Meghan Markle
Born 1981 · Age 44
American-born actress, media personality, entrepreneur and member of the British royal family; former star of Suits; married Prince Harry in 2018; co-founder of Archewell; author, podcaster and founder of lifestyle brand As Ever.
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Life & Career Timeline
Birth
Born Rachel Meghan Markle at West Park Hospital, Canoga Park, Los Angeles, California.
Early activism — gender-neutral ad request
At age 11 she and classmates wrote to Procter & Gamble requesting a gender-neutral dishwashing soap commercial.
Graduated high school; admitted to Northwestern
Graduated Immaculate Heart High School and was admitted to Northwestern University; joined Kappa Kappa Gamma.
First on-screen role — General Hospital
First television appearance (small role as a nurse) on General Hospital.
Graduated Northwestern University (BA)
Earned a Bachelor of Arts, double major in theater and international studies, Northwestern's School of Communication.
Guest role — Century City
Played a guest role on the television series Century City (casting episode 2004).
Guest roles and Deal or No Deal work
Guest appearances on The War at Home and CSI: NY; worked as a 'briefcase girl' on 34 episodes of the US Deal or No Deal (2006–2007).
Guest role — Fringe
Appeared in Fox's Fringe as Junior Agent Amy Jessup in season two (two episodes).
Film role — Remember Me; paid
Appeared in film Remember Me; reportedly paid $187,000 for the role.
Paid for short film The Candidate
Received reported payment for role in short film The Candidate: $171,429.
Cast as Rachel Zane in Suits
Joined cast of USA Network legal drama Suits as Rachel Zane (role ran through seven seasons, 2011–2018).
Married Trevor Engelson
Married film producer Trevor Engelson in Ocho Rios, Jamaica.
Became One Young World counsellor; USO tour
Named a counsellor for One Young World (spoke at 2014 summit in Dublin) and toured with the USO across several countries.
Divorce from Trevor Engelson finalized
Divorce from Trevor Engelson (separated 2013; divorce finalized 2014).
The Tig estimated earnings
Her social media and endorsement activities (including The Tig) were estimated to have earned about $80,000 annually.
Launched lifestyle blog The Tig
Founded The Tig, a lifestyle blog focused on food, fashion, travel and inspirational women (ran 2014–2017).
Fashion collaborations — Reitmans
Released first fashion collection with Canadian clothing company Reitmans (2015; a second collection followed in 2016).
UN Women speech; controversy noted
Spoke at UN Women 2015 conference; portions of speech were later noted to be similar to a 1951 Eleanor Roosevelt speech.
Became Global Ambassador — World Vision Canada
Named global ambassador for World Vision Canada; traveled to Rwanda for Clean Water Campaign.
Began relationship with Prince Harry (private/mid-year)
Began dating Prince Harry (mid-2016); reportedly first connected via Instagram and a blind date in July 2016.
Public revelation of relationship and Palace statement
Relationship publicized in November 2016; Prince Harry's communications secretary issued a statement condemning pejorative comments in the media.
Engagement to Prince Harry announced
Prince Charles announced Meghan and Harry's engagement on November 27, 2017.
Time 100 Most Influential People
Named by Time magazine as one of the 100 Most Influential People in the World (2018) and was shortlisted for Person of the Year.
Retired from acting
Announced retirement from acting and intention to pursue British citizenship after engagement/wedding.
Baptized and confirmed into Church of England
Private baptism and confirmation at the Chapel Royal, St James's Palace (water from the River Jordan).
Private exchange of vows with Harry
Private exchange of vows with the Archbishop of Canterbury in the couple's garden three days before the public wedding (not legally recognized).
Wedding to Prince Harry; became Duchess of Sussex
Married Prince Harry at St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle; given title Duchess of Sussex; wedding dress by Clare Waight Keller for Givenchy.
First official royal trip — Ireland (as Duchess)
First official trip abroad as a royal was to Dublin, Ireland with Prince Harry.
Hubb Community Kitchen involvement; cookbook project announced
Became interested in Hubb Community Kitchen; suggested displaced women publish a cookbook; Together: Our Community Cookbook announced September 2018.
Pacific tour including Australia & Invictus Games
Traveled with Harry to Sydney and other countries for a Pacific tour and the Invictus Games; pregnancy announced hours after arrival in Sydney.
Controversial refurbishment of Frogmore Cottage
Frogmore Cottage refurbishment cost of £2.4 million paid from the Sovereign Grant; Duke reimbursed some expenses later (refinancing/arrangements noted).
Instagram account broke record for fastest to 1 million followers (Sussex account)
Duke and Duchess created a separate Instagram account which at the time broke the record to reach a million followers fastest.
Completed 179 engagements over 2018–2019
Meghan completed a total of 179 public engagements in 2018 and 2019 combined.
Associated Newspapers lawsuit filed
Meghan filed a lawsuit against Associated Newspapers Limited (publisher of The Mail on Sunday) over publication of a private letter (filed October 2019).
Talks with Quibi
The couple were in talks with Jeffrey Katzenberg over a possible Quibi role in summer 2019 but decided against joining.
Suits salary estimate
Fortune estimated Meghan's Suits salary at approximately $50,000 per episode, equivalent to about $450,000 annually.
Birth of son Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor
Gave birth to son Archie; first child with Prince Harry.
Registered Sussex Royal foundation
"Sussex Royal The Foundation of The Duke and Duchess of Sussex" was registered (July 2019); later led to legal/branding changes after stepping back.
Signed with PR firm Sunshine Sachs
The couple hired New York-based PR firm Sunshine Sachs (reported September 2019) — representation continued until 2022.
Announced step back from senior royal roles ('Megxit')
Announced intention to step back from roles as senior members of the royal family and balance time between UK and North America (January 2020); review period to March 2021.
Narration — Disneynature's Elephant announced
Announced Meghan would narrate Disneynature's documentary 'Elephant' (released April 3, 2020); proceeds/support pledged to Elephants Without Borders.
Final solo senior royal engagement
Meghan's final public solo engagement as a senior royal: visit to Robert Clack School in Dagenham ahead of International Women's Day.
Officially ceased being working royals
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex ceased to undertake official royal engagements and closed their office at Buckingham Palace on March 31, 2020.
Signed with Harry Walker Agency for speaking engagements
Signed with the Harry Walker Agency (owned by Endeavor) to conduct paid public speaking engagements (June 2020).
Purchased Montecito home (Riven Rock estate)
After months in Canada/US, the couple bought a house on the former estate of Riven Rock, Montecito, California (June 2020).
Suffered miscarriage
Meghan revealed she suffered a miscarriage in July 2020.
Netflix five-year deal announced
Sussexes signed a five-year private commercial deal with Netflix (September 2020) to produce content through Archewell Productions.
Investment in Clevr Blends; Spotify deal
Meghan invested in Clevr Blends (coffee company) and the couple signed a multi-year deal with Spotify to produce audio through Archewell Audio (December 2020).
Released Spotify holiday special
A holiday special produced by the Sussexes was released on Spotify in December 2020.
Sussex Royal renamed and dissolved (MWX Foundation)
Following step-back decisions 'Sussex Royal' branding was ruled unusable; Sussex Royal Foundation renamed MWX Foundation and dissolved on Aug 5, 2020 (process events noted through late 2020/early 2021).
NAACP President's Award (with Harry)
Selected to receive the NAACP President's Award for their work on social justice and equity (February 2022 selection announced; sometimes referenced as 2022).
Oprah interview — 'Oprah with Meghan and Harry'
Two-hour televised interview with Oprah Winfrey in March 2021; discussed royal life, mental health and race-related issues inside the Royal Family.
Published children's book 'The Bench'
The Bench published by Random House Children's Books (June 2021); reached #1 on NYT children's picture books list on June 17, 2021.
Birth of daughter Lilibet Diana Mountbatten-Windsor
Gave birth to daughter Lilibet 'Lili' Diana in Santa Barbara, California; later revealed postpartum preeclampsia.
Executive producer — Netflix animated series 'Pearl' announced
Announced Meghan would executive produce Netflix animated series 'Pearl' alongside David Furnish (project later cancelled May 2022).
Four-book Random House deal announced
Meghan and Harry signed a four-book publishing deal with Random House (July 2021) — included Meghan's wellness guide and Harry's memoir.
Partnership with Ethic (sustainable investment firm)
Announced partnership with Ethic to manage the couple's sustainable investments (October 2021).
Archetypes podcast premiered
Meghan's podcast 'Archetypes' premiered in August 2022 (development and release 2022) investigating labels that hold women back.
Ripple of Hope Award laureate
Meghan and Harry named Ripple of Hope Award laureates for their social justice, mental health and other initiatives through Archewell (Oct 2022).
Netflix docuseries 'Harry & Meghan' premiered
Harry & Meghan, a docuseries co-produced by Archewell Productions and Netflix, premiered December 8, 2022.
Ms. Foundation Women of Vision Award
Named recipient of the Ms. Foundation for Women's Women of Vision Award (April 2023).
Signed with talent agency WME
Announced signing with WME to represent Archewell and the couple's commercial interests (April 2023).
Spotify cancelled 'Archetypes' podcast after one season
Spotify cancelled Meghan's podcast 'Archetypes' in June 2023 after a single season of 12 episodes.
Launched lifestyle & cooking brand 'American Riviera Orchard' (later renamed)
Launched American Riviera Orchard in March 2024; the brand was later renamed As Ever.
Trip to Nigeria and co-hosted women's empowerment summit
Visited Nigeria in May 2024 for Invictus-related work; co-hosted a women's empowerment summit with WTO chief Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala; honored by Nigerian chiefs.
Investment — Cesta Collective
Invested in Cesta Collective (handbag brand supporting Rwandan women artisans), reported August 2024.
Investment — Highbrow Hippie haircare line
Invested in haircare line Highbrow Hippie (reported November 2024).
Rejoined Instagram
Meghan rejoined Instagram in January 2025.
Launched ShopMy online site
Launched an online site via ShopMy allowing creators to share links and earn commissions (March 2025).
Launched podcast 'Confessions of a Female Founder' (announced)
Announced hosting a second podcast with Lemonada Media, 'Confessions of a Female Founder' (March 2025 announcement).
Netflix series 'With Love, Meghan' premiered
Lifestyle and cooking series 'With Love, Meghan' premiered on Netflix in March 2025.
Official public launch — As Ever brand
Official launch of lifestyle and cooking brand As Ever (April 2025) — rebrand from American Riviera Orchard with first products released later.
Archewell Productions renews Netflix partnership (announced future)
Archewell Productions renewed its partnership with Netflix under a multi-year first-look deal (announcement August 2025 included plans for a holiday special and As Ever development).
Key Achievement Ages
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