Hollywood princesses
The real-life fairytales
Meghan was well on her way to being Hollywood royalty before she met her future husband, Prince Harry.
Having grown up in Los Angeles in close proximity to the entertainment business, thanks to her father Thomas’ job as a lighting director, it was only natural that Meghan chose to become an actor.
But while attending Northwestern University in Illinois – where she majored in international studies and theatre – Meghan interned at the US embassy in Argentina. “I thought for sure I would still have a career in politics,” she said in 2013.
However, following her graduation, Meghan returned to LA after being introduced to a manager who urged her to give acting a go. In 2002, she landed her first on-screen role on General Hospital and other small TV roles followed, along with modelling and presenting work.
She was a ‘briefcase girl’ on Deal or No Deal, which she later admitted “helped me understand what I would rather be doing”.
But like most young actors, Meghan had a job that helped pay the rent between roles – albeit a more unusual one than most: calligraphy. Her ability to write beautifully hand-penned notes turned into a lucrative side hustle, with Meghan even doing invitations for Robin Thicke’s first wedding and Dolce & Gabbana’s celebrity correspondence.
In 2011, Meghan finally got her breakout role playing paralegal Rachel Zane in Suits, in which she quickly became one of the legal drama’s standout stars.
Meghan’s private life had also hit a high: in September 2011 she married actor and producer Trevor Engelson. But as Meghan’s role on the Torontobased show continued, living away from La-based Trevor for nine months of the year caused cracks in their relationship, and by August 2013 they divorced.
As Meghan’s fame grew, she became increasingly vocal about her lifelong passion for equality. She became more involved in politics and humanitarian work, attending UN Foundation conferences on equality.
In 2014 she explained how the personal had become political for her, revealing how she’d stood up to her Suits bosses about being filmed with few clothes.
‘I think at a certain point you feel empowered enough to just say no,’ she said at the One Young World conference.
The same year, Meghan launched her lifestyle website The Tig, which explored her passion for health, wellbeing, food and travel. But it was her 2015 speech on gender equality at the UN Women’s Conference – in which she said “I am proud to be a woman and a feminist” – that took her from Hollywood to the world stage.
A year later, in July 2016, when the Invictus Games was held in Toronto, Meghan went on a blind date with Prince Harry, after being set up by a mutual friend.
Harry would later say that he immediately knew Meghan was “The One”.