Royal role model! Before starting a family of her own, Meghan Markle had her mother, Doria Ragland, to turn to for inspiration on a daily basis.
Ragland was married to Thomas Markle from 1979 to 1987, but despite the split, Meghan remained close to both of her parents while growing up. “I was too young at the time to know what it was like for my parents, but I can tell you what it was like for me,” she wrote in an Elle essay published in 2015, reflecting on her biracial identity. “How they crafted the world around me to make me feel like I wasn’t different but special.”
When Meghan rose to stardom on Suits in the 2010s, her mom remained one of her fiercest supporters — and was the only family member by Meghan’s side at her May 2018 wedding to Prince Harry in England. (Thomas declared days before the ceremony that he would no longer be attending after suffering a heart attack and staging paparazzi photos of himself.)
The royal family made an effort to welcome Doria with open arms, with the yoga instructor securing an invitation for tea with Queen Elizabeth II and the late Prince Philip at Windsor Castle ahead of the Sussexes’ nuptials. One year later, Doria returned to the royal residence to witness the baptism of her grandson, Archie, and posed beside several senior members of her son-in-law’s family.
Harry and Meghan sent shockwaves throughout the palace in January 2020 when they announced their plans to step down from their senior duties. Two months later, they moved stateside, happy to close the distance between the Northwestern University grad and her mother.
“Meghan has been seeing her mom while in L.A.,” a source told Us Weekly exclusively in May 2020, shortly before the royal couple settled down in the quieter Montecito neighborhood in Santa Barbara, California.
Through all of her ups and downs — including her 2020 miscarriage — Meghan turned to Doria for guidance. After welcoming their second child, daughter Lilibet “Lili” Diana, in June 2021, the Archewell cofounders felt lucky to have an experienced caretaker nearby.
“They’ve had lots of lovely gifts sent from friends and family members including Doria, but the most special thing she’s provided is her time,” an insider told Us of the couple after Meghan gave birth. “She’s been helping out at the house and her hands-on support is a major bonus.”
Scroll down to see more of Meghan and Doria’s sweetest moments through the years: