Meghan Markle's list of successes behind the royal family headlines

Meghan and Harry have not been the favourable topics from the press in 2023. Saying that, dive beyond the squabbling media and the focus on royal estranged families, and take a look at the achievements Markle has earned behind the scenes.

Stacy Jones, founder of the LA-based marketing agency Hollywood Branded, told the Standard that in 2023, "she has recently signed with one of the most well-known and prominent talent agents at WME, Ari Emanuel." This big move could be the start of more acting success for Markle.

Meghan Markle was named 'Top Entertainment Podcast Host' by the Alliance for Women in Media Foundation at their annual Gracie Awards. "Thank you to the Alliance for Women in Media Foundation for this prestigious honor," Meghan released a statement. "This is a shared success for me and the team behind Archetypes – most of whom are women – and the inspiring guests who joined me each week." She did not attend the awards to collect her honor.

Markle was given an award by her pal, Gloria Steinam, at the 2023 Women of Vision Awards. She was honoured back in April, being named "for her global advocacy to empower and advocate on behalf of women and girls," according to a press release. But it would be her and Harry's cab ride home that would ultimately make the press headlines.

Meghan and Harry's foundation, Archewell, released its 2020-2022 'impact report' which has given away 23% of its income to charities and worthwhile causes. In total, the couple boasts a whopping $3m donation out of $13m in grants across a host of causes, including vaccine equity, relief centers, and refugee resettlement.

This report refers to the time since Megxit: Spring 2020 saw Meghan Markle and Prince Harry ‘step back’ from their roles as senior royals. They retained the titles ‘Duke and Duchess of Sussex’, but became ‘financially independent’ and moved to their home in North America. From there, their new life began, and Meghan racked up an astonishing list of achievements in those two years as well.

Meghan Markle has outspokenly said that she and her husband would not rely on royal ties for their income. Since leaving the institution, Meghan’s longtime lawyer and business manager have ‘incorporated 11 companies and a trust’ for the couple. The state filings, which were obtained and shared by Daily Mail, show that Meghan’s behind-the-scenes professional work generates income for her family. But her successes are far from just those in business...

Meghan has long suffered migraines. For those who do know exactly how paralyzing the episodes can be and many go without a clear reason for the phenomenon. Meghan said to The Chalkboard, "I used to have debilitating migraines (hospitalized for them)," but The Duchess of Sussex found her own remedy: ”Acupuncture and Eastern medicine absolutely changed my life," she said. "Migraine-free living is a game-changer."

The Duchess of Sussex sent a personal note to the women of Moms Demand Action, who are campaigning for safer gun laws. She even sent them some treats to keep them fuelled and motivated, including donuts, bagels, coffee, cookies - ‘the works’. She wrote: "Please know that while you may feel exhausted by your endless hours of dedication to this cause, I hope you feel energized in knowing that the work you're doing is vital and so deeply appreciated. As a mom, as a friend, thank you so much!"

The US Supreme Court’s decision overturning Roe v. Wade has prompted Meghan to stand up and encourage everyone to get involved in favor of abortion rights. According to Hollywood Reporter, she says that "this is about women's physical safety. It's also about economic justice, individual autonomy, and who we are as a society. Nobody should be forced to make a decision they do not want to make, or is unsafe, or puts their own life in jeopardy."

There was a lot of hype about whether Harry and his wife Meghan would attend the Queen’s Jubilee ceremonies or not. In the end, the couple publicly attended the Service of Thanksgiving all smiles, whilst sticking to their guns and keeping their children firmly out of the spotlight.

Meghan stopped by at a community center that was hosting a blood drive. She chatted to the volunteers, toured the facility, and donated food. "She was just really sweet," a volunteer, Georjean Burnell, 46, told BuzzFeed News. "She just kind of walked in with her [security] crew and started putting ice waters in the bucket with us and laying out chips for the people who were needing snacks before and after donating."

When an 18-year-old gunman stormed an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas and killed at least 19 children, Meghan Markle was on the scene days later to offer her support and lay flowers at a memorial, remembering the children who were lost. A spokesperson for Meghan said her desire to visit came from her personal capacity as a mother.

A report in May 2022 declared that Meghan and Harry would be doing a reality TV show for their next project. It was described as an ‘at home’ with the Sussexes and Meghan and Harry showed the world who she really is behind closed doors. Needless to say, it was surrounded by a lot of hype.

Meghan Markle was named as one of the 50 Women Changing the World over the past year by Worth magazine. They described her as a Public Figure who "proved [Meghan and her husband] could be much more than royals."

Mayhew, a charity that finds new homes for animals and handles welfare cases in the community, saw Meghan’s 3-year patronage come to an end. Howard Bridges, Mayhew’s Chief Executive said on their website: "We are indebted to The Duchess for her dedicated support over the past three years; she shares Mayhew’s values and commitment to improving the lives of in-need animals and pet owners in our local communities across the UK, and internationally."

Harry has always been passionate about the work he does with the Invictus Games. This year, the event was held in the Netherlands and Meghan was at his side, supporting him. The Duchess also introduced her "incredible" husband, saying "I could not love and respect him more."

In March, a teaser of Meghan Markle’s new podcast, 'Archetypes,' was released. The show, according to The Duchess, would "subvert the labels that try to hold women back." She added that she would have "conversations with women who know all too well how these typecasts shape our narratives. And I’ll talk to historians to understand how we even got here in the first place."

In previous years, this prestigious honor went to Muhammed Ali, LeBron James, and Rihanna, but 2022 saw the Sussexes pick up the award. The NAACP recognized the couple for their achievements with the Archewell Foundation, their distinguished public service, and their charity work.

Photo: Screenshot of 'NAACP Image Awards 2022: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's EMPOWERING Speech and More'

When Meghan wrote a letter to Thomas Markle in 2018, she thought, like many would, that this would be a private communication between herself and her father. Associated Newspapers published excerpts of the letter and the Duchess sued the Mail on Sunday for privacy and copyright. In December 2021, she won the case.

Ahead of the G20 summit in late 2021, Meghan joined her husband in writing an open letter that called on the ‘leaders of the world’s wealthiest nations’ to increase the doses of the COVID-19 vaccine for low-income countries. They said that "cooperation of historic proportion is the only solution. Lives literally depend on it."

While being included in Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People list in 2021, the couple also took center stage on the cover of the magazine. Meghan and her husband were recognized for their ability to power through, against all odds. “In a world where everyone has an opinion about people they don’t know, the duke and duchess have compassion for the people they don’t know,” World Central Kitchen founder José Andrés wrote of the couple, according to SheKnows. "They don’t just opine. They run toward the struggle."

At Global Citizen Live, the Sussexes stood on stage in New York and made a speech to the audience that was full of passion about a topic clearly very dear to the couple’s hearts. They called the suffering of the pandemic "more than a virus" and "a battle of misinformation, bureaucracy, lack of transparency, ... lack of access, [and] a human rights crisis."

After Meghan and Harry visited the 9/11 memorial and Freedom Tower, a string of meetings followed at the United Nations about Sustainable Development Goals. These tackle issues such as obtaining gender equality, sustainable living, combating climate change, and ending world hunger. After leaving the headquarters, Meghan said "it was a lovely meeting."

Meghan has been extremely vocal about her shock to see that the US still does not offer paid parental leave to those with newborn children. The Duchess added to her long list of meetings to get this issue brought into the spotlight. "the U.S. is one of only six countries in the entire world that doesn't offer any form of national paid leave," she said, adding that it "just didn't make sense" and that it was "a humanitarian issue."

Meghan Markle turned 40 in 2021, and to mark the milestone birthday, she created the 40x40 initiative to help ‘advance a professional life’ and inspire others to do the same. She explained in her video: "Because I’m turning 40, I’m asking 40 friends to donate 40 minutes of their time to help mentor a woman who’s mobilizing back into the workforce."

Photo: Archewell.com

While Harry’s releasing a ‘tell-all’ memoir and three other books, his wife Meghan also got a part of the book-publishing contract. The couple signed a deal with Penguin Random House, which, according to the Daily Mail, will see The Duchess write a ‘wellness’ guide as part of the package.

Meghan, hand-in-hand with Archewell, donated 2,000 copies of her book after its release. Among those who received the tome were schools, libraries, and other nonprofit programs across the United States, according to Daily Mail, leaving students ‘overjoyed’.

Inspired by a poem the Duchess of Sussex wrote about Prince Harry’s first Father’s Day, Meghan’s book, 'The Bench,' reached number one on the NY Times bestseller list, one week after its release. As Meghan herself describes, the book focuses on ‘universal themes of love, representation, and inclusivity’.

UK-based charity Population Matters was impressed with Meghan and Harry’s ‘enlightened decision’ to limit their family to two children, thus reducing their environmental footprint.

Lilibet (after her great-grandmother Her Majesty The Queen) Diana (after her father’s late mother) was born on June 4. The couple shared a statement: “Both mother and child are healthy and well, and settling in at home.” New life is always a joy.

Global Citizen’s VAX LIVE was a concert to call for "global vaccine equity and galvanize the private sector into helping end the pandemic for everyone, everywhere." With Meghan and her husband as chair of this campaign, VAX LIVE helped mobilize $302 million to help fight COVID-19 and secured more than 26 million COVID-19 vaccine doses for those in need, Global Citizen’s website claims.

Photo: Screenshot from VAX Live

To mixed reactions, Meghan and Harry signed up for a deal with Netflix - a project initially drawn up to focus on the Invictus Games. In July of the same year, an announcement declared the project, ‘Pearl’ - the Duchess of Sussex’s backed animated series. Unfortunately, it was pulled in May 2022, but Meghan moved on to the next collaboration with the streaming giant.

How could anyone forget the bombshell interview Meghan and Harry did on March 7 2021 with Oprah? Meghan gained a lot of praise from many fans, followers, and the general public who praised her courage in speaking out about her battles with suicidal thoughts, the pressure of being part of the royal institution, and her worries surrounding the protection of her son.

Meghan released an article in November to the New York Times, entitled ‘The Losses We Share’. In the article, she bravely described the moment she underwent a miscarriage. Her aim? According to a conversation with Vogue, The Duchess wants to end the social stigma surrounding miscarriages. She said, “What happens with our bodies is so deeply personal, which can also lead to silence and stigma, even though so many of us deal with personal health crises. I know what miscarrying feels like, which I’ve talked about publicly.”

Meghan, along with her husband Harry, ended all co-operation with four newspapers in the UK after her spokesman said the duchess was ‘saddened’ by the ‘latest attack on her character’. The ‘distorted, false or invasive’ stories referred to the bullying claims against royal staff in 2018. Again, many praised the duchess for standing up to defend her character.

Of course, the media tried to follow the couple everywhere as soon as they left 'The Firm'. They went to an unimaginable extent to get photos. In April 2020 Meghan sued and eventually won an apology from a US new agency for using drones to capture shots of their son, Archie, in their home.