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36 things we've learnt about Meghan Markle

Meghan Markle is 36 - Copyright (c) 2016 Rex Features. No use without permission.
Meghan Markle is 36 - Copyright (c) 2016 Rex Features. No use without permission.

Meghan Markle has spoken for the first time about her relationship with Prince Harry. In an interview with Vanity Fair, the Suits actress said: "We’re two people who are really happy and in love".

The couple have recently returned from an African safari to celebrate Markle's 36th birthday, which fell shortly after they celebrated their one year anniversary. The couple reportedly began dating in the summer of 2016.

So in short time we've known her, here are some of the things we have learnt about Princess Meghan.

1. She used to be a calligrapher

Should Harry need any royal decrees drawing up, Meghan is the woman for the job. While trying to break into acting, she split her time between auditions and working as a freelance calligrapher.

Meghan told Esquire that calligraphy was her 'pseudo-waitressing job'. “I didn't wait tables. I did calligraphy for the invitations for, like, Robin Thicke and Paula Patton's wedding,” she explained.

“I think handwritten notes are a lost art form. When I booked my first [TV] pilot, my dad wrote me a letter that I still have. The idea of someone taking the time to put pen to paper is really special.”

2. She was discovered at a party

Reportedly by a manager who was handed a recording of one of her college films. At the time, Meghan had been working for the US Embassy in Buenos Aires. 

Meghan Markle best fashion looks
Meghan Markle best fashion looks

3. Her first TV role

Was in an episode of the medical drama General Hospital in 2002 - essentially the US equivalent of every Brit actors rite of passage: appearing in Casualty

She then won parts in CSI, Without A Trace and Castle, before starring in three major films: Get Him To The Greek and Remember Me in 2010, and the forgettable Horrible Bosses in 2011.

Eat. Pray. Love. #vacation #Italy #positano #girlstrip (�� cred: @jessicamulroney)

A post shared by Meghan Markle (@meghanmarkle) on Aug 18, 2016 at 8:05am PDT

4. She's worldly

Meghan, who has referred to herself as a "global citizen", graduated from Northwestern University School of Communication in 2003 - where she double-majored in theatre and international relations. The Tig was crammed with her travel photos and she reportedly spent a month in Italy after reading Eat, Pray, Love. Perfect for all those official royal duties, meeting ambassadors and diplomats.

5. She isn't afraid to graft

In the introduction to her former lifestyle blog, The Tig, Meghan explained:  "I've never wanted to be a lady who lunches - I've always wanted to be a woman who works."

As well as playing the role of Rachel Zane on Suits, Markle spends a lot of time doing humanitarian work. She's a global ambassador for World Vision Canada and has also worked as an advocate for the UN Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women. 

6. Her passion for acting started young

Meghan was introduced to television from a young age as her father used to take her on the set of American sitcom Married… With Children, where he was the lighting director. Meghan's mother is a yoga instructor and clinical therapist.

Regram from our amazing DP for #Suits @keydubs #BTS of @suits_usa ��

A post shared by Meghan Markle (@meghanmarkle) on Jul 20, 2016 at 3:42pm PDT

7. She can compromise

In April, Meghan closed her lifestyle blog The Tig, sparking reports that a royal engagement was on the cards.

“What began as a passion project (my little engine that could) evolved into an amazing community of inspiration, support, fun and frivolity. You've made my days brighter and filled this experience with so much joy," she wrote in her farewell blog.

8. She swears

On The Tig, Meghan described a pumpkin fondue as "the best f------- thing I've ever eaten".

9. It took time to find herself

Meghan's mother is African-American and her father is Dutch-Irish. She told Ebony that it took 'a long time to find myself'. 

“My mom is... 100 percent black with dreadlocks. And when people find out ‘that girl’ on Suits is her daughter, there is often this disconnect and sometimes disbelief . . . It’s that dichotomy that we can go through: ‘What are you? Where do you fit in?’

"It took me deep into my 20s to come to the realisation that I am ‘enough’ exactly as I am, and I don’t have to be more or less of anything for other people".

Meghan Markle photographed for Good Housekeeping - Credit: Bryan Derballa 
Meghan Markle photographed for Good Housekeeping Credit: Bryan Derballa

10. She's divorced

Meghan married producer Trevor Engleson in 2011, at a lavish celebration in Jamaica. The couple, who had dated since 2004, subsequently divorced in 2013.

11. She was a bad ass kid

Meghan's campaigning started young when, aged 11, she forced a soap manufacturer to alter an advert after she wrote a letter to then first lady Hillary Clinton and other high-profile figures complaining that it implied women belonged in the kitchen. Boom!

12. Periods aren't taboo

In March, Meghan penned an essay for Time, in which she spoke out about how periods affect girls' potential. "We need to rise above our puritanical bashfulness when it comes to talking about menstruation," she wrote. More of the same please!

13. She likes comfort food... and beer

The Tig was filled with book recommendations and warming recipes, such as Grandma Markle's Apple Butter Toast.

Meghan's most famous obsession was with red wine hot chocolate: "Combining two of every lady’s classic loves, wine and chocolate, this remarkably easy yet decadent dessert has been the talk of the town this season". So that's what she was buying in Whole Foods. 

When in....#greece #TigTravel @_thetig

A post shared by Meghan Markle (@meghanmarkle) on Jun 25, 2016 at 5:22am PDT

14. She hates airbrushing

The actress has said that she cannot stand it when her skin tone is changed and her freckles are removed in photographs, calling it her 'pet peeve'. 

Meghan, who has a white father and a black mother, has spoken in the past about the challenges of growing up mixed race.

"For castings, I was labeled ‘ethnically ambiguous.’ Was I Latina? Sephardic? ‘Exotic Caucasian’? Add the freckles to the mix and it created quite the conundrum. To this day, my pet peeve is when my skin tone is changed and my freckles are airbrushed out of a photo shoot".

15. Harry wants to protect her

In an unprecedented move, last autumn, Prince Harry released a statement in which he attacked the "wave of abuse and harassment" Miss Markle has faced from the media.

Communications Secretary Jason Knauf  said: "Prince Harry is worried about Ms Markle's safety and is deeply disappointed that he has not been able to protect her.

"It is not right that, a few months into a relationship with him, that Ms Markle should be subjected to such a storm. He knows commentators will say this is 'the price she has to pay' and that 'this is all part of the game'. He strongly disagrees. This is not a game - it is her life and his."

Prince Harry | The Meghan Markle statement in full
Prince Harry | The Meghan Markle statement in full

16. She adores Paris

Meghan is a fan of the French capital. "The food, the accent, the je ne sais quoi of the women with their inherent chicness – I sigh un petit peu just typing this," she wrote.

Seems like a perfect spot for a proposal... just saying Harry.

17. Serena Williams is her BFF

Serena Williams and Meghan became friends in 2016, after the tennis superstar barreled up to Meghan at an event and decided they should hang out. 

"We hit it off immediately," says Meghan, "taking pictures, laughing through the flag football game we were both playing in, and chatting not about tennis or acting, but about all the good old fashioned girly stuff.

"So began our friendship. She quickly became a confidante I would text when I was traveling, the friend I would rally around for her tennis matches, and the down to earth chick I was able to grab lunch with just a couple weeks ago in Toronto."

18. Self-love matters

In February, when she celebrated her first Valentine's Day with Prince Harry, Meghan gave some advice to lonely hearts by re-publishing a post written when she was single, titled 'Be Your Own Valentine.'

She wrote: “I think you need to cook that beautiful dinner even when it’s just you, wear your favorite outfit, buy yourself some flowers, and celebrate the self love that often gets muddled when we focus on what we don’t have.”

19. Birthdays are a time to reflect

Until now, Meghan has written a candid, personal blog every year on her birthday. 

On turning 33 in 2014, she opened up about how happy she felt now to be in her 30s. She admitted: "My 20s were brutal – a constant battle with myself, judging my weight, my style, my desire to be as cool/as hip/as smart/as “whatever” as everyone else."

When she celebrated her 35th, she gushed: "When I close my eyes and think of what I wish for, I come up with a blank. A big old happy blank.

"I am feeling so incredibly joyful right now, so grateful and content that all I could wish for is more of the same."

20. She wears vegan trousers

In an interview with Good Housekeeping earlier this year, Meghan extolled the virtues of vegan [also known as faux or synthetic] leather. 

“My wardrobe for my part in Suits isn’t like Working Girl – dressing for work doesn’t have to be so on-the-nose these days. The key is to have your own point of view attached to it. Personally, I love cropped pants in vegan leather, a great fitted blazer and a button-down [shirt].”

The comments proved controversial, with readers pointing to claims that the solvents used in producing some ranges of the polyurethane-based material are highly toxic when disposed of and released back into the environment.

22. ...But loves roast chicken

In a sentence worthy of Pippa Middleton's book Celebrate, Meghan also told Good Housekeeping: “There is nothing as delicious (or as impressive) as a perfectly roasted chicken. It’s a game changer. I bring that to dinner parties and make a lot of friends.”

While wearing vegan trousers, presumably.

23. Her half-sister is a bit tricky

Samantha Grant - who shares a father with Meghan - is reportedly estranged from her actress sister and has spoken to the press a number of times following the news of her relationship with Prince Harry. The latest reports suggested she was planning a 'tell all' book.

Grant, who is 52 and lives in Los Angeles, suffers from multiple sclerosis and uses a wheelchair. She has criticised Meghan on Twitter for not being a real 'humanitarian' and 'ignoring' her sibling.

24. She thinks Rachel Zane is a role model

Meghan has described her Suits character, paralegal Rachel Zane, as a "role model" because of her successful career. 

"I am so happy... she’s worked so hard and I love that, as a role model, how she’s been crafted to balance it all and now have this place at the firm where she really knows her standing and her office isn’t just because she’s a good researcher, it’s because she’s an associate. She’s really earned that spot."

25. She's inspired a fashion blog

Called 'Meghan's Mirror'. Editors Amanda Dishaw and Christine OBrien-Ross, document every outfit that Meghan wears, keeping their audience up-to-date on exactly what  her latest look is, where she bought it, and how they can get it for themselves. The pair had already found success with their first blog What Would Kate Do?, which tracks the Duchess of Cambridge’s style choices.

Items of interest have already included the necklace that Prince Harry reported bought his girlfriend, and the couple's matching bracelets.

26. Her dogs come first

Most living and breathing creatures, it seems, take second place to Meghan's dogs, Bogart and Guy.

"The first thing I do when I wake up is pick up my iPhone, kiss the dogs, and walk downstairs with them to let them in the backyard and feed them breakfast.

"Then while I wait for them to eat, I check some emails and send some texts, and we crawl back into bed for a little snuggle before starting the day."

She adopted them after being told to by Ellen de Generes. Meghan told Best Health magazine: "Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi walk in. Now, I don't know her, but Ellen goes 'Is that your dog?' And I said, 'No,' and she's like, 'You have to take that dog.' And I said, 'Well, I'm deciding.' And she's like, 'Rescue the dog!'"

Oh, my boys. This pic says it all. Bogart & Guy. �� #adoptdontshop #thelookonbogartsface

A post shared by Meghan Markle (@meghanmarkle) on Sep 15, 2016 at 6:18pm PDT

27. She loves Sophie Ellis Bextor

Meghan has a lot of  celebrity friends and no doubt many blue-blooded ones now she's mingling in Harry's circle.

But one slightly off-beat pal comes in the form of Sophie Ellis-Bextor, whose song Come with Us Markle includes in one of her playlists.

"Yes, sweet Sophie stole our musical hearts with the hit, Murder on the Dance Floor, a tune that has stood the test of time for our requisite late night grooving, but her new album Familia offers this beat titled, Come with Us that channels old school Madonna vibes like no other.

"Love, love, love! Bravo, Sophie! Love to you and the familia!"

28. She wants to fit in

Meghan's early trips to London, to visit Prince Harry, saw her pictured wearing Brit classics such as Barbour jackets, Hunter wellies and Mulberry handbags.

29. She doesn't mind the odd PDA

See Meghan kissing Prince Harry in a car park at Coworth Park Polo Club, near Ascot in Berkshire, in May.

Prince Harry and Meghan attend a friend's wedding near Miami, Florida - Credit: FameFlynet.uk.com 
Prince Harry and Meghan attend a friend's wedding near Miami, Florida Credit: FameFlynet.uk.com

30. She was the most Googled actress of 2016

And in good company, as the other most searched were Leslie Jones, Alice Vikander and Marion Cotillard.

31. She was a briefcase girl

On the US version of Deal or No Deal.

She says: "I went from working in the US Embassy in Argentina to ending up on Deal. It's run the gamut. Definitely working on Deal or No Deal was a learning experience, and it helped me to understand what I would rather be doing."

Meghan Markle on Deal or No Deal - Credit: Getty
Meghan Markle on Deal or No Deal Credit: Getty

32. She wants to learn polo

According to Malcolm Borwick, a former England polo player and friend of Prince Harry, Meghan is a budding sportswoman. "I met Meghan the other day for the first time – she's a really, really nice person," he told the Sun.

"She's not a polo player, but she's very keen to learn and I've offered to teach her".

33. She knows the value of money

"It wasn't long ago (cough – about ten years ago – cough) that I only had $40 in my bank account, that I could barely book an audition, and that my circle of friends was even smaller. But even then, without all the pomp and circumstance, I made time to celebrate my life," she wrote on The Tig.

Todo bien. #vacation #Mexico

A post shared by Meghan Markle (@meghanmarkle) on May 1, 2016 at 4:44pm PDT

34. Running is her thing

Meghan is a fan of yoga and running. "Running has always been my form of moving meditation, which I relish because it allows me to get out of my head.

"I love an intense vinyasa class - and even better if its blasting hip-hop and done in a dark room with candlelight". 

35. Her friends are loyal

When fellow actress Priyanka Chopra, was asked about Meghan and Prince Harry, she defended her pal. 

After the presenter called Meghan 'Prince Harry's girlfriend,' Chopra butted in - "Meghan Markle... [She has her own] achievements… Just saying!"

36. She could be a Duchess

If Harry were to propose, current vacant titles include Sussex, Clarence and Buckingham. We think Duchess Meghan as a ring to it.

Profile | Meghan Markle
Profile | Meghan Markle