When Harry Met Cali: What LA Girl Meghan Markle Was Really Like Before She Met Prince Harry

There’s no denying that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are one of the best-known and most talked about celebrity couples in the world today. We know that Markle met the prince when she was already somewhat famous, but her role as wife to her prince charming has for sure eclipsed any fame she had before that.

But it’s easy to forget that she had quite an amazing career—and interesting reputation—long before she walked down the imperial aisle. Let’s take a look at who Meghan Markle really was before her image got the royal treatment.

A Star is Born

Even though now she’s a member of the British royal family, Meghan Markle was not raised in anything like her now-husband’s formal and old-fashioned upbringing. She was born in sunny California, growing up in the relaxed and inspiring backdrop of L.A.

Her birth name was actually Rachel Meghan Markle, a name that would come to be reflected in her upcoming career.

Early Years

We know that the royal family in England are renowned for their tumultuous relationships and many major scandals, so in that way, Markle’s own upbringing may have prepared her for some turbulent times.

Because her parents sadly divorced when she was 6 years old, and she lived with her mother Doria Ragland. Ragland worked as a social worker and yoga instructor—something that would influence Meghan in more ways than one.

Daddy’s Girl

After her parents split up, Markle lived with her mother and not her father. These days, Thomas Markle is of course pretty well known for all the very public drama he has brought to the tabloids regarding his relationship with his daughter.

We know that the two have a fraught bond, but the truth was back in the day they used to get along a lot better. Markle’s now-deleted Instagram profile used to show them looking happy and close.

Yoga Baby

As we know today, Meghan Markle is a huge fan of yoga and practices it regularly to stay in good shape both physically and emotionally. But what you may not realize is that she has actually been doing yoga since way before it was cool—in fact, since the tender age of 7!

That’s right! Because her mother is a yoga instructor, Markle discovered the joy of it from a super early age. "I was very resistant as a kid,” she admitted to Best Health Magazine. “But in college, I started doing it more regularly."

TV Toddler

It’s clear to anyone who has seen Markle on TV, that she is truly a natural in front of the camera. That’s why life as a royal and public figure seemed like something she would be great at!

And did you know that in fact, one of the reasons she’s so comfortable on camera is because she started out at a young age. Her father was in fact a lighting director, so she would join him on Hollywood movie and TV sets when she was just a little kid. But it wasn’t always age appropriate…

Age Appropriate

Even though Markle was pretty comfortable on a TV set from a pretty early age, sometimes she did feel a bit out of place when the content her dad was filming, was a little too out-there for the young Markle.

She attended a private catholic girls’ school, Immaculate Heart High School in Los Angeles, which was a very different environment from the one being shown on her dad’s TV shows. As you can imagine, Markle ended up coming away with some very different lessons…

Hide Your Eyes

Markle herself revealed to Esquire magazine that the contrast between her school education and her on-set lessons was pretty stark and quite hilarious.

"Every day after school for 10 years, I was on the set of Married… with Children, which is a really funny and perverse place for a little girl in a Catholic school uniform to grow up," she said. "There were a lot of times my dad would say, 'Meg, why don't you go and help with the craft services room over there? This is just a little off-color for your 11-year-old eyes.'"

Big Opinions

Little though she was, even at a young age Meghan Markle had strong opinions and wasn’t afraid to stand up for what she believed in. Because it was at the young age of 11 that she saw a commercial for Ivory dishwasher soap, and didn’t like what she felt was a super chauvinistic message.

And so this little girl decided to write to the company and request they change their target wording from “Women all over America" to "People all over America". And they did!! This totally foreshadowed the changes she would fight for later in life.

Working Girl

As well as standing up for women and gender equality from an early age, Markle always knew she wanted to own her own destiny and become a strong independent woman.

“I’ve never wanted to be a lady who lunches,” she said to Elle UK magazine. “I’ve always wanted to be a woman who works.”

It was clear that this young starlet was destined for success. But little did she know just HOW much work, in various forms, would really be ahead of her…

Clever Clogs

Even though we know Meghan Markle as a starring actress and later princess, the truth is she’s a lot more than just a pretty face or a royal pin-up. She’s also incredibly intelligent!

Because did you know that she studied at Northwestern University? That’s right! She double majored in Theater and International Relations—showing just how multitalented she really is. But there was also another reason behind this decision.

Bright Lights

Even though Markle knew she was always interested in theater and acting, there was something holding her back from the idea of pursuing this as a career. Because the truth was, growing up in LA, almost everybody goes into acting, and it can be seen as something of a cliché!

So Markle kept her passion for theater but wanted to study something more academic as well. This would foreshadow her future in more ways than one…

Sister Sister

Nowadays, we know Meghan Markle best for the illustrious and incredibly famous family she has now joined. But did you know, that it actually wasn't the first high-profile organization she has joined? Because at college, she was a member of the Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority. Clearly, she had a taste for becoming part of prestigious and well-known elite groups. Or is it just that her destiny always tends to lead her this way? Only time would tell.

Foodie Fun

While Meghan Markle was at college, she didn't only enjoy the brilliant academic opportunities and studying fascinating subjects. And it wasn't also just the social aspect and the prestige of joining her sorority. But something else became another passion of hers during her studies—food!

Markle admitted that she loved the late-night munch spot so popular with the student body. She revealed to the campus magazine that she was a huge fan of the 24-hour Burger King near her dorms. A girl after our own heart!

Hard Knock Life

Even though nowadays Meghan Markle is living the dream life of both a superstar actress and an actual real-life princess, she still had to pay her dues like any other up-and-coming thespian.

She revealed that when she first started out acting, she thought it would be easy—because she scored her first-ever audition immediately. But as time went on, she started to realize just how difficult it could be to make a career in showbiz.

President Meghan

As Meghan was struggling to make her mark in the acting industry, her thoughts naturally turned to other careers she could pursue if this one didn't work out. And can you imagine what roles she considered? Did she plan at this point to become a princess?

We don't know, but funnily enough, she did reveal that she briefly considered going into politics—and actually did an internship at the U.S. Embassy in Argentina! Imagine if we’d had President Markle—if she had still married Prince Harry, how would that work being princess AND president?

Princess Penmanship

And that wasn't the only other career Markle considered during her younger years before she made it as an actress. When she was working and trying at auditions, she had to find other ways of making money and worked a lot of side gigs.

But one of them is certainly unexpected—she worked as a calligrapher! She produced beautiful artwork and lettering, creating wedding invitations for celebs like Robin Thicke and Paula Patton. Pretty niche, but clearly a woman of many talents.

Book Babe

And that’s not the only slightly random career Markle dabbled in while slowly working her way through showbiz to the top. Can you guess what her other role was? You probably would never think it!

because she actually worked as a bookbinder—not only creating books herself but teaching classes and seminars on the topic. How absolutely random and wonderful! Even today, she says she still loves books and enjoys the different craftsmanships involved in binding.

Blushing Bride

For many of us, we first heard of Meghan or at least got to know her more, when she walked down the aisle with British royal Prince Harry. But actually, did you know that it wasn't the first time she had gotten married?

That’s right! She was previously married to a producer named Trevor Engelson from 2004 to 2013. At the time, it seemed that they were very much in love and would last forever. But the next few years were so tumultuous, it would prove the end of their marriage in more ways than one.

Royal Deal

While Meghan was trying to make a name for herself as an actress, she didn't just do odd jobs like bookbinding and calligraphy. Like any budding actress, she had to take on a lot of crappy roles that she didn't really enjoy, such as being one of the briefcase girls on the competition show Deal or No Deal.

"I was the ill-fated number 26, which for some reason no one would ever choose," she said to Esquire. "I would end up standing up there forever in these terribly uncomfortable and inexpensive five-inch heels just waiting for someone to pick my number so I could go and sit down."

Showbiz Moves

Fortunately, Markle didn't have to take too many terrible low-budget acting jobs like that. Soon enough, she began to get herself noticed in the industry, and started landing parts in movies such as Horrible Bosses, Get Him to the Greek, Remember Me, and The Candidate.

But of course, it was her role in one particular TV show that would propel her to genuine celebrity status—the legal drama Suits. This would take her career to new heights—in more ways than one.

Oh Canada

As we know, Meghan Markle got her big break playing the paralegal Rachel Zane in the legal drama Suits. Isn’t it funny, considering that her birth name was also actually Rachel!

And once it started, she had to move her whole life to Toronto, Canada, where the show was filmed. Markle has referred to herself as an “adopted Canuck”, seeing as during that period, she spent about eight months out of the year in the country.

Settling In

And it wasn't just Canada itself that Markle ended up falling in love with. She actually settled down there pretty well, renting a three-bedroom, two-bathroom home in Seaton Village, and started rubbing shoulders with the crème de la crème of Canada’s celeb network.

Becoming close friends with the closest thing to Canadian royalty, perhaps this is where Markle got her first taste of what life might be like as a princess.

Cast Club

As well as finding her place in the elite social scene of Canada’s glitterati, Markle also found herself making firm friends with all of her costars on Suits.

She revealed that the entire cast was super close and became really good pals—always going on vacation with each other and often partying late into the night. We know that Prince Harry also loved partying in his younger days, so is that what initially attracted the two to each other?

Mad Markle

We all know Meghan Markle as being part of the cast for a super iconic and much-loved show, but we don't think to remember that she is also just like us—a regular TV viewer as well.

And Markle revealed that even during the height of her stardom in her Suits days, she enjoyed her time in front of the TV just as much—and that her favorite show was Mad Men starring Jon Hamm. For a TV star and future princess, she’s still pretty relatable!

Keeping Her Head

Even though Markle had now found pretty major success, she didn't forget her origins and how hard she had worked to get where she was. Not only that, but she was incredibly grateful for her opportunities, and for being taken seriously in an industry that can often dismiss women as being only pretty decorations.

She has spoken in many interviews about how hard it was as a struggling actress, and how grateful she was that the writers of Suits made her character into a three-dimensional person, rather than just a pretty face.

Working the Gram

Now that she was a bona fide celeb, Markle didn't rest on her laurels and concentrate only on her acting chops. She actually had a few different projects on the go, even when she was filming full time!

For example, she was something of an Instagram influencer—running her own lifestyle blog The Tig. She focused on a variety of subjects from fashion, style, beauty, and of course, her own personal passion—food!

Yummy Times

We already know that Meghan Markle has always been a major foodie. But when she started working on her lifestyle blog, it became even more clear just how passionate she really was about cooking and enjoying delicious foods.

She once wrote an entire blog post just about what were her favorite foods—and they included yummy delicacies such as roast chicken, green juice, fish tacos, chicken adobo, cioppino, and kale chips. Does anyone actually like kale chips?! We’re not convinced.

Vitamin Queen

For such a super foodie, it’s great to know that Markle is also not just concerned with things that taste good (remember her 24 hour Burger King habit?), but also what’s healthy and nutritious for our bodies.

Because as well as loving her food, she’s also been incredibly vocal about her love for her Vitamix!

"When I had my car brought out, I shipped my Vitamix in the backseat,” she said to Esquire. “It was one of the things where I was like I cannot travel without my Vitamix… It's like a commercial at this point. But I use it every day for pestos or shakes."

Wine Wonder

In particular, she loves red wine—which is actually what her blog is named after, the red wine Tignanello.

"At the end of a long day, there is nothing I enjoy more than a glass of wine," she wrote in a blog post. "I used to be of the 'it doesn't matter, so long as it's red' persuasion, but then I grew up, and so did my palate."

Fashion Fan

Over the years, Meghan Markle certainly proved herself as a super talented woman with a variety of skills and special areas of expertise. An actress, activist, calligrapher, bookbinder, nutritionist, sommelier, and influencer! Is there anything she CAN’T do?

Well, don't get too comfortable, because there’s actually even more—she is a skilled fashion designer, and has often designed her own clothes and outfits. Markle really makes us all feel bad about ourselves—we can barely keep our own hair clean!

The Price is Reit

As well as her super talented myriad of projects, Markle’s brilliance and productivity were noticed in some other very exciting ways. Because thanks to her skill and keen eye for fashion, she actually signed an amazing deal with Canadian clothing company Reitmans, to be their brand ambassador and style expert.

Screenshot from "Reitmans. Really. With Mehghan Markle Fall" via Reitmans/YouTube

In 2016, she even put out her own clothing line with the style brand! Amazing. We just had no idea that she had so many different talents.

Dog Lover

We know that Meghan Markle is super productive and talented in so many different ways, so it’s really a wonder she has any time to keep up her active social life. Let alone finding time to date, not only her prince charming, but an actual prince!

But as well as her prince, she has another great love—dogs! She has adopted two rescue dogs, a Labrador-shepherd called Bogart and a beagle called Guy. We just don't understand how she has time to do all these things—and also take care of two amazing dogs.

Celeb Pals

It’s clear that Meghan Markle basically charms anyone she meets, and we already know that she bonded amazingly with her Suits costars. But actually, those aren’t the only star-studded friendships she can claim.

Because did you know she is pretty good pals with tennis star Serena Williams and Bollywood star Priyanka Chopra? She bonded with Williams at a celeb sporting event, and with Chopra at an industry dinner. Clearly, talent attracts talent! And that was true in more ways than one…

Suitable Suitors

We all now know Meghan Markle as the royal wife of Prince Harry, but we’ve also now discovered that she was actually married to another man before she met her prince charming.

Image via @theofficialac3/IG; Image via @meghamarkle/IG

And the truth is, that wasn't the only man who had dreamed of wooing the princess-to-be, because a lot of well-known celebs had had their eye on her. Rumor has it that British footballer Ashley Cole had a bit of a crush on her, but she declined to date him because she already knew about his womanizing ways. Lucky escape!

Soul Mate

Of course, it is clear that Meghan Markle has a host of celeb friends and lots of famous suitors, not to mention the actual prince that she ended up marrying.

But the truth is, there is one person who Markle values her relationship with above all else—none other than her long-time best friend.

Her BFF’s name is Jessica Mulroney, and she used to pop up super frequently on Markle’s insta, showing the two best pals living their best lives and treating themselves to fancy dinners and lavish vacations.

Body Positivity

Another thing we are used to seeing these days is Meghan’s relatively conservative style of dressing—since marrying a prince and becoming a member of the royal family, she had to adhere to some more old-fashioned styles of clothes.

But her Instagram revealed that she didn't always like to cover up quite so much—in fact, she was something of a champion of body positivity!

Her now-deleted Insta used to have tons of pics of her living her best life in a bikini or in teeny gym outfits.

Vacay Vamps

We can see from Meghan’s Instagram that her life used to be pretty different back in the day before she met and married her prince. Sure, being a princess must be super glamorous, but it’s a life of duty and expectations, and compared to that, her old life seems like just one big holiday.

And that's even more so when you look at what her Instagram used to be—constant vacation snaps, often with her bestie Jessica Mulroney. The two of them clearly loved living the high life!

Party Time

Another thing we always expect to be true of any celeb lifestyle is seeing a lot of partying and wild nights out. After all, if you are rubbing shoulders with the best and attending loads of award shows and working super hard, it makes sense that celebs party a lot more than regular people.

And Meghan Markle was certainly no different—and as her old Instagram used to show, she certainly went out a lot and enjoyed the finer things in life. We wonder if she misses that YOLO lifestyle now she has to be a bit more serious in her royal roles.

Looking to the Future

As we know, Meghan Markle has achieved more in her career than most people can dream of in a lifetime—several successful careers in different fields, a great social life, and committed to making the world a better place.

Since she married Prince Harry and became a huge target for media hounding and racist trolls, it’s been harder to see the true woman behind the headlines—and it’s amazing to see what a special person she really is. Meghan Markle is truly a princess in more ways than one.

Edited by Vignesh Raja