First published 2018
Andrew Morton examines the life of Meghan Markle, the American actress who married Prince Harry in 2018. Morton begins with Markle's childhood in Los Angeles's San Fernando Valley, where she attended Catholic school and navigated a complex family situation that parallels Harry's own troubled background. The author chronicles her early struggles in Hollywood, where casting directors repeatedly rejected her because of her mixed race heritage, before her breakthrough role on the television series Suits. Morton details her first marriage and subsequent divorce in 2013, her humanitarian work that echoed Princess Diana's charitable efforts, and the secret transatlantic courtship with Prince Harry that began with a blind date in July 2016. Using interviews with family members and close friends, plus previously unpublished photographs, Morton reveals how Markle's confident personality and warm public presence broke from traditional royal bride expectations. The book shows how their romance remained hidden across two continents until the media discovered their relationship, thrusting Markle into unprecedented global attention that culminated in their engagement and wedding.
Genres: biography, non-fiction, biography-memoir, 21st-century
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, rags-to-riches
Setting: Los Angeles, San Fernando Valley
Period: 2018, 2016, 2013
253 pages · Hardcover · Grand Central Publishing