MEGHAN’S FIRST BABY PHOTOS
Unseen images of the duchess ’early years
Just hours after giving birth, 24-year-old new mother Doria Ragland’s face is awash with emotion – utter happiness, exhaustion, awe and relief. Like most new mums, she’s overwhelmed by the sudden change in her life.
In contrast, her little girl, who will grow up to be the Duchess of Sussex, looks calm and composed as she sits propped on her mother’s knee in a stark Los Angeles hospital room, still wearing her identity tags, in the firstever photo taken of her on August 4, 1981.
“We were all happy – over the moon,” recalls Meghan’s uncle Joseph Johnson, Doria’s half-brother, who took the picture. “It was like a new world. Before the birth of Meghan, Doria was just like a teenager, running wild and fancy-free. This was
such a settling moment.”
As we eagerly await the birth of Meghan’s own child, Joseph, 69, has revealed these sweet, previously unseen images, which capture the duchess’ first steps on her extraordinary journey from the suburbs of California to Britain’s grandest palaces.
While we’ve seen plenty of pictures shared by the former
Suits star’s estranged father Thomas Markle, Joseph says, “This is a good time for the world to see the other side of Meghan’s family – the positive side, not the degenerative side – and for them to be part of her story.”
Of his niece, Joseph recalls, “She was always a special child and so happy. She had a lovely and sunny disposition.” He says his half-sister – who worked as a make-up artist and air hostess while Meghan was growing up – instilled “love, kindness and a sense of self” in her daughter, teaching her the importance of “helping others and having a lot of courage”.
When he heard Meghan was dating Prince Harry, Joseph says he was “really stunned”, while Doria was “so excited”. Using her daughter’s nickname, she exclaimed, “My little Flower! How can this be true? This is unbelievable. My Flower’s going to be a princess!”
His family is no longer in touch with Meghan, but Joseph admits he was “kind of sad” and his wife Pamela felt “miffed” they weren’t invited to the royal wedding, where Doria was the only one of the bride’s relatives in attendance.
“Meghan has her own set of friends now,” he says. “They were the ones she invited – I guess you could say they are Hollywood royalty.” However, having watched the ceremony at home on TV, Joseph tells, “It was the biggest thing that’s happened in our lives. Wow! I, for one, was thrilled.”
Meghan’s uncle struggles to believe reports of his niece’s diva behaviour and has been told she enjoys the attention that comes with being royal. He says, “I’ve read that some of Harry’s old girlfriends couldn’t handle the scrutiny, but from what I hear, from what Doria says about Meghan, she loves it.”
He’s sure his niece will be every bit the loving mum Doria was and adds that his half-sister will play a “big part” in Baby Sussex’s life. “She’ll be hands-on, just because of Meghan’s time restraints,” Joseph tells. “She’ll have to be around. She’ll be a great grandmother if she helps raise that child anything like Meghan was raised.”