So what will Doria do next?
She stole the nation’s hearts at the royal wedding, but can Meghan’s mother now expect an official role, asks Eleanor Steafel
As she joined the Royal family on the steps of St George’s Chapel to wave off the newlyweds on their carriage ride through Windsor, the new Duchess of Sussex’s mother finally looked at ease.
Only the most stony-hearted of onlookers could have felt anything but a pang of empathy for Doria Ragland when she took her seat in the chapel that morning and awaited the arrival of the bride, her only daughter.
“She looks so lonely!” viewers the world over cried as the camera lingered on her face, which was understandably full of emotion. Prince Harry leaned forward, trying to catch his new mother-in-law’s eye – presumably hoping to offer her some reassurance. On his side, of course, the seats were filled with more than 20 members of his own family; on hers, a smattering of her daughter’s celebrity friends were all that were there to bolster her.
Then outside, after the ceremony, her arm linked with that of the Prince of Wales – who had stepped in at the last minute to accompany her daughter for the final few strides down the aisle – Doria took her place in the fold of The Firm.
But who is the woman who stole the nation’s hearts on Saturday, and what sort of role is she expected to play in royal life?
In official photos released yesterday, it was quite clear that Prince Harry, his new wife and her mother – with whom she is known to be incredibly close
– are already a unit. Standing proudly next to her daughter, her new son-in-law smiling on the other side of her, the three of them seem like a happy team. Though she will be living thousands of miles away in Los Angeles, Doria is expected to play an important role in the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s lives – especially as they take their places as global ambassadors for the Royal family.
Doria, a yoga instructor, until a couple of weeks ago, and a former social worker, has, until now, gone under the radar, choosing not to give any interviews about her famous daughter. Unlike her ex-husband, Thomas Markle Snr, who had dominated the headlines in the days before the nuptials, she has managed to avoid speaking to the press or being caught by the glare of the paparazzi in LA.
There has been speculation for a couple of weeks that she may be about to break her silence and give a TV interview to Oprah Winfrey, whose house she was seen arriving at earlier this month, and who was among the guests on Saturday. It would certainly be seen as a break with tradition (to date, the only member of the Royal family to go on the chat-show circuit is Sarah Ferguson) but, as Hugo Vickers, the royal commentator, points out: “If it’s necessary for Doria to give one interview, Oprah’s probably the one to do, though she’s done so brilliantly she doesn’t need to.”
It is, undeniably, a tricky line to tread: return to normal life and fade into the background, or embrace a public existence that you never dreamt of?
In the past, new royal in-laws would feature little once the rings had been exchanged, but since the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s marriage in 2011, Carole and Michael Middleton have been seen a number of times at royal events. The Queen made a point of inviting them to join her at Ascot just a couple of weeks after the wedding, prompting some speculation that an invitation may be extended to Doria to attend a garden party being held at Buckingham Palace today in celebration of Prince of Wales’s 70th birthday.
Mr Vickers adds that the efforts clearly being made by the Royal family on Saturday to make Doria feel welcome are an indication of the genuine good feeling between the two families. “The way the whole thing was done was very inclusive, with Prince Charles stepping in to walk Meghan to the altar. They obviously all get on very well privately.”
She won’t, it is thought, be granted a coat of arms, as the Middletons were after the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were married. Reports suggest that the Duchess of Sussex will receive her own, but that the honour won’t be bestowed on her family. But for Doria, more used to the Californian hills than British stately homes, such a tribute might seem a little archaic in any case. Last year, the Royal Commonwealth Society announced its plans to open a branch in the United States, with a view to one day bringing America into the fold as an “associate member”; there, certainly, Doria would be well-placed to help her daughter and son-in-law in their efforts as global ambassadors for the Commonwealth. It would also allow mother and daughter to spend more time with one another, as would Doria accompanying the Duke and Duchess of Sussex on a US tour designed to reinforce the special relationship, should one take place.
What is rather more likely, experts believe, is that Doria will quietly “return to her private life” and focus on being a support to the new Duchess, whether on the end of a phone or on regular trips to London. And presumably, like most mothers, eagerly await news of any grandchildren she can then dote on.
Could Doria accompany the Duke and Duchess of Sussex on a US tour?