Meghan, Duchess of Sussex

Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, born Rachel Meghan Markle on August 4, 1981, is an American media personality, entrepreneur, actress, and member of the British royal family. She is married to Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, the younger son of King Charles III. She first gained wide public recognition as an actress and lifestyle blogger before marrying into the royal family, after which she transitioned into public duties and media ventures.

Markle was born and raised in Los Angeles, California. Her mother, Doria Ragland, worked as a makeup artist, while her father, Thomas Markle Sr., was a television lighting and photography director. She attended Immaculate Heart High School, where she participated in plays and musicals. In 1999, she enrolled at Northwestern University, where she joined the Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority and completed an internship at the American embassy in Buenos Aires. She graduated in 2003 with a bachelor's degree featuring a double major in theater and international studies.

Early in her career, Markle worked as a freelance calligrapher and bookbinding teacher between acting roles. She made minor television appearances on daytime shows and series such as General Hospital, Century City, and Fringe, along with a role as a briefcase girl on Deal or No Deal. She also landed small parts in feature films including Get Him to the Greek, Remember Me, and Horrible Bosses. Her breakthrough came in July 2011 when she was cast as paralegal-turned-attorney Rachel Zane on the USA Network legal drama series Suits, a role she played for seven seasons until 2018. During this time, she launched the lifestyle blog The Tig, which ran from 2014 to 2017.

After dating Prince Harry beginning in mid-2016, Markle announced her engagement in late 2017 and retired from acting. The couple married on May 19, 2018, at St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle, whereupon she became the Duchess of Sussex. They have two children, Archie and Lilibet. As a working royal, she participated in numerous official engagements and charity work. In January 2020, the couple stepped down from their roles as working royals and subsequently relocated to Southern California.

Following their move, the couple founded Archewell Inc., a mix of for-profit and non-profit business organizations. In March 2021, she featured in the television interview Oprah with Meghan and Harry. She authored the children's book The Bench and hosted the 2022 podcast Archetypes. Her screen appearances include the Netflix series Harry & Meghan (2022) and With Love, Meghan (2025). In 2025, she launched the lifestyle and cooking brand As Ever and returned to acting in Close Personal Friends. In August 2026, she and her husband relocated to the United Kingdom, establishing a private residence outside London without plans to resume public duties as working royals.