Recently, Prince Harry has announced his engagement to American actress Meghan Markle. The pair have been dating since June of 2016, and have been crazy about each other since. Even though Markle has become a household name overnight, some still do not recognize her or know anything about her. Here is what you need to know about Ms. Markle:
She is older than Harry, AND her first name isn’t Meghan!
Markle was born with the name Rachel Meghan Markle. She was born in Los Angeles on August 4, 1981, which means she is 36 years old today. That is three years older than Prince Harry, who is currently 33 years old.
She was married before.
Markle was once married to actor and producer Trevor Engelson. Markle and Engelson dated from 2004 and married in 2011. The two divorced in 2013. Usually, being divorced is a big no-no when it comes to marrying royalty. Divorce is frowned upon in royalty, but the Queen did not seem to care about her being divorced. In the past, princes have had to give up their place in line to be king if they wished to marry a divorcee. Harry gets to keep his spot in line and marry the woman of his dreams.
She is an actress.
Markle attended Northwestern University and double majored in theater and international studies. Markle graduated in 2003 and worked on her acting career full time. Markle has appeared in movies titled Get Him to the Greek, Horrible Bosses, When Sparks Fly, and Remember Me. Markle also appeared in the hit TV show Suits. Markle’s father is also a producer, so she has grown up around the industry. Markle will retire from acting after marrying Prince Harry to do humanitarian and philanthropic work, which is also very close to Markle’s heart.
She has had some odd jobs.
In between auditions and acting jobs, Markle would struggle to make money. Markle was once a calligrapher on her off-time. Markle’s beautiful penmanship did not go unnoticed when she wrote out invitations and cards. She believes hand-written notes are a lost artform, and should be appreciated more. Markle was also one of the models holding briefcases on the popular game show Deal or No Deal. Markle does not believe this job was her best work, and did the job when she was struggling to make ends meet. Markle would stand for a long time in uncomfortable heels. She wished for her number to be called just so she could sit down.
She is biracial.
Markle is biracial! Her Caucasian father is of Dutch, English, and Irish descent and her mother is African-American. Although Markle is going to be the first biracial royal in our lifetime, she may not be the first one in history. It is believed that Queen Charlotte is of African descent as well. Many old writings about her appearance and research on her make people believe she was of African descent. Â Â
She is becoming a British citizen and joining the Church of England.
Markle was raised Protestant and attended private, Catholic schooling when she was young. Before she marries Prince Harry, Markle will be baptized and confirmed into the Church of England. Markle will also become a British citizen before her marriage to Prince Harry this spring. It is rumored that Markle will be bestowed with the title Duchess of Sussex upon marriage.
She is actually one of Prince Harry’s cousins.
In November 2017, the New England Historic Genealogical Society confirmed that Markle is a descendant of King Edward III through her father’s ancestor, Rev. William Skipper, who immigrated to Boston, Massachusetts in 1639. Through this, Markle is a 17th cousin of Prince Harry. Markle is also linked to eight presidents including George Washington, Richard Nixon, and James A. Garfield. Â