Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex, soared to international fame after her relationship with Prince Harry became public in 2016. Before then, she was known mainly for playing the role of Rachel Zane on the show Suits and her various philanthropic efforts.
A role model for some and a style icon to others, her public status does not make her immune to personal strife, especially when it comes to family. The Duchess has had to endure a fair share of scrutiny for her decision to maintain a healthy separation from select members who have caused drama within her life. Thankfully, her personal circle of allies has come to her defense on multiple occasions.
Long before her royal promotion, Markle was the daughter of Doria Ragland and Thomas Markle. Here are 10 things we found out about the duo who raised her and the two other siblings that share the Markle name.
1. Her parents met while working on a soap opera in the 1970s.
Fans know Meghan's mother Doria Ragland and father Thomas Markle as separate individuals, but the Northwestern graduate revealed in a 2015 Elle magazine write-up that the two met on a television set in the 1970s. Ragland was a temporary employee while Thomas was a lighting director.
"I like to think he was drawn to her sweet eyes and her Afro, plus their shared love of antiques," she wrote. "Whatever it was, they married and had me."
After eight years of marriage, Ragland and Thomas divorced in 1987 and Ragland went on to become a registered yoga instructor and eventually a trained social worker.
2. Ragland and Meghan remain close to this day.
Meghan and Ragland are extremely close. Per People, when Meghan and Prince Harry made their public debut at the 2017 Invictus Games in Toronto, Ragland could be seen at her daughter's side. When Meghan and Prince Harry eventually relocated to the United States after relinquishing their senior royal duties, Ragland moved into the guest quarters of their Southern California home, Vanity Fair reports.
To show fans a glimpse of their lives as California residents, Meghan and Prince Harry shared their 2020 Christmas card featuring their toddler son, Archie. People reported in Dec. 2020 that the illustration of the image was actually inspired by a photo taken by Ragland.
We’re thrilled to receive wonderful Christmas wishes from our Patron, The Duchess of Sussex, who also made a personal donation, helping dogs, cats and our community. ???? From all of us at Mayhew, thank you and Merry Christmas. ????????????
Find out more! ???? https://t.co/5o2RHLveRM
pic.twitter.com/uBV19F6Odt— Mayhew ???????? (@themayhew) December 23, 2020
3. Ragland and Oprah Winfrey are close friends.
Released on Aug. 11, 2020, Finding Freedom, a biography documenting life as a married couple for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, covers how the media pried into Ragland's private life and how Oprah Winfrey played a role in keeping her safe.
An excerpt from the book reads: "Doria found an unlikely ally in — of all people — Oprah Winfrey. The former talk show host, who had been introduced to Meghan by a friend, reached out to Doria to offer her support when she was first swept up in the media storm. It turned out that on occasion they went to the same church, the Agape International Spiritual Center in Los Angeles."
Winfrey also attended the duo's May 19, 2018, wedding, and Finding Freedom co-authors Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand go on to reveal in their book how grateful Meghan is for the relationship she and her family have built with the former talk-show host.
"Doria was able to spend time with Oprah when she needed to get away from her house without worrying that she would use their friendship to get an interview," the authors wrote. "A senior palace aide had an honest conversation with Oprah before the wedding, where she assured them that 'that's not what any of this is about.'"
"Meghan will always be so grateful to Oprah for being someone her mother can turn to," a source told Durand and Scobie, according to Oprah Daily. "Doria has plenty of friends, but there's a comfort you can take in knowing that someone like Oprah is close by and supportive."
4. Meghan's daughter's name pays homage to Ragland.
Prince Harry and Meghan welcomed a second child in June, a daughter named Lilibet "Lili" Diana Mountbatten-Windsor. Like clockwork, fans attempted to decode the special meaning of the newest royal's name. Those who followed Meghan long before her relationship with the Duke remember her now-shuttered blog, The Tig. In a post published to the lifestyle site (and obtained by People), the former model revealed that in addition to her late mother-in-law Princess Diana, the moniker is also a tribute to the nickname Ragland used to call her as a child: Flower.
5. Meghan won a very public legal battle against her father.
Thomas Markle has landed in the news for all the wrong reasons, including for publicly staging paparazzi photos in the run-up to Meghan's nuptials. His latest stint comes in response to a court victory Meghan gained to stop the publishing of a note she wrote to Thomas years ago.
According to Yahoo Lifestyle Australia, the Duchess sent her father the note months after the royal wedding in Aug. 2018. On Dec. 2, the Court of Appeal in London dismissed The Daily Mail's appeal to distribute her words, stating they were "personal, private and not matters of legitimate public interest."
In a statement, Meghan explained why this case was bigger than herself.
"This is a victory not just for me, but for anyone who has ever felt scared to stand up for what's right."
Yahoo Lifestyle New Zealand reported that Thomas voiced his disapproval of the decision and is considering reading the details of the letter himself in a YouTube video.
6. Samantha Markle published a memoir about life as Meghan's sister.
Though Meghan is the only child of Ragland and Thomas, she has two older half-siblings from Thomas' previous marriage. Thomas isn't the only family member using Meghan's name to push his own agenda. Her elder sister, Samantha Markle, just published her debut novel: a memoir detailing life with her younger sibling.
"My book deals with my bi-racial family in a candid, warm, personal and socially important way. Maybe when Meghan is more mature and reads the book she'll understand. Some of it she won't like, some of it she might," Samantha said in an interview with the Daily Star, according to E! Online.
Some chapters in the 330-page book are titled "The Pushy Princess of Vista del Mar," "Looking for Mr. Right, the Wrong Way" and "The Queen Would be Appalled," Tatler reports.
Samantha wrote that her reasoning for writing the book is her multiple sclerosis diagnosis and her desire to pay her medical bills.
"I decided that when it was appropriate and what I had to say seemed to have social utility, why should I not be compensated?" she wrote.
"The world was wanting to know about so many things, and I refused to lie helpless tied to train tracks bound and gagged. I believe in win-win situations, and I was adamant about the fact that, if they were going to make money, then so were we."
7. Samantha attempted to confront Meghan directly at Kensington Palace in 2018.
Because Meghan repeatedly ignored her sister's attempts to communicate, Samantha, for some reason, thought it made sense to confront her at Kensington Palace — yes, at the royal family residence.
Samantha Markle is coming to the UK. After making numerous attempts in private to arrange a one on one meeting with The Duchess of Sussex to discuss their 74 year old father’s health, Kensington Palace have refused to respond. I fear Meghan may not be made aware of these discreet pic.twitter.com/ZaypdSWEib
— Rob Cooper (@RobCooperPR) September 24, 2018
She was turned away at the door during the Oct. 2018 attempt, but not before dropping a note off for her estranged sister along with some stern words, which likely fell on deaf ears (via ET Online): "Let's just cut through all the crap, you're a woman, life is short. I believe you have it in your heart to do the right thing here. … You know dad loves you, you know he's been there for you more than anyone, so don't let this public monster and misperception that he's like a sperm donor dad trying to be involved all of a sudden."
8. Thomas Markle attempted to sue Meghan for the rights to see his grandchildren.
Because of their contentious relationship, it's no surprise Meghan has prohibited her father from seeing her children. Well, he hasn't taken too kindly to that, and so, in July, Thomas told Fox News he plans to take Meghan and Prince Harry to court so he can see his grandchildren.
"I will be petitioning the California courts for the rights to see my grandchildren in the very near future," he said from his Mexico home.
The 77-year-old said that he hoped Queen Elizabeth II and other royal family members would not "punish" his grandchildren for their parents' actions.
"Archie and Lili are small children. They're not politics. They're not pawns. They're not part of the game," he continued. "And they're also royal and entitled to the same rights as any other royal."
9. Thomas initially agreed to attend Meghan's wedding, but later backed out.
Thomas was originally scheduled to walk his daughter down the aisle on May 19, 2018, as fathers normally do. However, that all went awry after he was caught staging paparazzi photos weeks before the nuptials. He said he wasn't looking for a payout, but instead wanted to document the process of preparing for the big event.
At the same time, according to TMZ, Thomas suffered a heart attack, which also played a role in his decision to bow out at the last minute.
Prince Harry's father, Prince Charles, walked Meghan down the aisle instead.
10. Thomas Markle Jr. reveals the meaning behind the nickname Flower.
As previously mentioned, the name Lilibet pays respects to both the Queen and Doria Ragland. But, the origins of the name remained a mystery until Meghan's half-brother, Thomas Markle Jr., expounded upon it as a houseguest on Australia's Big Brother VIP.
While clarifying that his sister's birth name was Rachel Meghan Markle, her brother said Meghan got the nickname Flower because "over her crib, when she would go to sleep and she’d wake up, that’d be the first thing that she would see, is a bunch of really bright, colorful flowers with the sunlight coming in, and you know — it was really cool.."
In the past, Thomas Markle Jr. was also known to spew inflammatory remarks about his younger sister. As of Nov. 2021, he has since apologized for participating in said bullying, according to Heavy.
