Meghan, Duchess of Sussex (born Rachel Meghan Markle; August 4, 1981), is an American-born member of the British royal family and a former film and television actress.
Meghan Markle was born and raised in Los Angeles, California, and is of mixed-race heritage. During her studies at Northwestern University, she began playing small roles in American television series and films. From 2011 to 2017, she played her best-known role, Rachel Zane, on the American legal drama series Suits. As an outspoken feminist, Markle has addressed issues of gender inequality, and her lifestyle website, The Tig, featured a column profiling influential women. Her humanitarian work in the 2010s saw her represent international charity organizations. She has also received recognition for her fashion and style, releasing a line of clothing in 2016.
From 2011 until their divorce in 2013, Markle was married to actor and producer Trevor Engelson. In 2017, she announced her engagement to Prince Harry, grandson of Queen Elizabeth II, and moved to London. She consequently retired from acting, closed her social media accounts, and started undertaking public engagements on behalf of the British royal family. Following their wedding on May 19, 2018, Markle became known as the Duchess of Sussex.
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Early life and education
Rachel Meghan Markle was born on August 4, 1981, in Los Angeles, California, at West Park Hospital in Canoga Park. Her mother, Doria Ragland, a social worker and yoga instructor, as of 2017 lives in View Park-Windsor Hills, California. Markle has often described a very close friendship with her mother. Her father, Thomas Markle Sr., who lives in Rosarito, Mexico, 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. She has two older paternal half-siblings, Thomas Markle Jr. and Samantha Markle, from whom she is reportedly estranged.
Describing her heritage in a 2015 essay for Elle, Markle states that her "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 Hollywood Little Red Schoolhouse. At age 11, her successful campaign to get a company to change a national television commercial she viewed as sexist was profiled by Linda Ellerbee on Nick News. Markle attended Immaculate Heart High School, an all-girl Catholic private school in Los Angeles, but was raised as a Protestant. She then attended Northwestern University, where she joined Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority, and participated in community service and charity projects. Markle graduated from Northwestern's School of Communication in 2003 with a bachelor's degree and a double major in theater and international studies. She also served an internship at the American embassy in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and studied for a semester in Madrid, Spain.
Maps Meghan, Duchess of Sussex
Acting career
Markle worked as a freelance calligrapher to support herself between early acting jobs. Her first appearance on screen was a small role as a nurse in an episode of the daytime soap opera General Hospital. Early in her career, Markle had small guest roles on the television shows Century City (2004), The War at Home (2006), and CSI: NY (2006). She also took on several contract acting and modeling jobs, including a stint as a "briefcase girl" on the US game show Deal or No Deal. She appeared in Fox's series Fringe as Junior Agent Amy Jessup in the first two episodes of its second season. Markle had some difficulty getting roles early in her career. In 2015, she wrote: "Being 'ethnically ambiguous', as I was pegged in the industry, meant I could audition for virtually any role ... Sadly, it didn't matter: 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."
In July 2011, Markle joined the cast of the USA Network show Suits, playing Rachel Zane. The character began as a paralegal and eventually became an attorney. She completed work on the seventh season in late 2017. According to a critique in The Irish Times, Markle deftly and actively re-positioned her character from ingenue to moral conscience and gave viewers the unique portrayal of a daughter, whose African American father is in a position to help her career and advance her strong desire to break several racial and gender "glass ceilings". She appeared in two 2010 films, Get Him to the Greek and Remember Me, and one 2011 film, Horrible Bosses. She also appeared in episodes of Cuts; Love, Inc.; 90210; Knight Rider; Without a Trace; The League; and Castle.
From 2014 to 2017, Markle was founder and editor-in-chief of lifestyle website The Tig. She derived the name from Tignanello red wine. One of The Tig's features was Tig Talk, a column that profiled women including Jessica Alba, Gail Simmons, Ella Woodward, Daphne Oz, Elizabeth Hurley, Lauren Bush, Ivanka Trump, Dianna Agron and Jessica Stam. In April 2017, she closed The Tig. Markle developed an adept and polished social media presence - at the time of its closing, her Instagram account had 1.9 million followers. In January 2018, Markle deleted her social media accounts and, in a statement issued by Kensington Palace, thanked "everyone who has followed her social media accounts over the years".
In November 2016, Markle and Canadian clothing company Reitmans released lines of women's fashion workwear and casual-wear. The lines, based on her personal style, described as "aspirational girl next door", and that of her Suits character, quickly sold out. In 2010, Markle was paid $187,000 for her role in Remember Me and $171,429 for her role in the short film The Candidate. For her role on Suits, Fortune magazine estimated that Markle was paid $50,000 per episode, amounting to an annual income of about $450,000. In addition, it was estimated that, as a lifestyle blogger, she earned about $80,000 annually from endorsements and sponsorships. In 2017, her total net worth was estimated at $5 million. In 2018, she was among the nominees for the 2018 Teen Choice Awards in the category "Choice Style Icon".
Personal life
Markle began a relationship with actor and producer Trevor Engelson in 2004. They married in Ocho Rios, Jamaica, on September 10, 2011, and separated through a no-fault divorce in August 2013, citing irreconcilable differences.
Markle was in a relationship with celebrity chef and restaurateur Cory Vitiello for almost two years. They lived together in their residence in Toronto. Their relationship ended in May 2016. The two remain on positive terms.
In June 2016, Markle began a relationship with Prince Harry, who was then fifth in line to the British throne. Markle and Prince Harry met on a blind date that a mutual friend set up. The press began to report the relationship in October 2016. On November 8, 2016, the British royal family's communications secretary released an official statement that addressed a "wave of abuse and harassment" directed toward Markle. The statement described sexism, racism and defamatory stories directed at her. During a September 2017 interview with Vanity Fair, Markle spoke in public for the first time about her love for Prince Harry. Later that month, they made their first public appearances together at an official royal engagement at the Invictus Games in Toronto.
While working on Suits, Markle lived in a rented house in the Seaton Village neighborhood of Toronto, Canada, where the show is filmed. She lived in Canada for nine months each year, making a few close friends. She moved out in late November 2017 after work on the seventh season had been completed.
Royal marriage
Markle's engagement to Prince Harry was announced on November 27, 2017. By then, she had met Queen Elizabeth II, Harry's paternal grandmother, several times. The engagement announcement prompted generally positive comment about the possible social significance of a mixed-race member of the royal family. The ring Harry gave Markle consists of a large central diamond from Botswana, with two smaller diamonds from the jewellery collection of his mother, Diana, Princess of Wales. Following the engagement, Markle announced she would retire from acting, and began the years-long process of becoming a British citizen.
In preparation for the wedding, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, baptised Markle and confirmed her into the Church of England on March 6, 2018. The private ceremony, performed with water from the River Jordan, took place in the Chapel Royal at St James's Palace. The marriage ceremony was held on May 19, 2018, at St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle. The Duke and Duchess live at Nottingham Cottage in London, in the grounds of Kensington Palace.
Public life
Markle accompanied Harry for the first time during an official public appearance after their engagement on a walkabout in Nottingham on December 1, 2017, in connection with World AIDS Day. They were invited to celebrate Christmas 2017 with the royal family at the Queen's Sandringham estate. In early 2018, Markle accompanied Harry on his engagements in Brixton, Cardiff, Goldsmiths' Hall, and Edinburgh. On February 28, 2018, Markle accompanied Harry on an official engagement at the first annual forum of The Royal Foundation, "Making a Difference Together". She became the fourth patron, alongside Harry and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, after her marriage into the royal family. Markle and Harry marked International Women's Day by attending an event in Birmingham hosted by the Stemettes. Along with the Queen and other members of the royal family, she attended the Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey on March 12, 2018. The couple made their first visit to Northern Ireland on March 23, 2018. Markle carried out a total number of 26 public engagements prior to the wedding.
The Duchess's first official engagement after the wedding came on 22 May, when she and her husband attended Prince Charles' 70th birthday garden party to celebrate his charity work. Her first trip abroad at the request of the British government was to Dublin, Ireland, in July 2018. According to a review in The Irish Times, her visit became a unique national obsession. In June 2018, Kensington Palace announced that the Duke and Duchess would tour Australia, Fiji, Tonga and New Zealand around the time of the Invictus Games which will be held in Sydney in October 2018.
Fashion and style
Markle cited Emmanuelle Alt as her style inspiration in 2017. In an interview with Glamour, the Duchess said that she favored "that French way of styling, where if your outfit is pulled together, then something's got to be dishevelled - your hair, your make-up." In her youth, Markle's "sensibility had always been relaxed California girl style" consisting of jeans, cut-offs and flip-flops. She usually prefers "streamlined dresses" with "neutral colors" and boat-neck necklines, and likes "monochromatic and tonal dressing". She has worn outfits and ensembles by many fashion designers. The brands she uses are noted in the media.
In December 2017, Markle caused a surge in interest in Scottish retailer Strathberry, after carrying one of their handbags to a public event shortly after her engagement. This was reported as an indication that her fashion choices would produce her own version of the Kate effect. It has been speculated that Markle's effect would be greater, as she has a strong appeal in America. After Markle and Prince Harry's first appearance as a couple, brands Mackage, Birks, R&R Jewelers, Crown Jewelers and Everlane noted an upswing in their website hits and sales.
Charity work
Markle was a counselor for international charity One Young World. She attended its 2014 and 2016 summits. At the 2014 summit in Dublin, she spoke on the topics of gender equality and modern day slavery. Also in 2014, she traveled to Afghanistan and Spain as part of the United Service Organizations Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Holiday Tour.
In 2016, Markle became a global ambassador for World Vision Canada, traveling to Rwanda for the Clean Water Campaign, the agency's campaign to provide safe, clean drinking water, and she traveled to India to raise awareness of issues concerning women. Upon returning from India, she penned an op-ed for Time magazine concerning stigmatization of women in regard to menstrual health. She has also worked with the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women as an Advocate. The Duchess is a vocal feminist and likely to use her role as a member of the royal family to continue supporting women's rights and social justice.
In 2018, Markle was included in Time magazine's "100 Most Influential People in the World". She was also chosen as one of the most influential women in the United Kingdom by Vogue magazine.
Titles, styles, and arms
Titles and styles
Upon her marriage to Prince Harry, Meghan Markle became a princess of the United Kingdom entitled to the style of Royal Highness, as well as Duchess of Sussex, Countess of Dumbarton and Baroness Kilkeel. She is styled as "Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Sussex", and she is the first person to hold that title.
Arms
Ancestry
On her mother's side, the Duchess of Sussex is descended from African Americans enslaved in Georgia, and on her father's side from German, English, and Irish settlers. One of her possible forefathers, Heinrich Martin Merckel, emigrated to the United States from Lampertsloch, an historically German-speaking town in Alsace, and later changed the spelling of his name to Markle. Among her father's distant ancestors are Captain Christopher Hussey, King Robert I of Scotland, Sir Philip Wentworth, and Edward III of England.
Filmography
Television
Film
References
External links
- The Duchess of Sussex at the Royal Family website
- Meghan Markle on IMDb
Essays
- Markle, Meghan (November 30, 2017). "It's All Enough". Darling Magazine.
- Markle, Meghan (March 8, 2017). "How Periods Affect Potential". Time.
- Markle, Meghan (December 22, 2016). "Meghan Markle: I'm More Than An 'Other' (originally published in July, 2015)". ELLE.
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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