330][331] The palace hired an external law firm to examine the claims, with ten aides reported to have cooperated with the review.[332][333] Criticism of Meghan for twice wearing earrings gifted from Saudi Crown PrinceMohammed bin Salman in 2018, after he was accused of complicity in theassassination of Jamal Khashoggi, appeared at the same time.[334][329][335] Her representatives denied her awareness of the accusations against Mohammed bin Salman and saidThe Times was being used by Buckingham Palace for "asmear campaign" against her.[336][329]
The television specialOprah with Meghan and Harry was broadcast onCBS on March 7, 2021.[337] Meghan spoke about her personal and royal life and public pressure. She claimed to have been contemplating suicide during her time as a working royal and complained of a lack of protection for her and her son while being part of the royal institution.[338] There was a wide and polarized reaction to the interview.[339]
In an updated epilogue for the couple's unauthorized biography,Finding Freedom byOmid Scobie and Carolyn Durand, the authors claimed that "two of the individuals mentioned in [Knauf's] email asked for any allegations made to HR about their experiences with Meghan to be rescinded".[340] Speaking on behalf of the Duchess in a BBC documentary, Jenny Afia, a lawyer who represented Meghan in her case against ANL, stated that the bullying allegations were "just not true".[341] In June 2022,The Times reported that the results from the inquiry made Buckingham Palace modify some of the policies and procedures in its HR department, but the report would not be published to ensure the privacy of those who took part in it.[342] In September 2024The Hollywood Reporter reported on complaints raised by American staff members about Meghan's behavior. Her spokesperson declined to comment.[343] In January 2025Vanity Fair, who spoke with Meghan's employees, reported on their descriptions of her varying from "lovely, genuine person" to "cold and withholding", adding that a staff member with ties toArchetypes took a leave of absence while a number of others talked about quitting their jobs, taking long absences from work to avoid attention, or going through long-term therapy after working with her.[344]
On Twitter and other platforms
In March 2019, European consulting firm 89up reported on their discovery of 1,103 highly connected Twitter accounts with more than two and a half million tweets in favor of Meghan, most of which appeared to bebots carrying out "coordinated attacks" on royal correspondents who had reported negatively on her.[345][346] In the same year, CNN had reported on research byHope not Hate, stating that out of 5,200 "abusive tweets directed at Meghan" in January and February 2019, 3,600 came from a small group oftrolls.[345] In March 2019, the royal family introduced new rules for followers commenting on its official social media accounts in response to the online abuse aimed at Meghan and her sister-in-law Catherine.[347]
In October 2021, Twitter analytics serviceBot Sentinel alleged they found 83 accounts with a combined number of 187,631 followers that were possibly responsible for approximately 70% of the negative content posted about Meghan and Harry.[348][349][350] The report prompted an investigation by Twitter.[348] The company stated that it found no evidence of "widespread coordination" between the accounts and said that it had taken action against users who violated Twitter's conduct policy.[348] Bot Sentinel released three more reports in the following months.[351][352][353]
In January 2022, the BBC named Meghan and Harry among people whose photos and videos were used in fake instant profits advertisements andbitcoin-related investment schemes.[354]
Among theories widespread on social media, including Twitter and YouTube, were unfounded assertions that Meghan had faked her pregnancies, instead usingsurrogate mother(s), or that her children do not exist at all.[355][356][357] Meghan's half-sister, Samantha, was reported to have run multiple Twitter accounts that targeted Meghan.[358][359]
Following the Duke and Duchess'sdecision to step back from royal duties in 2020, the couple agreed not to use the style of Royal Highness in practice or publicly, but they are still referred to as "His/Her Royal Highness" in legal and private settings.[364][365][366][367][368]
Quarterly 1st and 4thGules three lionspassant guardant in paleOr armed and langedAzure (England), 2nd Or a lion rampant Gules armed and langued Azure within a doubletressure flory counterflory (Scotland), 3rd Azure a harp Or stringedArgent (Ireland), the whole differenced by alabel of three points Argent, each point charged with anescallop Gules (Prince Harry); Impaled with a shield Azure a featherbendwise Argent quilled Or between twobendlets Or all between two like feathers Argent quilled Or (Markle).[371]
Supporters
On thedexter side the lion used as a supporter by the Duke of Sussex and to thesinister a songbird Argent wings spread,unguled Or andgorged with the coronet of the Duke of Sussex.
The blue background of the shield represents the Pacific Ocean off the California coast, while the two golden rays across the shield are symbolic of the sunshine of the Duchess's home state. The three quills represent communication and the power of words. Beneath the shield on the grass sits a collection of golden poppies, California's state flower and wintersweet, which grows at Kensington Palace. The songbird with wings elevated as if flying and an open beak represents the power of communication.[369][370]
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus; Prince Harry, The Duke of Sussex; Meghan, The Duchess of Sussex (October 29, 2021)."Meeting the COVID-19 vaccine commitments".World Health Organization. Archived fromthe original on October 29, 2021.
^Swerling, Gabriella; Ward, Victoria; Tominey, Camilla (March 8, 2021). "Prince Harry and Meghan's 'secret wedding' an exchange of vows and not legal ceremony".The Daily Telegraph.
^"2014 CJCS Holiday USO Tour". Defense Visual Information Distribution Service. December 6, 2014.Archived from the original on November 28, 2018. RetrievedNovember 28, 2018.
^Singh, Harmeet (August 7, 2015)."UN Women turn on the light".Strategy Online. Brunico Communications Ltd.Archived from the original on August 17, 2015. RetrievedNovember 28, 2016.
^abHirsch, Afua; Croft, Claudia (May 18, 2018)."The Meaning Of Meghan".British Vogue.Archived from the original on May 28, 2018. RetrievedMay 31, 2018.
The generations include wives of princes descended fromGeorge I, who formalised the use of the titlesprince andprincess for members of the British royal family.
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