Who are the ancestors of Meghan Markle?

There has been much discussion about the recent documentary series 'Harry & Meghan' and the memoir 'Spare,' in which the former royal couple tells in great detail about their treatment by the British royal family and the (tabloid) press.

Many of the bad experiences they describe had to do with Meghan Markle's ethnicity and her lack of experience with the British aristocratic elite.

But did you know that her ancestors were not only (enslaved) African-Americans in the US, but also palace staff in the British royal court? Read on to see where Meghan Markle's roots lie.

The family history of Meghan Markle can be traced to the British royal family. In 1856, an ancestor of the American actress worked as a maid for Queen Victoria.

The maid in question was called Mary Bird. She would eventually marry a soldier with whom she'd have three daughters. One of them, also named Mary, was the great-great-grandmother of Meghan Markle.

Mary Bird and her husband lived for 20 years on Malta. According to 'The Sun,' Meghan Markle says she feels a bond with the island and even visited Malta to learn more about her heritage.

Following the death of her husband, Mary (the daughter of Queen Victoria's servant) decided to leave for Canada with her children. In the end, the family would settle down in New Hampshire, a northern state of the U.S.

Image: Harper's Weekly / U.S. Library of Congress

Among the offspring of Mary's family, two generations later, was Thomas Markle, Meghan's father.

Image: 'Harry & Meghan,' Netflix

On her mother's side, Meghan Markle descends from Africans who were enslaved and sent to the United States to work in terrible conditions.

Image: U.S. Library of Congress

Among her maternal ancestors were also African-Americans who fought in the American Civil War with the Union Army of President Abraham Lincoln.

Image: U.S. Library of Congress

All this happened around the same time that Mary Bird worked for the Queen of England.

Image: U.S. Library of Congress

Born in September 1956, Doria Loyce Ragland (Meghan's mother) grew up in an African-American family in Cleveland.

In those years, institutional as well as casual racism was present in all aspects of American life.

A family that descended (partly) from enslaved people in the U.S. would end up marrying into the British royal family.

The arrival of Meghan Markle into the British royal family was a breath of fresh air. It represented a step forward in the struggle for equality by women of color and people of African descent.

Over the course of her time with the royal family, Meghan Markle became a reference point for the black population of the U.K. and other minorities who denounced racial inequality in British society.

Meghan reportedly suffered from a racial bias among the British public and the media. It was one of the reasons why she and Harry decided to withdraw from their official duties as senior members of the royal family.

By the end of their membership in the British royal family, Harry even sent an official statement demanding "respect" for his wife and denouncing all forms of racism. "This is not a game; this is her life."

"Meghan has been subjected to a wave of abuse, harassment and even racist newspaper articles," Harry added. "I hope that those behind these stories finally stop, and instead begin thinking about the harm they have done."

Now that the couple is living in California, Harry and Meghan are deeply involved in antiracist and minority rights activism.

In a way, Meghan has returned to the roots of her family, taking a stand against inequality and bridging the cultures of Britain and the U.S.