Meghan Markle’s Net Worth: Her Source Of Income Before Marrying Harry

Mar 25, 2021

Ever since her whirlwind romance with Prince Harry became official, Meghan Markle has barely had a moment out of the press in the last few years. The couple got married in an elaborate ceremony in May 2018, after which Markle became an official part of the royal family. Famously, the couple stepped down from their royal titles in 2020 and have chosen to be independent, which means no longer being financially supported by the monarchy.

This raised many questions about how they'd make money to live. However, Markle has been working hard for much of her life and is no stranger to taking on all kinds of jobs. In fact, she's generally estimated to have been worth $5 million before joining the royal family. Meanwhile, Harry is worth $40 million, most of which comes from money left for him from his mother, Princess Diana, an inheritance from his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth, and his former military salary.

Markle might be most known for her role in "Suits," where she starred in seven out of nine seasons. But she's had a wide-ranging career outside of the show, which includes everything from acting and fashion to calligraphy and being a lifestyle influencer.

This shines new light on the couple's decision to leave the monarchy — not only did they want their freedom, but Markle's incredible work ethic shows that she isn't held back by limitations and can really achieve anything she puts her mind to. Let's take a look at the jobs she's held in the past and where her money has come from.

Fans might know Markle from scripted television, but one of her early roles was on the game show "Deal or No Deal," hosted by Howie Mandel. Appearing as a briefcase model on one season in 2006, Markle has since spoken of that time as one she'd rather forget. She told "Esquire" in a 2013 interview,

"I would put that in the category of things I was doing while I was auditioning to try to make ends meet ... Definitely working on 'Deal or No Deal' was a learning experience, and it helped me to understand what I would rather be doing. So if that's a way for me to gloss over that subject, then I will happily shift gears into something else."

Years later, Mandel was asked about Markle's time on the show and admitted that although she wasn't involved in many episodes, she was a "very nice person." He went on to jokingly say she was "slightly duchessy," however, suggesting that her presence and what drew Prince Harry to her was always there. The show paid $800 per episode, so not a bad gig as Markle was looking for other work.

TV Guest Roles

Considering her most famous job was on the show "Suits," it's no surprise to learn that Markle got her start in acting by appearing in minor roles on scripted television series. This is a common way for actors to get their foot in Hollywood's door. Extra work can sometimes lead to minor roles with lines; eventually, actors can even score main roles in film and television. 

Besides an uncredited early role in 1995, Markle's first appearance was as Jill in a 2002 episode of "General Hospital." It's uncertain how much she was paid for the job, but it's thought that actors playing small roles on the series could earn $1,000 per episode, which is not bad for a day's work.

Most of Markle's early filmography includes minor roles in television series before she eventually made it on to some bigger shows, including "CSI: NY," "90210," "Fringe," "CSI: Miami" and "Castle." It's likely you saw her in an episode of your favorite show years before she became a familiar face on "Suits."

Film Roles

As well as working on television shows, Markle began to act in movies. She appeared in two movies in 2010 that netted her sizable earnings — "Remember Me," a romantic drama film starring Robert Pattinson, for which she received $187,000, and "The Candidate," a short film that earned her $153,846. She might not have been playing leads just yet, but supporting character work is an important stepping stone to becoming an established face in Hollywood. This kind of work can often lead to other opportunities if the right person sees your work.

Markle clearly made an impression, as the following year she appeared in the blockbuster comedy "Horrible Bosses" in a small role. Within a few years, she'd landed a lead role in the romantic comedy "Random Encounters." However, the film doesn't appear to have had a wide release. All in all, Markle's career goes to show that hard work and perseverance do pay off.

Her TV series work even led to some roles in made-for-TV movies, some of which don't pay too badly. In 2011, she appeared in "The Boys and Girls Guide to Getting Down," for which she reportedly earned $50,000. 

Even after she was working on "Suits," Markle wasn't above taking on the odd TV movie. In 2014, she starred in the Hallmark movie "When Sparks Fly," a romantic comedy in which she plays a journalist who heads back to her small hometown to write a piece about the Fourth of July. It's uncertain how much she earned, but actors are known to be paid in the six-figure range for such work. It must have been a lucrative opportunity, as she did another Hallmark rom-com in 2016 titled "Dater's Handbook."

Freelance Calligrapher

Working as a freelance calligrapher is surely not a job most actors or royal family members can put on their resume! While she was busy auditioning for acting roles and trying to make ends meet, Markle worked as a freelance calligrapher, having written Robin Thicke and Paula Patton's wedding invitations, and Dolce & Gabbana's holiday correspondence to celebrities among other things. It turns out that this also pays pretty well. She said in the same interview with Esquire:

"Oh, it's super-lucrative. Because there are so few people doing it. What's funny is I probably still have some calligraphy business cards floating out in the world and I can't wait for someone to call me in a month or something, and say, 'Can you do these for my son's Bar Mitzvah?'"

The role that really put her on the map was when Markle played paralegal Rachel Zane — which, incidentally, is Markle's real first name — for seven seasons of the show's nine-season run. It was while she was on the show that she met and began dating Prince Harry and even got engaged. It's also where the majority of her fortune comes from, as she earned $50,000 per episode, appearing in 108 episodes in total.

But her time during the show's original run isn't the only way she's made money from "Suits." She also appeared in seven webisodes of the show, which usually amounts to extra money for extra content in Hollywood. Additionally, she also gets residuals whenever an old episode is aired again, as is common practice for TV shows. 

Lifestyle Blog The Tig

Another side of Markle that in some circles was quite widely known was her propensity for lifestyle blogging on her own website named The Tig. She started the site in 2014 as a side project from her acting, and it focused on fashion, beauty, food and travel. She proved quite the influencer on her site, showing off her impeccable personal taste and her photography and writing skills. She shut the site down in 2017, around the time she became engaged. By then the blog had amassed 3 million loyal followers on Instagram, while its Facebook page had 800,000 likes. Her success with the site even extended to lucrative sponsored content and brand partnerships, for which she received an estimated $80,000. 

The world is well aware of Markle's tasteful personal style at this point, but did you know that back in 2015 she dabbled in fashion design? Partnering up with Canadian retailer Reitmans, Markle became a brand ambassador and put out two capsule collections of clothing — one featured four dresses, while the other was based around work separates. The collections were a huge success and a "virtual first-day sell-out.” It's unclear how much she earned from the collaboration, but celebs usually receive licensing fees or a percentage of the profits from these kinds of deals.

Future Entrepreneur

Considering Markle's extensive resume that runs the gamut from show business to creative design, it's clear that she has a strong entrepreneurial bone in her body. Ever since she and Harry left the royal family, they've announced new ventures they will be working on, so it's clear there is still a lot to come from the couple. 

In 2020 they launched Archewell, a public organization that will include non-profit work as well as creative media ventures. Then the big deals came rolling in — in September, the couple signed a Netflix deal estimated to be worth $100 million as well as a lucrative Spotify deal. They've even invested in a milk latte startup named Clevr Blends. Meanwhile, Harry has signed on to a Silicon Valley startup in an executive role.

It's clear that Markle is a fighter and that she's done that all along, which makes her and Harry's future even more exciting to watch — their potential is limitless.

Did you know all of the seemingly "odd jobs" Markle has had or how much she's truly worth? Is there a role you can picture her and Harry excelling at now that they're free agents? If this article was informative, pass it on to your friends!