Meghan Markle made her name as an actress, most famously as Rachel Zane on the legal drama series Suits for seven seasons. Since her marriage to Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, Markle has become a part of the British royal family rather than an actress. Becoming the Duchess of Sussex, the 42-year-old actress and activist has become a public figure, and her life has drawn attention from the public. Here is Meghan Markle's life before she met Prince Harry.

Rachel Meghan Markle was born at West Park Hospital in Canoga Park, Los Angeles, California, on August 4, 1981. She is the daughter of Thomas Markle Sr., an Emmy Award-winning television lighting director and director of photography, and Doria Ragland, a social worker and former makeup artist.

While waiting for her next acting opportunity, Meghan Markle worked as a freelance calligrapher to support herself. She also made a living by teaching bookbinding.

Prior to marrying Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, the actress was politically vocal. When she was just 9 years old, she and her friends engaged in a campaign against the Gulf War. Many years later, she supported Hillary Clinton in the 2016 United States presidential election and publicly criticised the opposing candidate, Donald Trump.

Meghan Markle developed her passion for yoga at a young age, thanks to her mom, who was a yoga instructor. They began practising mommy-and-me yoga when the Duchess was only seven years old.

Meghan Markle managed to land an internship at the U.S. Embassy in Argentina while she was a junior in college. She was 20 and their Secretary of the Treasury was Paul O'Neill at the time. During that period, she entertained the idea of pursuing a political career.

Meghan Markle made appearances in small roles in the films Get Him to the Greek, Remember Me, and The Candidate. The Duchess of Sussex also featured in the 2011 film Horrible Bosses.

Meghan Markle's very first on-screen appearance was on the TV show General Hospital, where she had a small role as a nurse.

Markle attended a prestigious school in Evanston, Illinois, but her college experience, in her view, was quite standard. She graduated with a bachelor's degree in 2003, completing a double major in theatre.

Before her marriage to Prince Harry in 2018, Meghan Markle was actively involved in volunteering. In 2015, she became a U.N. Women's Advocate for Women's Political Participation and Leadership. The next year, she travelled to Rwanda and India as a World Vision ambassador.

She worked as a "briefcase girl" on the U.S. version of the game show Deal or No Deal for 34 episodes from 2006 to 2007. She despised the experience because she found herself standing there wearing uncomfortable five-inch heels, waiting for someone to choose her briefcase number so that she could finally take a seat.

Meghan Markle portrayed Rachel Zane in the American TV legal drama Suits for seven seasons, from 2011 to 2018. She spent about eight months each year in Canada during filming, which is why she affectionately referred to herself as an "adopted Canuck."

Before her marriage to Prince Harry, Meghan Markle married producer Trevor Engelson on August 16, 2011, in Jamaica. The couple first met in 2004 and dated for six years before getting married. However, they divorced in 2013 due to the challenges of maintaining a long-distance relationship, as Markle was filming the TV drama Suits in Toronto, Canada.

Beyond her TV appearances, Meghan Markle enjoyed watching TV series. In 2013, her "must-see" shows included Matthew Weiner’s drama television series Mad Men.

The 42-year-old activist developed a social media presence through her lifestyle blog The Tig (2014–2017), where she used to share her thoughts on food, travel, fashion, and beauty.

Markle has described herself as a food enthusiast in several interviews and has even written a blog post about her favourite dishes. Her list includes fish tacos, cioppino, chicken adobo, kale chips, and green juice.

The member of the royal family went with her Vitamix blender everywhere, a kitchen gadget that she could easily blend up delicious smoothies and juices.

Prince Harry's wife previously mentioned her fondness for wine, saying she loved relaxing with a glass of red wine, often a Tignanello from Tuscany, made since the 1970s.

Meghan Markle, an animal enthusiast, adopted two dogs from a rescue shelter years before meeting Prince Harry. She named them Bogart and Guy. After her relationship with Prince Harry went public, she had to rehome Bogart due to his anxiety caused by the noise at her home. Fortunately, she was able to bring Guy with her when she moved to the UK.

Before she met Prince Harry in July 2016, Meghan Markle had already made friends with some celebrity friends, including tennis icon Serena Williams and model Priyanka Chopra.