Rare Photo Of Meghan Markle Taken Months Before Her Royal Departure Has Emerged

Jul 04, 2023 by apost team

Every so often, the public is treated to an inside view of the private life of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. The royal couple stays relatively quiet outside of curated press releases and rare public appearances. Although the Duchess of Sussex was somewhat used to the spotlight as a former actress, being reintroduced as a member of the British royal family was extremely different and very difficult.

This led to a challenging few years for Meghan as she adjusted to royal life in the UK. It's no secret that the British media is known for its invasive coverage of celebrities and royals. Prince Harry has been outspoken against this, especially when the press began to hound his wife, in a case of history repeating itself after Harry's late mother, Princess Diana, suffered the same treatment.

But the couple decided to get themselves away from that world when they announced their royal departure in 2020 and acted on it the following year. Since then, they've enjoyed a different kind of life in sunny California with their two children, Archie and Lilibet. It seems that life in Montecito, California, offers a particular kind of freedom that the couple didn't get when they were still a part of the royal family and lived in the UK.

Since then, Meghan has been only photographed doing royal engagements very rarely. For instance, one moment was during the funeral of the late Queen Elizabeth II in 2022. Because of this, many of Meghan's supporters have been clamoring for photos and updates of her since taking a backseat in the limelight. To many people’s surprise, a photo of Meghan months before she and Harry announced their royal exit was unraveled in 2022, thanks to her dear friend, who was also a photographer for the young royal family. 

Prince Harry met US-born actress Meghan Markle in the summer of 2016 through mutual friends. In a cover story for Vanity Fair back in September 2017, she said: "We're in love."

When Meghan’s name first appeared in newspapers when the couple first started dating, not many British people knew who she was. The former actress was born in Los Angeles in 1981 and is best known for her portrayal of Rachel Zane on the television show “Suits.”

The couple was first photographed together holding hands at the Invictus Games in 2017. The Invictus Games is an annual multi-sport event created by Prince Harry in 2014 for wounded and disabled veterans.

Not all media coverage of Prince Harry’s then-girlfriend was positive, however. In fact, in October 2016, the royal palace released a statement on behalf of the Duke, describing the media coverage as “harassment” and “abuse,” even having “racial undertones.”

Much of the initial criticism towards Meghan was rooted in her first marriage to film producer Trevor Engelson, to whom she was married for three years and divorced in 2013. She also had a blog, the Tig, which was closed down in 2017.

She had once written on her blog: "I've never wanted to be a lady who lunches — I've always wanted to be a woman who works."

Still, Harry and Meghan proved that their love was strong enough to last. The Duke and Duchess' wedding was in the media spotlight for months ahead of the event, which took place on May 19, 2018. The royal ceremony differed from others in the past, featuring elements of Meghan’s African American roots, such as a gospel choir. The ceremony was attended by many high-profile Hollywood personalities such as George and Amal Clooney.

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However, after Meghan and Harry announced their royal departure in 2020 and acted on that the following year, the family unit has stayed very strong and has even grown in size. Meghan and Harry are parents of two: Archie Mountbatten-Winsdor and Lilibet “Lili” Mountbatten-Windsor. They now reside in Montecito, California.

Mere days after giving birth to their daughter, the Duchess of Sussex released her very first children's book titled "The Bench." The story began as a poem that Meghan wrote to Harry one Father's Day before it was turned into a book with gorgeous illustrations by Christian Robinson. Released in June 2021, it didn't take long for "The Bench" to become a No. 1 New York Times bestseller, proving that Meghan’s talents lie in much more than just acting. After hitting the No. 1 New York Times bestseller list, Meghan personally thanked her fans via the couple's Archewell website. It seemed like everything was going in a great direction for Meghan and Harry.

The royal couple had already had a very busy year in 2020, and 2021 had proved to be just as busy. Before Meghan released her book, she and Harry released their explosive interview with Oprah Winfrey in March 2021, which bared all about their time as working royals and revealed the mistreatment Meghan received. To this day, many people still talk about the Duke and Duchess’ interview, including Winfrey herself.

Having spoken with Gayle King in a September 2022 CBS interview, Winfrey spoke more about the “bombshell” interview she did with Harry and Meghan. “I was as surprised by the bombshell as everybody else,” Winfrey explained. She added, “But I didn’t set out to do a ‘bombshell’ interview. I set out to do an interview, have a conversation that would allow them to tell their story.”

Regardless, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have persisted in their lives residing in the United States. And for Meghan’s big 40th birthday in 2021, Meghan revealed another project, as the mom was just refusing to slow down. 

Meghan filmed a home video with actress Melissa McCarthy, in which McCarthy came up with several outrageous ideas on how Meghan was celebrating her 40th birthday, jokingly suggesting a "Suits" reunion, as well as a yacht party. After McCarthy’s antics, Meghan revealed that she was celebrating her 40th by launching the 40x40 project. 

In the video, Meghan said:

"In the past two years, and in large part because of the COVID-19 pandemic, TENS OF MILLIONS OF women around the world have left the workforce, including over two million women in the U.S. So many of these women are also SHOULDERING THE BRUNT OF THE CRISIS when it comes to unpaid labor, including schooling and caring for family members. And the latest research shows that FEWER WOMEN THAN MEN WILL REGAIN WORK as we recover from the pandemic." 

By teaming up with 40 "friends, activists, athletes, artists, and world leaders," Meghan wanted to kick off a global effort for people to offer 40 minutes of mentorship to women reentering the workforce.

Meghan said:

"With this time, I hope they each help someone advance a professional life on her own terms, and, I hope that they inspire countless others to give 40 minutes of their time as well. If you are able, please JOIN US and pledge 40 minutes today in service of others in the way that feels right to you. The time that you donate can contribute to a GLOBAL WAVE OF SERVICE and set in motion meaningful impact in our own communities, and across the world."

While Meghan and Harry both have several accomplishments to be proud of, their former lives as working royals were not always as glamorous as people may have imagined.

“Within the first eight days of our relationship being made public was when they said, ‘Harry’s girl almost straight outta Compton.’ And that her exotic DNA will be thickening the royal blood,” Harry said of the media’s treatment of Meghan in the documentary series, according to The Independent. “We would get followed, photographed, chased, harassed.”

Harry made a comparison between the hate Meghan has faced and the racism that his mother and Egyptian boyfriend experienced in the late 1990s, saying that “history was repeating itself.”

“My mother was chased to her death while she was in a relationship with someone that wasn’t white,” Harry added. “And now look what’s happened. You wanna talk about history repeating itself, they’re not gonna stop until she dies.”

After both sides had admitted to infidelity, Princess Diana and her husband, King Charles III, filed for divorce in 1996 after receiving pressure from Queen Elizabeth II to separate, according to the BBC. Around a year later, the paparazzi spotted the princess on vacation with her boyfriend, Dodi Fayed.

As Harry alluded to in his interview, the media wouldn’t let up. Diana and Fayed died following a car crash where they were trying to escape the paparazzi, who were following the couple in Paris. 

Given that Harry says this history of harassment has repeated itself, the former working royal explained that he regretted not speaking out earlier about the racism his wife faced. According to The Independent, the prince said his biggest regret was “not making more of a stance earlier on in my relationship with my wife and calling out the racism when I did.”

Ever since the public learned about Harry and Meghan’s relationship, the world has been transfixed. Like modern-day Grace Kelly, actress Meghan gave up her career in the spotlight to marry British royalty. The couple's wedding ceremony in May 2018 was in the media spotlight for months ahead of the event and was watched by millions worldwide. It was a royal wedding of rebellious firsts as these two decided to marry on their own terms and in their own specific style. They did many things differently that set them apart from other royals early on, and that's something they've carried through in how they're living their lives and raising their children.

Meghan had Archie in May 2019. More than seven months later, his parents shocked the world as they announced that they would be stepping back from their roles as senior members of the royal family. They have since relocated to the United States, specifically to California, a rare occurrence for a senior member of the British Royal Family. 

Infamously, their bold move has made royalists, even members of the royal household, raise their eyebrows. However, the two were persistent and were sure of the huge step they were going to make at the time. 

Since moving overseas, people have grown more interested in Meghan and Harry, with people looking back on the months that led to their surprising decision. As a celebrity, Meghan has had countless photos on the internet. Especially when she became a harsh muse of the paparazzi and British tabloids, her photos were everywhere. 

But when one of the young royal family’s friends, Misan Harriman, a photographer, greeted Meghan for her 41st birthday in 2022, the world saw a new stunning photo of the Duchess of Sussex that was never seen by the public ever before.  

Harriman has been a dear friend of Harry and Meghan for quite a while. He was responsible for the amazing photos that the couple had in the past, along with the important milestones that he captured and chronicled for the young family after their controversial exit. 

On May 6, 2023, Harriman made the headlines as he posted a photo of Archie looking and reaching the photo of her late grandmother, Princess Diana. Coincidentally, the photo was posted on the same day that King Charles III was officially crowned as the King, while Camilla, the third party in the previous marriage, finally earned the title of Queen. 

Just like on Meghan’s 2022 birthday, Harriman chose an exceptional photo to share online to greet his dear friend. 

With the caption, “Wishing you the happiest of birthdays, Meghan,” Harriman shared an amazing photograph of the Duchess of Sussex when she attended the One Young World Summit Opening Ceremony back in October 2019 at the Royal Albert Hall. 

In the dramatic photo, Meghan exited a curtain only to be welcomed by many people applauding her. If it was described only by words, the scene might be a little bit underwhelming, but because of the dramatic lighting, and the silhouette of the underrated royal accentuating her impact, it was truly a testament to the saying that a picture is worth a thousand words.

The photo was taken two months prior to Harry and Meghan's trip to Canada, where they spent Christmas and New Year 2020. Upon returning to the United States in January 2020, they then made the controversial announcement of stepping back from their senior royal duties. 

It was also Harriman’s eye that was responsible for the cute photos of Lilibet that were taken on her first birthday in June 2022.

What can you say about Meghan Markle? Wasn’t the photo breathtaking? Do you support their decision to move to the United States? Let us know, and pass this on to your family, friends, and other royal family fans out there!