Before Harry: Meghan Markle's family background and TV career

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have set up shop in California. It appears as though they are trying to live a life similar to that of Meghan Markle before she became a member of the Royal Family. What did she do before she became known as the Duchess of Sussex?

Born in Los Angeles (California) on August 4, 1981, Meghan began as a model and television hostess. This image is of her performance in the show 'Deal or no Deal'.

Then, the young woman made the leap to fiction. Her first big job was with 'Fringe' (FOX) where she played FBI special agent Amy Jessup.

The actress gradually became fully involved in the world of film. She participated in movies like 'Get Him to the Greek' or 'Remember Me' (with Robert Pattinson).

Then, in 2011 she signed for one of the leading roles in 'Suits' (USA). The premiere of the series was a success and the network began to order more and more episodes. Meghan Markle was at her best professional moment.

Rachel Zane, her character, became a hit. Her TV husband was played by actor Patrick J. Adams, who would later reminisce about their years together - as colleagues.

Patrick J. Adams: "I miss my friend"

She combined her acting with occasional modelling, appearing in magazines and all kinds of advertisements.

Meghan had television success in her genes. Her father, Thomas Wayne Markle, was a retired director of photography who had won an Emmy in 1975 for his work on television.

Meghan and her dad, in this photo of 2000 still close, would become estranged over the years.

The tension between father and daughter culminated in a public (and even legal) battle over the publication of Meghan's letter to her dad in 2018.

Gossip about Meghan has always included her past. Her stepsister, Samantha Markle (in the picture), said in an interview on Sky that Meghan wouldn't help her father get out of bankruptcy.

Of her stepbrother, Thomas Markle, they say he is a trouble-maker. He has gotten himself arrested several times.

Meghan's parents divorced in 1987. She has always remained closest to her mother.

Her mother, Doria Loyce Raglan, (pictured here) was a psychotherapist and yoga instructor.

Despite her father's example in television, it was by no means obvious that Meghan would become an actress. When finishing college, Meghan had decided to pursue a Master in International Relations.

But then, a friend's decision changed her life. They gave television producers a copy of a movie Meghan had made at the university.

A producer liked it so much that he called her. He turned her into one of the best-known actresses of the 2010s.

People say that Meghan had a very busy, fulfilling life before joining the Royal Family. She liked partying (a lot), they say, and she liked to spend a lot of money on clothes.

In Meghan's private life, there would be a big event on September 10, 2011.

It was on that day that she married Trevor Engelson, having been in a relationship with him since 2004.

In 2013 they split up.

Rumor has it that Meghan then met Harry thanks to some common friends. The love between them grew fast.

They started dating discreetly but soon the photographers found them. From that moment, Meghan was the most wanted woman for the media.

More details are in the book 'Finding Freedom' about Meghan and Harry: read its 20 most interesting scoops

Meghan's mother, the future mother-in-law of Prince Harry, saw the rumors of a possible relationship between her daughter and the Royal Prince confirmed in 2017.

Since their wedding in May of 2018, Meghan's life has seemed like a fairytale. A common girl marries a prince, they seem happy, but below the surface, there are a lot of tensions.

As became increasingly clear in 2019, the fame of a Duchess was very different than that of a Hollywood star.

As in a good fairytale, the couple made a dramatic escape in the end. Together with their son Archie, and with a second child to come, they are pursuing a life in California with possibilities in the entertainment industry.

See what they are doing in California nowadays