Since joining the British royal family and marrying Prince Harry, Meghan Markle has become increasingly famous – and not always for the best reasons. That’s why the former Suits star and her husband made headlines in January 2020 when she announced her decision to step down as a current royal family member. 

However, aside from the negative press, there is much more to know about this woman. You may know her as an actor, Duchess, wife, or mom, but in Meghan Markle’s case, there are too many layers to reveal.

Meghan Markle’s interest in Hollywood comes from her father

Meghan Markle’s father, Thomas Markle, was a Hollywood lighting director during her heyday. 

When he was working on his latest TV series, young Meghan often visited her father on set, but because of the show’s more adult content, she had to stay in the craft room.

Unsurprisingly, Megan’s time on set with Thomas left an indelible mark, and she soon became interested in acting. This, in turn, prompted her to join the theater group at her school, Immaculate Heart High School, where Thomas also lent his services.

The Duchess was close to both of her parents as a child

Although Meghan and Thomas Markle are now separated, they once had a typical loving father-daughter relationship. 

In the Netflix series Harry & Meghan, the Suits star also opened up about her relationship with Thomas, revealing that she spent much time with him after his divorce from her mother Doria Ragland. Vanity Fair has previously reported that Meghan lived with Thomas for most of her teenage years, so it’s impossible to say how strong their bond was.

The remarkable father-daughter relationship was also demonstrated in 2016 when Meghan shared a sweet Father’s Day greeting on Instagram in honor of Thomas.

Meghan Markle has religious roots.

Thomas Markle and Doria Ragland raised their daughter in the Christian faith without being too religious. Being Protestants, Thomas and Ragland put Meghan Markle in the all-girls private Catholic school Immaculate Heart High School in California. However, despite her faith and upbringing, Meghan was baptized and confirmed in the Anglican Church before her wedding to Prince Harry.

She was a Sister of Mercy

Before becoming one of the most talked about members of the British royal family, Meghan Markle attended Northwestern University, where she earned a double bachelor’s degree in theater arts and international studies. 

Teaching wasn’t the only area in which Meghan excelled: she also contributed to the Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority, where she was chair of the recruiting committee. 

Meghan Markle faced challenges early in her acting career.

At the dawn of her acting career, Meghan Markle struggled to find her place in Hollywood. In an article for Elle magazine in 2016. Meghan detailed her experiences as a young actor and revealed that she often faced discrimination because of her biracial identity. 

In addition, Meghan was not only not getting roles but needed help financially. According to reports published in 2018, the Duchess worked as a calligrapher and taught bookbinding and gift wrapping while trying to gain a foothold in the movie industry. 

Her relationship before Prince Harry.

Before her fairytale love story with Prince Harry began, Meghan Markle had a long-term relationship with movie producer Trevor Engelson. Meghan and Engelson first met in 2004. They continued to date after that, growing closer due to their shared interest in show business. Over time, Engelson and Megan’s love grew stronger and stronger, and in September 2011, they married in a modest ceremony in Jamaica. 

But their union, unfortunately, was short-lived: in August 2013, the future Duchess filed for divorce. 

Meghan’s next long-term relationship was with Canadian celebrity chef Cory Vitiello, which she broke up in May 2016. Presumably, the same month she met Prince Harry.

Before Prince Harry, Meghan Markle was a blogger.

On the pages of her blog, Meghan – at the time an aspiring actor – wrote about the challenges she faced in the industry. 

In 2014, the young Duchess launched The Tig blog, writing articles on various topics, including beauty, fashion, and food. 

However, despite the success of The Tig in 2017. Meghan shut down the lifestyle site. 

Meghan Markle’s charity work

Since college, Meghan Markle has been involved in charity work. While living in Canada, the “Date Night Book” star reportedly donated groceries to St. Felix Centre, a charity organization in the country’s capital. 

For her many charitable activities and commitment to social justice, Meghan and her husband, Prince Harry, were honored with the NAACP President’s Award in 2022.

Meghan takes serious care of her physical fitness and mental health

An acting career, a role as a mother of two, a wife to a British prince, and a target for numerous internet trolls – Meghan Markle has had a lot on her plate over the years. However, she never forgets about her well-being.

“Yoga is my thing. … I started doing yoga with my mom when I was seven,” Meghan explained to Best Health. 

In addition to physical activity, the former star also works on her mental health, such as meditation and deep breathing. 

The Duchess of Sussex has many nicknames.

Meghan Markle is known worldwide, but behind closed doors, the Duchess of Sussex goes by many different nicknames. “My mom still calls me Flower,” she told Sex and the City author Candace Bushnell and actor Michaela Jae Rodriguez. As for whether the Duchess still likes being called by her childhood nickname, she said: ” I love it! I’ll be a 41-year-old wallflower; it’s okay.

Meghan Markle briefly worked at the U.S. embassy.

Although Meghan Markle dreamed of becoming an actor, she also had a passion for politics. This influenced her college course of study. So when she had the opportunity to intern at the U.S. Embassy in Buenos Aires, Argentina, at the end of her first year, Meghan took it. It was an exciting experience, but Megan recalled that former U.S. Treasury Secretary Paul O’Neill was also at the embassy during her internship. 

But while Meghan said she applied for the embassy internship independently, there are contrary claims about how she achieved the role. In 2018, Meghan’s paternal uncle and former U.S. diplomat, Michael Markle, told the Daily Mail how he allegedly used his connections to help his niece secure an internship. “I spoke to the ambassador to Argentina for her,” Michael claimed. However, the Duchess of Sussex has denied the claim, with her half-sister Samantha Markle telling Vanity Fair that Meghan insists she doesn’t know him.