Before the tiara and the royal wedding watched by millions, Meghan Markle was just a kid eating TV dinners in a modest Los Angeles apartment. Her childhood was marked by the quiet struggles of a mixed-race girl in a world that didn’t know where to place her. “People couldn’t understand how my lighter sister and darker mother were related,” she’s shared about those early feelings of otherness.
Left to her own devices after school, young Meghan found comfort in game shows and simple routines. Money was tight – a $4.99 salad bar meal counted as a special treat. But she dreamed big, telling her elementary school principal she would make their school famous one day.
Hollywood didn’t make it easy. For years, she faced limited opportunities and stereotypical casting before Suits gave her a breakthrough. Then came the fairytale twist – meeting Prince Harry and becoming a royal. But reality included terrifying childbirth complications and personal losses. Today, the once-overlooked girl uses her global platform to ensure others feel seen and heard.
