Meet Meghan Markle's parents, who may have been her only relatives invited to the royal wedding (2024)

2018-05-04T16:37:39Z Meet Meghan Markle's parents, who may have been her only relatives invited to the royal wedding (1)
  • Meghan Markle has been relatively silent about her family members since getting engaged to Prince Harry in November.
  • Meghan's mother, Doria Ragland, is a yoga instructor and social worker whoworks specifically with the geriatric community.
  • Meghan's father,Thomas Markle Sr., is a formerHollywood lighting designerwho has recently become more reclusive.
  • The couple split when Meghan was 2 years old.
  • Both were meant to play important roles in the royal wedding — before her father dropped out last minute due to health complications.


While Meghan Markle has beenopen about and proud of her biracial heritage, she has also been relatively silent about her parents, Thomas Markle Sr. and Doria Ragland.

The divorced couple is clearly proud of their daughter — even releasing a joint statement to wish Meghan and Prince Harry "a lifetime of happiness" following the couple's engagement announcement.

—Kensington Palace (@KensingtonRoyal) November 27, 2017

Additionally, Thomas and Ragland may have beenthe only two of her family members to receive invitations to the royal wedding, as INSIDER previously reported. Here's everything we know about the bride-to-be's parents.

Their marriage was short-lived, but they remained committed to co-parenting.

Thomas and Ragland met in the late 1970s, moved to Los Angeles, and welcomed Meghanon August 4, 1981.

"I like to think he was drawn to her sweet eyes and her Afro, plus their shared love of antiques," Meghan wrote about her parents in a2016 essay for Elle UK.

Despite splitting up when Meghan was only 2 years old, she described them as "so supportive,"in an interview with Vanity Fair.

"I never saw them fight. We would still take vacations together. My dad would come on Sundays to drop me off, and we'd watch'Jeopardy!' eating dinner on TV trays, the three of us," Meghan told Vanity Fair. "We were still so close-knit."

Both of Meghan's parents worked in show business.

"It was the late '70s when my parents met, my dad was a lighting director for a soap opera and my mom was a temp at the studio," Meghan wrote for Elle UK.

Thomas has worked on iconic shows like "Married... with Children" and "General Hospital" — and even won an Emmy for Outstanding Achievement in Lighting Direction for a Drama Series.

"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 toldEsquirein 2013. "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.'"

"Married... With Children" was known for its provocative themes. Fox

Meghan's protective father wouldn't let her watch the risque show at home, but she did reveal to Esquire that he allowed her to continue a sweet tradition.

"I could watch the end credits so I could give the screen a kiss when I saw my dad's name go by," she said.

Meghan's dad has two other children from a previous marriage; Meghan is her mother's only child.

The former "Suits" actress has two half-siblings, Samantha Grant and Thomas Markle Jr., who are the children of her father's first marriage.

Grant has repeatedly made headlines for lashing out at Prince Harry, while Thomas Jr. has accused Meghan of"acting phony" and "trying to reinvent herself as the newPrincess Diana." Both have admitted that they haven't spoken to their famous sister in years.

"Our household was very normal and when dad and Doria divorced, we all made it so it was like she had two houses," Grant tweeted in December. "No one was estranged, she was just too busy."

Meghan has called her mom a "free spirit" and her "best friend."

Shortly after the engagement announcement, fans were quick to unearth photos of Meghan with her mom on Instagram — and Ragland became a social media darling.

—'ColeWorld (@Ncoleycole) November 27, 2017

Although Meghan has since deleted her account, she shares the internet's affection and has gushed about Ragland on numerous occasions. In August, Meghan named her mom amongst the likes of Madeleine Albright and Toni Morrison in a list of "10 women who have changed my life" for Glamour.

"My mom has always been a free spirit. She's got dreadlocks and a nose ring. She just ran the LA Marathon. We can just have so much fun together, and yet, I'll still find so much solace in her support," Meghan wrote. "That duality coexists the same way it would in a best friend."

Ragland is a social worker and yoga instructor.

Meghan wrote for Glamour that her mother's social work focuses"specifically with the geriatric community" — and that it has deeply affected the future royal to "watch this level of life-long sensitivity to nurturing and caregiving."

Raglandreportedly still worksat Didi Hirsch Mental Health Services in Culver City, California, which "transforms lives by providing quality mental health and substance abuse services in communities where stigma or poverty limit access," according to its mission statement.

Ragland's "free spirit" also comes into play with her second occupation as a yoga instructor, which is a passion she shares with her daughter.Meghan is a noted yogi and has said that the practice is "in her blood."

Prince Harry reportedly asked Ragland for her blessing to marry Meghan — and the two get along extremely well.

In September, Ragland made headlines when she was photographed with Meghan and Prince Harry at the closing ceremony of the Invictus Games in Toronto. According to Us Weekly, that outing was the moment when the prince asked Ragland for permission to propose.

"[Harry] thought it was an opportunity for them to celebrate a special moment," asource told Us Weekly, addingthat Ragland was "bowled over by how down-to-earth and humble" he was.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle officially announced their engagement in November 2017. Chris Jackson/Getty Images

The respect is clearly mutual, as Prince Harry exclaimed during an interview with BBC that Meghan's mom is "amazing."

Less than two months later, Clarence House released the official engagement announcementand confirmed that Harry, "sought and received the blessing of Ms. Markle's parents."

Meghan's dad reportedly met Prince Harry for the first time when she was baptized in March.

During Meghan'sfirst sit-down interview with her newfiancé, she revealed that her father had talked to Prince Harry "a few times" but hadn't "been able to meet him just yet."

That all-important meeting finally came to fruition during a secret baptism ceremonyat the Chapel Royal at St. James' Palace in March, according to E!.

Although it was not confirmed whether Meghan's father was actually there for the holy proceedings, almost a month later, he was spottedresearching the homeland of his future son-in-law. Photos of Thomas intently studying "Images of Great Britain: A Pictorial Tour Through History"in a Starbucks quickly went viral — and gave the internet a soft spot for him, too.

—Dana Schwartz (@DanaSchwartzzz) April 4, 2018

It was later revealed that Meghan's father was paid to stage paparazzi photos.

The photos of Thomas reading — plus others that includeda very public tuxedo fitting and a casual outdoor workoutwere recentlydiscovered to have been staged.

—Neil Henderson (@hendopolis) May 12, 2018

He then told TMZ that, due to embarassment over the scandal, he would not be attending the royal wedding.

"He admits the pics look 'stupid and hammy,'" TMZ reports. "He says he was just going along with the paparazzi agency, which he now deeply regrets."

After changing his mind about attending the wedding, he dropped out again, citing health issues.

In a third interview with the celebrity gossip site TMZ,Thomas said he would have to skip the historic eventdue to unavoidable heart surgery that would prevent him from traveling.

Here are the three reversals, and when they happened. All were reported by TMZ, which appears to be the only outlet Meghan's father is speaking to:

  • 10 a.m. Monday: Hesaid he would not attend the wedding, to avoid embarrassing his daughter and the royals.
  • 8 a.m. Tuesday: Hesaid he had changed his mind, and would go to the wedding.He mentioned his heart problems but did not seem to think they'd stop him calling.
  • 2 p.m. Tuesday: Hechanged tack again, and said he would not attend the wedding. He said he has urgent heart surgery that will stop him going.

The following day,Meghan confirmed that he would not attendin an official statement released by Kensington Palace.

"I have always cared for my father and hope he can be given the space he needs to focus on his health," she wrote.

—Kensington Palace (@KensingtonRoyal) May 17, 2018

People thought that Meghan's mother would walk her down the aisle.

Kensington Palace had previously announced that "both of the bride's parents will have important roles in the wedding," but thatThomas would give his daughter away at the historic ceremony.

"On the morning of the wedding, Ms. Ragland will travel with Ms. Markle by car to Windsor Castle. Mr. Markle will walk his daughter down the aisle of St George's Chapel," reads the official press release.

Meghan and Prince Harry will wed in St. George's Chapel at Windsor Castle. Dominic Lipinski / Getty

It was originally reported months ago that Meghan is closer with her mother than her father, and that Ragland would give her daughter away at the ceremony. Once Thomas dropped out, Ragland became the gambler's favorite with odds of 6/4, according to the bookies at Betfair.

We now know via a statement from Kensington Palace thatMarkle has asked Prince Charles to walk her down the aisle instead.

"The Prince of Wales is pleased to be able to welcome Ms. Markle to The Royal Family in this way," the statement reads.

—Kensington Palace (@KensingtonRoyal) May 18, 2018

Meghan and her mother were seen on Friday arriving at the Cliveden House Hotel on the National Trust's Cliveden Estate, where the soon-to-be-bride will be staying the night ahead of the royal wedding on Saturday.

Ragland (right) will accompany Markle on her big day. Steve Parsons/WPA Pool/Getty Images

Thomas was reportedly thrilled to be a part of the wedding — which makes his decision to forgo the ceremony especially surprising.

Before Kensington Palace announced that Thomas would walk Meghan down the aisle, multiple family members confirmed that he would take on the traditional honor.

"The arrangements are being made I think," Tracey Dooley,Meghan's former sister-in-law, told Good Morning Britain in March. "From me talking to him, he's very excited to be a part of it."

Business Insider previously reported that Meghan's 73-year-old father has become increasingly introverted after sustaining a leg injury two years ago — but that hadn't dampened his excitement to be a part of the ceremony, according toMeghan's uncle, Michael Markle.

Meghan's half-brother has described their father as a "total recluse."

Thomas Jr.told the Daily Mailthat his father has grown increasingly reclusive since the announcement of the engagement.

"Dad never liked the limelight, but since the news came out about Meghan and Harry he's become a total recluse," Thomas Jr. said."I haven't seen him in years. He hates the attention Meghan's romance has brought on to him. He loves her but hates the idea of being in the spotlight."

After retiring from Hollywoodin 2011, Meghan's father moved to Rosarito Beach, Mexico. He reportedlylives in a cliff-top house that overlooks the Pacific Ocean — around a 15-minute drive from the Mexican/US border.

Rosarito Beach — where Thomas Markle lives. Wikimedia Commons/Roman Eugeniusz

Despite his introverted nature, it appears that Meghan and her father are very close.

It seems that Thomas was a loving, protective caretaker when Meghan was growing up. When she was young, he used some of the numbers in her birth date for winning numbers in the lottery —and used some of the$750,000 to pay Meghan's Catholic school tuition.

"That money allowed Meg to go to the best schools and get the best training," Thomas Jr. told the Mail.

In a since-deleted Instagram post on Father's Day 2016, Meghan wrote: "Happy Father's Day, daddy. I'm still your buckaroo, and to this day your hugs are still the very best in the whole wide world.

"Thanks for my work ethic, my love of Busby Berkeley films & club sandwiches, for teaching me the importance of handwritten thank you notes, and for giving me that signature Markle nose. I love you."

Thomas also helped Meghan become more comfortable with her identity.

Meghan's father encouraged her to define her self — especially when it came to race and heritage — on her own terms.

When Meghan had to complete amandatory census inseventh grade, she was confused by the limited options presented to her. To choose either "Caucasian" or "African-American," Meghan wrote for Elle UK, would be "to choose one parent over the other — and one half of myself over the other."

"My teacher told me to check the box for Caucasian," Meghan wrote. "When I went home that night, I told my dad what had happened. He said the words that have always stayed with me: 'If that happens again, you draw your own box.'"

Meghan Markle has described herself as appearing "ethnically ambiguous." Evan Agostini/Invision/AP

Thomas also took the time to create a custom set of dolls to give to Meghan for Christmas, so that they would more closely represent her family and experience.

"This perfect nuclear family was only sold in sets of white dolls or black dolls. I don't remember coveting one over the other, I just wanted one," Meghan wrote for Elle UK. "On Christmas morning, swathed in glitter-flecked wrapping paper, there I found my Heart Family: a black mom doll, a white dad doll, and a child in each color. My dad had taken the sets apart and customized my family."

There's no doubt that Meghan had a unique childhood and family dynamic — and that her parents were undeniably instrumental in creating the person that snagged Prince Harry's heart.

More on the royal wedding:

  • Here's what time Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's royal wedding will start where you live — and how to watch it
  • Here's exactly what time the Queen, royal family, Harry, and Meghan will arrive at Windsor Castle for the royal wedding on Saturday
  • Meghan Markle is having Prince Charles escort her down the aisle — but she'll reportedly walk most of it by herself
  • Meghan Markle's family has made headlines for slamming the royal wedding — here's a complete timeline of the drama

You can read all of INSIDER's royal weddingcoveragehere.

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Watch: Meghan Markle's makeup artist reveals his beauty secrets

Meet Meghan Markle's parents, who may have been her only relatives invited to the royal wedding (2)

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Martina Birk

Update: 2024-06-30

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Meet Meghan Markle's parents, who may have been her only relatives invited to the royal wedding (2024)

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