10 Fascinating Facts About Meghan Markle’s Life Before Becoming a Member of the Royal Family
Meghan Markle's Life Before Becoming the Duchess of Sussex
Who is Meghan Markle? Who was Meghan before meeting and marrying Prince Harry? She was an actress, activist, and an entrepreneur. However, lately, her first identity is of being Duchess of Sussex and a member of the British Royal family. But if we rewind, she was a struggling actress who landed a prominent role as Rachel Zane in the American legal drama Suits. She was a double major in theater and international studies, a calligrapher, and a blogger.
1. She was a feminist from an early age
Before this movement took on the world, Meghan was a born "feminist." At only age 11, the young Meghan was working on an assignment about a commercial where the product, an Ivory dishwashing soap, addressed only women. At the time, the Duchess protested, "I don't think it's right for kids to grow up thinking these things, that just Mom does everything." Meanwhile, her father also encouraged her to write her discomfort with famous names like Hillary Clinton and so forth.
2. She was a theater nerd
Acting was always on Meghan's mind. But she hated the idea of being a cliched LA girl "who decides to be an actress." Therefore, she chose to take the road less traveled and opted for a double major in theater and international relations at the prestigious school in Evanston, Illinois. Theater Department Chair Harvey Young recalled Meghan's time at their institution, "Like our other very promising alumni, Meghan was passionate about theater and had the self-confidence to weather the storms."
3. She considered politics as a career
A feminist, a social contributor, and a politician? Lethal combination. Well, Meghan Markle once considered going into politics and successfully secured an internship at the U.S. Embassy in Argentina during her junior year. During an interview with Marie Claire, "Our Secretary of the Treasury at the time, Paul O'Neill, was there, so I'm 20 years old, in Buenos Aires, in a motorcade, doing that whole thing. I thought for sure I would still have a career in politics."
4. She also had other side gigs
Apart from working as an actress, Meghan was also involved in other side jobs like Calligraphy and teaching bookbinding. She told Good Housekeeping (in 2016), "I think handwritten notes are a lost art form."She had a flair for getting cursive well. As a result, she landed jobs like Robin Thicke and Paula Patton's wedding invitations and Dolce & Gabbana's celebrity holiday correspondence. During her Africa trip, she revealed her bookbinding gig aside from being a calligrapher.
5. Prince Harry is her second husband
After marrying Prince Harry, Meghan became Duchess of Sussex. However, before meeting the royal, she was married to producer Trevor Engelson. The Suits actress met him in 2004, and after dating for six years, the ex-couple tied the knot in Jamaica during a four-day beach wedding celebration. But, soon after, Meghan left for Toronto, Canada, to film for her breakthrough role. According to the sources, the long-distance relationship during the early stages led to their divorce in 2013.
6. She's a self-proclaimed foodie
Meghan Markle is no exception when it comes to being obsessed with food. The Duchess of Sussex has dubbed herself a complete foodie in several interviews. She even dedicated a blog and listed her favorite dishes. The former actress turned royalty once told Delish, "When I'm traveling, I won't miss an opportunity to try great pasta," per US Weekly. Her favorite foods include Green juice, fish tacos, chicken adobo, cioppino, and kale chips. She cooked for Harry when he proposed.
7. She starred in Deal or No Deal
The struggle of Hollywood didn't spare Meghan Markle during her early days. Before bagging a successful role in Suits, the actress-turned-royalty auditioned almost every day for several projects. During that time, she was chosen as a briefcase girl on the game show Deal or No Deal. However, she hated the show. "I was the ill-fated number 26, which, for some reason, no one would ever choose. I would end up standing there waiting for someone to pick my number."
8. She frequently volunteered
British royals are renowned for their philanthropic endeavors. However, before she even met Prince Harry, the former actress frequently volunteered for good causes. According to the Duchess' official biography, Meghan helped in soup kitchens in both Los Angeles and Toronto. Aside from this, she also worked with the youth empowerment nonprofit One Young World, the UN's Women's Political Participation and Leadership initiative, including the humanitarian organization World Vision. She also visited India and wrote a piece for TIME in 2017.
9. She adopted two rescue dogs
Meghan Markle has been an animal lover. Years before she met her now royal husband, Prince Harry, the Duchess adopted two dogs from a rescue shelter- a Labrador-shepherd mix named Bogart and a beagle named Guy. The Labrador Bogart landed in Meghan's arms because of host Ellen DeGeneres and her wife Portia. She recalled in an interview, "It's sort of like if Oprah tells you to do something ... And so I brought him home. Because Ellen told me to."
10. She was already friends with some famous names
Although many people can theorize Meghan's fame is due to Prince Harry. However, this isn't true. Before she met Harry in 2016, Meghan was already friends with famous names like Serena Williams and Indian actress Priyanka Chopra. Since she moved to Canada, the former actress frequently hung out with Toronto elites and befriended the tennis legend Williams at DirecTV's Celebrity Beach Bowl in 2014. Meanwhile, Quantico star Priyanka met her fellow actress at the annual ELLE Women in Television dinner.
