Lyla Dejesus
Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex, is the daughter of Doria Ragland, a social worker and yoga instructor, and Thomas Markle Sr., a television lighting director and director of photography. Markle and her mother are very close, and Markle reportedly flew to Los Angeles to meet with her mother before her wedding to Prince Harry. Markle's father did not attend the wedding, and there was much speculation about whether her mother would walk her down the aisle. Ultimately, Prince Charles walked Markle down the aisle, and her mother sat alone during the ceremony. Markle's mother returned to work immediately after the wedding.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name | Doria Loyce Ragland |
| Date of Birth | September 2, 1956 |
| Profession | Social worker, yoga instructor, former makeup artist |
| Relationship with Meghan | Close; Meghan has written about their bond several times |
| Role in the Royal Wedding | Rode in the car with Meghan to the chapel, sat in the second row, and took her place inside the church quire, opposite the Queen |
| Post-Wedding Involvement | Was by Meghan's side in her first days of motherhood, and travelled to the UK to meet her grandchild Archie |
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What You'll Learn
Doria Ragland's relationship with Meghan Markle
Doria Loyce Ragland is the mother of Meghan, Duchess of Sussex. She is a social worker, a former makeup artist, and a yoga instructor. Ragland was born in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1956, and moved to Los Angeles as a baby. She met Meghan's father, Thomas Markle, in the 1970s, and they married in 1979. The couple separated when Meghan was two years old and divorced in 1987.
Meghan has written about her mother and their bond several times, including in a 2014 Tig post called "Love Letter". She has also described her mother as a “free spirit" and a "free-spirited clinical therapist". Meghan and Doria have a close relationship, and Doria has been by her daughter's side through many ups and downs, including her acting career, her marriage to Prince Harry, and her subsequent departure from the royal family.
Doria played a special role in Meghan's wedding to Prince Harry in 2018. She rode in the car with her daughter to the chapel and sat opposite the Queen during the ceremony. Doria also met with other members of the royal family before the wedding, including Prince Charles and Camilla. After the wedding, she flew to the United Kingdom to meet her grandson, Archie, and attended his christening at Windsor Castle. She also became a grandmother to Meghan and Harry's second child, Lilibet, in 2021.
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Doria Ragland's career
Doria Loyce Ragland, born on September 2, 1956, in Cleveland, Ohio, is an American social worker and yoga instructor. She is the mother of Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, and the ex-wife of Thomas Markle Sr., an American retired television lighting director and director of photography. Ragland holds a degree in social work and has worked as a makeup artist, travel agent, and small business owner.
Ragland's early career included working as a temporary assistant makeup artist on the television show General Hospital, where she met her future ex-husband, Thomas Markle Sr. After their divorce, Ragland completed her undergraduate degree, obtaining a Bachelor of Arts in psychology. She then worked as a travel agent and owned a small business.
In addition to her professional pursuits, Ragland has been actively involved in her daughter Meghan's life. She accompanied Meghan to public events and played a significant role in her wedding to Prince Harry in 2018. Ragland met with Queen Elizabeth, Prince Charles, and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, ahead of the royal wedding.
Currently, Doria Ragland works at a nonprofit mental health clinic in Los Angeles, California. She resides in View Park–Windsor Hills, California, in a house inherited from her father in 2011. Ragland became a grandmother in 2019 with the birth of her grandson, Prince Archie of Sussex. She also has a granddaughter, Princess Lilibet of Sussex, born in 2021.
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Doria Ragland's attendance at the wedding
Doria Ragland, the mother of Meghan Markle, played a special role in her daughter's wedding to Prince Harry. Ragland, a social worker and yoga instructor, travelled with Meghan by car to St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle, on the day of the wedding, 19 May 2018. She then took her place inside the church quire, opposite the Queen.
In the lead-up to the wedding, Meghan reportedly flew to Los Angeles to discuss details of the wedding with her mother. Equipped with sketches of the wedding dress and venue, Meghan gave Ragland insight into how the big day would look. Ragland flew to England a few days before the wedding to meet with members of the royal family, including the Queen, Prince Charles and Camilla.
Ragland sat alone in the second row at the wedding, after Meghan's father, Thomas Markle Sr., announced he would no longer be attending following a heart attack. It was reported that Meghan consulted with her mother about who should walk her down the aisle, but Ragland did not feel she could do it. The duty was eventually carried out by Prince Charles.
Ragland has been described by Prince Harry as "amazing", and her daughter has written about their close bond. Ragland was also by Meghan's side in the early days of motherhood, flying to the UK to meet her first grandchild, Archie, at Frogmore Cottage.
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Doria Ragland's relationship with the royal family
Doria Ragland is the mother of Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex, and the mother-in-law of Prince Harry. Markle reportedly has a close relationship with her mother, who was by her side during her first days of motherhood. Markle has written about her mother and their bond several times, describing her as a free-spirited clinical therapist and a yoga instructor.
Ragland travelled to the UK in the week of her daughter's wedding to Prince Harry, allowing time for Harry's family, including the Queen, the Duke of Edinburgh, the Prince of Wales, the Duchess of Cornwall, and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, to spend time with her before the big day. Ragland rode in the car with her daughter to the chapel and took her place inside the church quire, opposite the Queen. Ragland sat alone in the second row at the wedding, as Markle's father was unable to attend due to health issues.
After the wedding, Ragland flew to the UK to stay with the Sussexes in Frogmore Cottage for a few weeks after the birth of their son, Archie. She shared that she was overjoyed about the arrival of her first grandchild.
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Doria Ragland's relationship with her ex-husband, Thomas Markle
Doria Ragland, an American social worker, is the mother of Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, and the ex-wife of Thomas Markle Sr., an American retired television lighting director and director of photography. Doria was born in Cleveland, Ohio, and later moved to California, where she met Thomas Markle in the late 1970s. The couple married on December 23, 1979, at Hollywood's Paramahansa Yogananda Self-Realization Fellowship Temple. Their daughter, Meghan, was born in 1981.
Doria and Thomas Markle's relationship ended when their daughter was two years old, and they divorced in 1987. Despite their separation, both parents continued to play a role in Meghan's life. Doria Ragland has been described by her daughter as a "free spirit" and a "free-spirited clinical therapist" who teaches yoga. Meghan has also written about her mother and their bond, describing her as having "dreadlocks" and calling her "Flower." The Duchess of Sussex has further highlighted their unique relationship, with Doria by her side through various life stages, from acting on Suits to running a lifestyle blog, The Tig, and eventually marrying Prince Harry.
Thomas Markle, on the other hand, made headlines in the lead-up to his daughter's wedding to Prince Harry. He reportedly staged paparazzi photos of himself, reading a book about the U.K. and looking at photos of the couple. Doria expressed her disbelief at her ex-husband's actions in the 2022 Netflix docuseries, Harry & Meghan. She stated that she was "stunned" by his involvement in the media circus and felt that his actions were not reflective of responsible parenting. Despite the challenges, Doria Ragland has continued to play an active role in her daughter's life, even after the wedding. She was by Meghan's side during her early days of motherhood and has travelled to the U.K. to spend time with her grandchildren, Archie and Lilibet.
Overall, while Doria Ragland and Thomas Markle's marriage ended in divorce, they both maintained connections with their daughter Meghan. Doria has been a constant source of support for Meghan, especially during her transition into the royal family, while Thomas Markle's relationship with his daughter appears to have been more strained, as evidenced by his absence from her wedding and subsequent media attention.
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Frequently asked questions
Meghan Markle's mother, Doria Ragland, stayed at the Cliveden House Hotel in the village of Taplow near Windsor on the eve of her daughter's wedding.
No, Doria Ragland did not walk Meghan Markle down the aisle. Instead, Prince Charles, Meghan's father-in-law, walked her down the aisle.
Doria Ragland, a social worker, returned to work immediately after the wedding. She took eight days off before returning to her job at a nonprofit mental health clinic in Los Angeles.
