Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, married in May 2018 and have two children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.
After several years as working members of the British royal family, they stepped back from royal duties and built a new life in California.
Meghan Markle’s Life and Family
Meghan Markle was born Rachel Meghan Markle on August 4, 1981, in Los Angeles, California. She grew up in a family connected to both the entertainment industry and social work.
Her mother, Doria Ragland, worked as a social worker and yoga instructor. Her father, Thomas Markle, worked in television production, mainly in lighting and photography. Because of her father’s career, Meghan had some early exposure to television and film production.
Meghan attended Immaculate Heart High School in Los Angeles. She later studied at Northwestern University in Illinois and graduated in 2003. Her studies included theater and international studies.
Education remained an important part of Meghan’s background. Before becoming a member of the British royal family, she had already developed interests in acting, writing, women’s rights, and humanitarian work.
Meghan’s Acting Career
Before meeting Prince Harry, Meghan was best known for her work as an actress.
She appeared in several television shows and films during the early part of her career. Her biggest acting role came when she was cast as Rachel Zane in the legal drama Suits.
Meghan joined Suits in 2011. The television series became an international success and helped establish her as a recognizable actress.
She played Rachel Zane for several seasons and remained with the series until 2018. She left the show before her wedding to Prince Harry.
Her acting career was important because Meghan entered the royal family with an established professional identity. She was already known internationally rather than being introduced to the public only through her marriage.
Before her success on Suits, she also worked in smaller acting roles and had other jobs, including freelance calligraphy.
Meghan’s Humanitarian Work
Meghan’s public work also included humanitarian causes.
Before marrying Harry, she worked with organizations connected to women’s rights, education, and international development. She became interested in issues affecting women and girls and spoke publicly about gender equality.
She also worked with World Vision and traveled internationally as part of her charitable activities.
Meghan’s interest in these issues continued after she joined the royal family. Her work as a royal included supporting organizations and causes related to women, children, education, and community development.
Her previous humanitarian work helped shape the causes she later supported alongside Harry.
Prince Harry’s Life
Prince Harry was born Henry Charles Albert David on September 15, 1984, at St Mary’s Hospital in London.
He is the younger son of King Charles III and Diana, Princess of Wales. His older brother is Prince William.
Harry’s childhood took place under intense public attention. His parents divorced in 1996, and his mother died in a car accident in Paris in August 1997.
The death of Diana became one of the most significant events in Harry’s life. He was only 12 years old at the time.
Harry attended schools in Britain, including Eton College. After completing his education, he entered the British Army.
His military career became an important part of his adult life. He served in Afghanistan and developed a strong interest in supporting members of the armed forces and veterans.
Harry’s Military Career
Harry served in the British Army for around a decade and eventually reached the rank of captain.
His military service included two deployments to Afghanistan. His experience in the armed forces later influenced his charitable work.
One of Harry’s most important achievements came from his involvement with injured and wounded military personnel.
In 2014, he launched the Invictus Games. The international sporting event gives wounded, injured, and sick service members and veterans an opportunity to compete in adaptive sports.
The first Invictus Games were held in London in 2014. The event later expanded to other countries and became an international organization.
The Invictus Games remain one of Harry’s most important public projects and continue to be closely associated with his work.
How Meghan and Harry Met
Meghan and Harry met in 2016 through a mutual friend.
Their relationship developed privately at first. The public learned about their relationship later in 2016.
At the time, Meghan was working as an actress on Suits, while Harry was carrying out royal duties and continuing his charitable activities.
Their relationship attracted major media attention because they came from very different professional and cultural backgrounds.
Meghan was an American actress living in Canada because of her work on Suits. Harry was a British prince and a senior member of the royal family.
The combination of Hollywood and the British monarchy made their relationship a major international news story.
Their Engagement
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle announced their engagement on November 27, 2017.
The couple had become engaged earlier that month. Harry proposed to Meghan at their home in London.
The engagement announcement confirmed that Meghan would become part of the British royal family.
At the time, Meghan was still appearing on Suits, but she was preparing to leave the show. Her engagement to Harry meant that her professional and personal life was about to change significantly.
The couple gave several interviews after their engagement and spoke about their relationship and plans for marriage.
Harry and Meghan’s Wedding
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle married on May 19, 2018, at St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle.
The wedding attracted enormous international attention. Millions of people watched the ceremony around the world.
The ceremony included members of the royal family, celebrities, public figures, and representatives of organizations connected to Harry and Meghan.
The Archbishop of Canterbury conducted the marriage ceremony, while the Dean of Windsor played an important role in the service.
Meghan wore a wedding dress designed by British fashion designer Clare Waight Keller. The ceremony also included a sermon by American bishop Michael Curry.
After the wedding, the couple traveled through Windsor in a horse-drawn carriage.
Harry received the title Duke of Sussex on his wedding day, while Meghan became the Duchess of Sussex.
The wedding marked the beginning of Meghan’s official life as a member of the British royal family.
Life as Working Royals
After their wedding, Harry and Meghan began carrying out official royal duties.
They attended public events, visited charities, traveled internationally, and represented the royal family.
Their work included a focus on youth programs, mental health, women’s issues, veterans, and Commonwealth-related causes.
Meghan also became a patron of several organizations.
Harry and Meghan quickly became one of the most closely watched couples in the royal family. Their public appearances received extensive international coverage.
However, their relationship with the British media and parts of the royal system became increasingly difficult.
The Birth of Prince Archie
Harry and Meghan’s first child, Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor, was born on May 6, 2019.
Archie was born at Portland Hospital in London.
The couple initially kept the details surrounding his birth relatively private. They later introduced Archie to the public at Windsor Castle.
His birth made Harry and Meghan parents while they were still working members of the royal family.
Archie spent his first months in Britain before the family later moved to North America.
After the death of Queen Elizabeth II and the accession of King Charles III, Archie became entitled to use the title Prince under the rules governing grandchildren of the monarch.
Stepping Back From Royal Duties
In January 2020, Harry and Meghan announced that they planned to step back from their roles as senior working members of the royal family.
The announcement surprised many people.
The couple said they wanted to become financially independent while continuing to support the Queen.
Discussions followed between Harry, Meghan, Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Charles, and Prince William.
The final arrangement meant that Harry and Meghan would no longer carry out official royal duties as working members of the family.
They also stopped using their HRH styles in their working lives and no longer received public funding for official royal duties.
The decision became widely known as “Megxit,” although that term was created by the media and was not the couple’s official description of their decision.
Moving to North America
After stepping back from royal duties, Harry and Meghan spent some time in Canada.
They later moved to the United States and eventually settled in Montecito, California.
California became the family’s main home and the base for their new professional activities.
The move represented a major change in Harry’s life. He had spent almost all of his life connected to the British royal family and British public duties.
For Meghan, returning to California meant living closer to the place where she grew up.
The couple began developing independent charitable, media, and commercial projects.
The Birth of Princess Lilibet
Harry and Meghan’s second child, Lilibet Diana Mountbatten-Windsor, was born on June 4, 2021, in California.
Her name has a special connection to the royal family.
Lilibet was Queen Elizabeth II’s childhood nickname. Her middle name, Diana, was chosen in honor of Harry’s late mother.
Unlike Archie, Lilibet was born in the United States after Harry and Meghan had already stepped away from royal duties.
The family later announced that their daughter would be known publicly as Lilibet.
After King Charles III became monarch, both Archie and Lilibet became entitled to the titles Prince and Princess.
Harry and Meghan have generally tried to keep their children’s private lives away from constant media attention.
Harry and Meghan as Parents
Family life has become an important part of Harry and Meghan’s lives in California.
The couple have spoken about wanting their children to have a more private childhood.
Harry has often discussed the difficulty of growing up under intense media attention. His experience as a child influenced his approach to protecting his own children.
Archie and Lilibet have appeared in selected family photographs and public announcements, but their parents have generally limited their exposure to the media.
Meghan has also spoken publicly about motherhood and raising children.
Their children are growing up in California rather than inside the daily environment of the British royal family.
Archewell and Their New Professional Life
After leaving royal duties, Harry and Meghan created Archewell, an organization covering their charitable and production activities.
Through Archewell Productions, they began developing television and documentary projects.
One of their most notable projects was the Netflix documentary series Harry & Meghan, released in December 2022.
The documentary focused on their relationship, courtship, marriage, and experience within the royal family.
The series gave Harry and Meghan an opportunity to speak about their lives in their own words.
The couple have also worked on other television and media projects.
Their work in entertainment became an important part of their post-royal career.
Harry’s Work With the Invictus Games
Harry has continued his work with the Invictus Games after leaving the royal family.
The organization has grown considerably since the first Games in London in 2014.
The event brings together wounded, injured, and sick military personnel and veterans from different countries.
Competitors participate in sports such as wheelchair basketball, sitting volleyball, swimming, athletics, and cycling.
Harry remains closely associated with the Invictus movement.
His involvement has allowed him to continue supporting military veterans while working independently from the British royal family.
The Invictus Games have become one of the clearest examples of Harry’s long-term public work.
Harry and Meghan’s Relationship With the Royal Family
Harry and Meghan’s relationship with other members of the royal family has received considerable attention.
Their departure from royal duties created changes in their relationship with the institution and other members of the family.
Harry and Meghan later discussed their experiences publicly through interviews, documentaries, and Harry’s memoir.
Some of their comments created major media coverage and public debate.
There have also been reports about disagreements between Harry and members of his family.
However, it is important to separate confirmed statements from anonymous reports and speculation.
Private family conversations cannot always be independently verified.
The official position following their 2020 decision was that Harry and Meghan remained members of the wider royal family, although they were no longer working members of the monarchy.
Harry’s Memoir
Harry published his memoir, Spare, in January 2023.
The book covered his childhood, his relationship with his family, his military career, his relationship with Meghan, and his decision to leave royal duties.
Spare became a major international publishing success.
The book generated significant discussion because Harry provided his personal account of events within the royal family.
It also offered details about his relationship with Prince William, his experiences with the media, and the effect of his mother’s death on his life.
The memoir became an important part of the public record surrounding Harry’s transition away from royal life.
Meghan’s Work After Royal Life
Meghan has continued to develop her career outside acting.
Her work has included charitable activities, television production, lifestyle projects, and commercial ventures.
She has also continued speaking about subjects such as women, children, family, and community.
In 2025, Meghan launched the lifestyle brand As Ever.
The project expanded her professional identity beyond acting and royal duties.
Her career has therefore included several different stages. She began as an actress, became a member of the British royal family, and later developed a career as a producer, entrepreneur, and public figure.
Their Public Image
Harry and Meghan remain among the most closely followed couples in the world.
Their public image is shaped by several different factors.
Harry is a member of the British royal family and the son of King Charles III and Diana, Princess of Wales.
Meghan was already an internationally known actress before joining the royal family.
Their marriage brought together two very different public worlds.
Their decision to leave royal duties also made them the subject of continued international discussion.
Media coverage of the couple varies significantly between publications and countries. Some reports focus on their charitable work and family life, while others focus on their relationship with the royal family.
For accurate information, it is important to distinguish between confirmed statements, official announcements, documented events, and unverified claims.
Their Family Life in California
Harry and Meghan continue to raise their two children in California.
Their family includes Archie and Lilibet, who were born in different countries but share a close connection to both the United Kingdom and the United States.
The couple have generally kept their children’s daily lives private.
Their California home provides a different environment from the one Harry experienced while growing up as a member of the British royal family.
The family’s life includes private family time as well as selected public and professional commitments.
Harry continues his work with the Invictus Games, while Meghan has focused on creative, lifestyle, and business projects.
Harry and Meghan Today
Harry and Meghan remain married and continue to live in California with their two children.
They no longer perform official duties on behalf of the British monarchy.
Instead, they have developed independent careers through charitable work, entertainment, media production, and commercial projects.
Harry remains strongly connected to the Invictus Games and veterans’ causes. Meghan continues to work on creative and lifestyle projects.
Their relationship with the royal family remains an important part of public interest, but their current lives are largely centered on their own family and professional activities.
