Meghan, Duchess of Sussex
Meghan, Duchess of Sussex (/ˈmɛɡən/; born Rachel Meghan Markle; August 4, 1981) is an American member of the British royal family and a former actress. She is married to Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, the younger son of King Charles III.
"Duchess of Sussex" redirects here. For the title, see Duke of Sussex.Meghan
Rachel Meghan Markle
August 4, 1981
Los Angeles, California, US
Windsor (by marriage)
Actress
2001–2017 (actress)
Meghan was born and raised in Los Angeles, California. Her acting career began at Northwestern University. She played the part of Rachel Zane for seven seasons (2011–2018) in the American TV legal drama Suits. She also developed a social media presence, which included The Tig (2014–2017), a lifestyle blog. During The Tig period, Meghan became involved in charity work focused primarily on women's issues and social justice. She was married to American film producer Trevor Engelson from 2011 until their divorce in 2014.
Meghan retired from acting upon her marriage to Prince Harry in 2018 and became known as the Duchess of Sussex. Meghan and Harry have two children: Archie and Lilibet. The couple stepped down as working royals in January 2020, moved to Meghan's native Southern California and launched Archewell Inc., a Beverly Hills-based mix of for-profit and not-for-profit (charitable) business organizations. In March 2021, she sat for Oprah with Meghan and Harry, a much-publicized American television interview with her husband and Oprah Winfrey. She has released The Bench (a picture book for children) and launched a podcast Archetypes. Meghan and Harry filmed Harry & Meghan, a Netflix docuseries, which was released in December 2022.
Personal life
Early relationships and first marriage
Markle and American film producer Trevor Engelson began dating in 2004.[45][46] They were married in Ocho Rios, Jamaica on August 16, 2011.[47] They separated in July 2013 and concluded a no-fault divorce in February 2014, citing irreconcilable differences.[48] Markle's subsequent live-in relationship with Canadian celebrity chef and restaurateur Cory Vitiello ended in May 2016 after almost two years.[49]
Further career and investments
In summer 2019, before announcing their decision to step down in January 2020, Meghan and her husband were involved in talks with Jeffrey Katzenberg, the founder of the now-defunct streaming platform Quibi, over a possible role in the service without gaining personal profits, but they eventually decided against joining the project.[129] In September 2019, it was reported that the couple had hired New York-based PR firm Sunshine Sachs, which represented them until 2022.[130][131][132] The couple has also been associated with Adam Lilling's Plus Capital, a venture capital fund designed to connect early stage companies with influencers and investors.[133] In June 2020, they signed with the Harry Walker Agency, owned by media company Endeavor, to conduct paid public speaking engagements.[134] In September 2020, the Sussexes signed a private commercial deal with Netflix.[135] In December 2020, it was announced that Meghan had invested in Clevr Blends, a coffee company based in Southern California.[136][137] In the same month, Meghan and Harry signed a multi-year deal with Spotify to produce and host their own programs through their audio producing company, Archewell Audio.[138] A holiday special was released by the couple on the service in December 2020,[139] while Meghan's podcast, titled Archetypes, premiered in August 2022.[140][141] In June 2023, Spotify cancelled the podcast, which ran for a single season of 12 episodes.[142][143]
The Bench, a picture book written by Meghan, was published in June 2021 by Random House Children's Books. It is based on her perception of the relationship between her husband and their son.[144] The book received a mixed response; it garnered praise for its illustrations and messaging but was criticized for its structure and writing.[145][146][147] On June 17, the book reached number one in the children's picture books category of The New York Times Best Seller list.[148] In July 2021, it was announced that Meghan would executive produce, alongside David Furnish, a Netflix animated series called Pearl.[149] The series was originally pitched to Netflix in 2018.[150][151] Pearl would depict the adventures of a 12-year-old girl who is inspired by influential women from history,[152] but the project was canceled in May 2022.[153] In the same month, it was reported that Meghan and Harry had signed a four-book publishing deal including a wellness guide by Meghan and a memoir by Harry.[154]
In October 2021, Meghan and Harry announced their partnership with Ethic, a sustainable investment firm based in New York City, which also manages the couple's investments.[155][156] According to state filings from Delaware, where the couple's Archewell foundation is registered, Meghan and Harry incorporated 11 companies and a trust beginning in early 2020 which include Orinoco Publishing LLC and Peca Publishing LLC to hold the rights for their books as well as Cobblestone Lane LLC and IPHW LLC which are holders of their foundation's logos.[157] Frim Fram Inc., which ran The Tig, had been registered earlier as a new corporation in Delaware in December 2019.[158]
Harry & Meghan, a docuseries about the Sussexes, was produced by Netflix and the couple's Archewell Productions and premiered on December 8, 2022. It is directed by Liz Garbus.[159] The series received mixed reviews.[160] In April 2023, it was announced that she had signed with WME, which would represent Archewell as well.[161]
In March 2024, Meghan launched the lifestyle and cooking brand American Riviera Orchard.[162] In April 2024, it was announced that Archwell Productions is working with Netflix to produce two new shows for the streaming platform.[163]