6 Reasons Why Meghan Markle is a History Maker

Megan K. Traquair
Feb 2, 2019
4 min read

It's almost been a year since Prince Harry of Britain married American actress, blogger, and activist, Meghan Markle. Sure, there have been have been lots of stories both good and bad about her adjustment to life as Duchess of Sussex, but beyond the stories about her attention-seeking family and her possible cat-fights with her sister-in-law, Kate Middleton, Duchess of Cambridge, there's a history-making story. Here are 6 reasons why Meghan Markle is a History Maker:

1. She's an American

Although relations have warmed between Britain and its former colonies since 1776, it was still a bit of a shock that in 2018 a British royal would date, let alone marry an American. We have good reason to be shocked because the British monarchy was in this situation before with King Edward VIII and Wallis Simpson. At the time, the British Parliament and the king's own family were not too keen on Edward choosing an American as his bride, when there were perfectly eligible, blue-blooded English women would be a far more suitable match. In Meghan and Harry's situation, it seems like it's good to be the "spare" and not the immediate heir to the throne. Harry is now 6th in line to the throne after his father, Charles, his brother, William, and his nephews and niece, George, Charlotte, and Louis. Harry had the freedom to marry who he wanted because it is unlikely that he will ever be king, but that doesn't stop the public from wondering what Britain would like like with an American princess.

2. She's a Divorcee

Like Wallis Simpson, she's also a divorcee, but there are some key differences that made the royal family turn their nose at Simpson and not Markle. When Wallis and Edward met, she was still married to her 2nd husband, Ernest Aldrich Simpson, an American shipping executive. Combine that with the fact that she had been married twice before made the royals think that she was unfit to be Edward's wife. When Meghan and Harry met, she was long divorced from her ex-husband, producer Trevor Engelson. They married in 2011 and divorced in 2013. Finally, royal and public attitudes have changed about divorce. In fact in the 20th century, the British royal family saw the divorce of 4 royal couples: Prince Charles & Princess Diana, Princess Anne & Mark Phillips, Prince Andrew & Sarah Ferguson, and Princess Margaret & Antony Armstrong-Jones.

3. She's an Actress

Long have royals (and society) looked down on the acting profession, and a lot of people claim that they are "actresses", however, Meghan was a successful actress before she married Harry. She landed her first TV gig in 2002 as on the soap opera, General Hospital, and then was on a string of shows such as Cuts, CSI: NY, The War at Home, and 90210. Her big break came when she landed the role of Rachel Zane on the legal drama, Suits. Although Meghan's resume was good enough to pass the royal's judgment, that was not the case for Prince Andrew's former girlfriend, Koo Stark. Like Markle, Stark was an American actress and her relationship with Andrew was so serious that in 1982 she met the royal family at Balmoral Castle. Unfortunately for the couple, their relationship ended after it came out that Stark had starred in a racy film before meeting Andrew.

4. She's Biracial

Meghan was born on August 4, 1981 in Los Angeles to Doria Ragland and Thomas Markle. Doria is African-American and Thomas is white, and Meghan has been very outspoken about her struggle to fit in as a biracial woman throughout her life. She lived in a primarily white community in the San Fernando Valley, and went to a primarily white, all-girls Catholic school in Los Angeles. When she began acting professionally, she had trouble getting parts because she didn't check one particular box: black or white. Although, her relationship with her father has been the stuff of tabloid fodder, Meghan has stated that her mother, a yoga instructor and social worker, has been a constant source of strength in trying to navigate her role as a biracial woman in Hollywood. Her presence in the royal family is a sign of an ancient institution reflecting the modern and changing look of the world. Hopefully, she can be a role model for other women who don't check a particular box.

5. She Speaks out for Women's Rights

Even before she became the Duchess of Sussex, Meghan was a full-fledged philanthropist and feminist. In 2014, she began working for the UN Women's Agency, working as an "advocate for political participation and leadership". She's also worked with World Vision's Clean Water Campaign to bring clean water to communities around the world. In her role as Duchess, she gave a speech in October 2018 in New Zealand on the 125th anniversary of the country granting women suffrage. In her first official speech abroad, the public got a glimpse into Meghan's feminist views and her passion for equality stating that suffrage represented, "The basic and fundamental human right of all people—including members of society who have been marginalized—whether for reasons of race, gender, ethnicity, or orientation—to be able to participate in the choices for their future and their community."

6. Her Fashion Choices Make Headlines

Like her sister-in-law, Kate, and her late mother-in-law, Diana, people from around the world want to know what Meghan is wearing. However, Meghan gets attention for not only breaking some royal fashion rules (bare shoulders? oh my!), but she also chooses sustainable and ethical pieces to add to her wardrobe. She wears well-known ethical designers like Theory and Stella McCartney, but also incorporates up and coming brands like Veja, Rothys, Reformation, and Hiut Denim. By wearing ethical choices, small companies have felt the "Meghan Markle Effect", and more people are interested in wearing sustainable fashion.

As you can see, Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex, has already begun to change the role of the British monarchy in the modern world, and I'm sure she's not done making headlines yet.

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Sources:

https://www.harpersbazaar.com/uk/fashion/style-files/g24060291/meghan-markle-sustainable-brands/

https://www.townandcountrymag.com/society/tradition/a24363377/meghan-markle-feminism-speech-new-zealand-transcript/

https://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/national-international/Feminist-Meghan-Markle-Advocate-for-Women-UN-Women-460478763.html

https://www.townandcountrymag.com/society/tradition/a16405569/meghan-markle-mother-doria-ragland/

https://www.biography.com/people/wallis-simpson-20836823

https://www.biography.com/people/meghan-markle-013117

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