<p>Barack Obama, on March 18, 2008, delivered arguably his most powerful address to date. He opened with words extracted from the Preamble to the United States Constitution, &ldquo;We the people, in order to make a more perfect union,&rdquo; and went on the chronicle his own interconnected ethnic heritage: &ldquo;I am the son of a black man from Kenya and a white woman from Kansas.&rdquo;</p>

<p>He then moved to his personal progress: &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve gone to some of the best schools in America and lived in one of the world&rsquo;s poorest nations.&rdquo; In an inspired and redolent passage, with a sure a nod to his African American doubters, Obama reminded his audience: &ldquo;I am married to a black American who carries within her the blood of slaves and slaveowners &mdash; an inheritance we pass on to our two precious daughters.&rdquo;</p>

<p>Let&rsquo;s fantasise for a moment. Eighteen months from now, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry announce they are expecting their first child. Meghan heralds the arrival, expressing her approval of Obama&rsquo;s words: &ldquo;I am the daughter of a black American woman who carries within her the blood of slaves and slaveowners &mdash; an inheritance, my husband Harry and I will, in time, pass on to our precious child.&rdquo;</p>

<p>By that time, we can surmise Meghan will have grown comfortable with the British media and accustomed to the obtuse way they ask questions about her ethnic identity. She&rsquo;ll also have realised that her insistence that she is biracial and proud of it, simply doesn&rsquo;t fly in Britain, a nation that has pursued a policy of multiculturalism and, later, cultural diversity expressly avoiding any mention of race or racial to remove any trace of biology. Biracial has too many unwholesome connotations. Meghan will get this and stop using the term.</p>

<p>We prefer the clumsier but more accurate &ldquo;mixed heritage&rdquo; to biracial and, as for &ldquo;people of colour&rdquo; &mdash; well, people get fired for that kind of anachronistic language in the UK. So Meghan will no doubt be advised to discover a new lexicon.</p>

<p>But sooner or later she will find the occasion to make a pronouncement that will either horrify or gratify the British public. At the moment, people are too excited about the prospect of a glamorous American from the entertainment industry to concern themselves overly with her ethnicity. But it&rsquo;s certain to appear at some point over the next year or so.</p>

<p><strong>Welcome to the 21st century</strong></p>

<p>The British media have welcomed the uncertainty Meghan brings to the Royals. The UK&rsquo;s top-selling newspaper, The Sun, shares the same sentiment as many others with its headline &ldquo;Finally, the Royal Family have joined Britain in the 21st century &mdash; no more blue blood and poshos,&rdquo; as if Meghan was a catalyst who will change an anachronistic institution into one fit for the next generation.</p>

<p>&ldquo;Even a generation ago, the idea of a prince marrying a mixed-race actress could never be contemplated,&rdquo; it reflected (incorporating not one, but two very 20th-century words). It went on: &ldquo;When Prince Charles was Harry&rsquo;s age, he was expected to marry someone white, blue-blooded and a virgin,&rdquo; though such virtuous maidens must have been in short supply in the early 1980s.</p>

<p>The paper&rsquo;s nearest rival, The Daily Mail, was prepared to turn what would have been a major contravention of protocol in the 1980s to a dutiful observance of cultural change. &ldquo;A bride descended from slaves,&rdquo; as it called Meghan, has helped the Royals prove &ldquo;sneering snobs wrong.&rdquo; In other words, the royals embrace rather than retard change.</p>

<p>The I&rsquo;s Yasmin Alibhai-Brown was left unmoved, however. &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t share the racial optimism,&rdquo; she confirmed, though without offering a clarification of the meaning of &ldquo;racial optimism.&rdquo; &ldquo;The truth is that Diana&rsquo;s sons are being used by Charles to appeal to modern Britons &hellip; Some conspiracy theories ring true.&rdquo; Setting aside the provenance of her claims to &ldquo;truth&rdquo; (conspiracy theories?), the impression is that Meghan&rsquo;s role is comparable to that of a dupe: someone who conveniently fills the role of bride and is walking blithely but unknowingly into &ldquo;a dysfunctional, cold and unnatural family.&rdquo;</p>

<p><strong>Ethnic chameleon</strong></p>

<p>This seems profoundly insulting to Meghan, a woman who seems securely at ease with her commitments and decisions, as well as her ethnic origins and appears nobody&rsquo;s fool. &ldquo;I wasn&rsquo;t black enough for the black roles,&rdquo; she concluded early in her acting career, though now she&rsquo;s able &ldquo;to voice my pride in being a strong, confident mixed-race woman.&rdquo;</p>

<p>On the incidents in Ferguson, Missouri, in 2014 and Baltimore in 2015, both involving conflict between police officers and African Americans, Meghan said to the UK edition of Elle: &ldquo;As a biracial woman, I watch in horror as both side of a culture I define as my own become victims of spin the media.&rdquo;</p>

<p>In the same article, she described herself as &ldquo;the ethnic chameleon,&rdquo; presumably meaning she&rsquo;s developed the ability to change her ethnic identity to suit different contexts &mdash; a capability that should equip her well over the coming years.</p>

<p>Her engagement to Harry will introduce royal family devotees and probably everyone else into a new narrative where human crises, especially those involving racism, will be collected and expressed in a way that demands our attention. Imagine if Meghan were around in the 1990s when the case of Stephen Lawrence was on everyone&rsquo;s mind.</p>

<p>She isn&rsquo;t about to stand up and issue polemics at every instance of social injustice, but there is no doubt she will engage. And she now has propriety rights to do so. This may haunt the stodgier members of the royal family as Diana did. But Meghan is a bright spark and will both light up and electrify the royals and the land over which they rule.</p>

<p>I won&rsquo;t spoil the twist by revealing what Meghan will do next. But she is nobody&rsquo;s stooge: not the queen&rsquo;s, not Prince Charles&rsquo;, not the palace&rsquo;s. Her zeal for self-examination will extend to British society: She brings not just a new face to the family, but a new perspective.</p>

<p>One of life&rsquo;s benevolent, capricious breezes has swept her to Britain and even the few curmudgeonly Brits who now resent the apparent loss of &ldquo;racial purity,&rdquo; or regard her a sop, will soon have to accept that she is going to become the most fascinating and relevant member of the royals since Diana.</p>

<p>This <a href="https://www.fairobserver.com/region/europe/meghan-markle-prince-harry-engaged-royal-wedding-uk-news-01555/" rel="nofollow" target="blank">article</a> has been originally published in <a href="https://www.fairobserver.com/" rel="nofollow" target="blank">Fair Observer</a>.</p>

<p><em>(Disclaimer: The author writes here in a personal capacity).</em></p>


Meghan Markle is set to become the most fascinating and relevant member of the British royal family since Princess Diana

Barack Obama, on March 18, 2008, delivered arguably his most powerful address to date. He opened with words extracted from the Preamble to the United States Constitution, “We the people, in order to make a more perfect union,” and went on the chronicle his own interconnected ethnic heritage: “I am the son of a black man from Kenya and a white woman from Kansas.” He then moved to his personal progress: “I’ve gone to some of the best schools in America and lived in one of the world’s poorest nations.” In an inspired and redolent passage, with a sure a nod to his African American doubters, Obama reminded his audience: “I am married to a black American who carries within her the blood of slaves and slaveowners — an inheritance we pass on to our two precious daughters.” Let’s fantasise for a moment. Eighteen months from now, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry announce they are expecting their first child. Meghan heralds the arrival, expressing her approval of Obama’s words: “I am the daughter of a black American woman who carries within her the blood of slaves and slaveowners — an inheritance, my husband Harry and I will, in time, pass on to our precious child.” By that time, we can surmise Meghan will have grown comfortable with the British media and accustomed to the obtuse way they ask questions about her ethnic identity. She’ll also have realised that her insistence that she is biracial and proud of it, simply doesn’t fly in Britain, a nation that has pursued a policy of multiculturalism and, later, cultural diversity expressly avoiding any mention of race or racial to remove any trace of biology. Biracial has too many unwholesome connotations. Meghan will get this and stop using the term. We prefer the clumsier but more accurate “mixed heritage” to biracial and, as for “people of colour” — well, people get fired for that kind of anachronistic language in the UK. So Meghan will no doubt be advised to discover a new lexicon. But sooner or later she will find the occasion to make a pronouncement that will either horrify or gratify the British public. At the moment, people are too excited about the prospect of a glamorous American from the entertainment industry to concern themselves overly with her ethnicity. But it’s certain to appear at some point over the next year or so. Welcome to the 21st century The British media have welcomed the uncertainty Meghan brings to the Royals. The UK’s top-selling newspaper, The Sun, shares the same sentiment as many others with its headline “Finally, the Royal Family have joined Britain in the 21st century — no more blue blood and poshos,” as if Meghan was a catalyst who will change an anachronistic institution into one fit for the next generation. “Even a generation ago, the idea of a prince marrying a mixed-race actress could never be contemplated,” it reflected (incorporating not one, but two very 20th-century words). It went on: “When Prince Charles was Harry’s age, he was expected to marry someone white, blue-blooded and a virgin,” though such virtuous maidens must have been in short supply in the early 1980s. The paper’s nearest rival, The Daily Mail, was prepared to turn what would have been a major contravention of protocol in the 1980s to a dutiful observance of cultural change. “A bride descended from slaves,” as it called Meghan, has helped the Royals prove “sneering snobs wrong.” In other words, the royals embrace rather than retard change. The I’s Yasmin Alibhai-Brown was left unmoved, however. “I don’t share the racial optimism,” she confirmed, though without offering a clarification of the meaning of “racial optimism.” “The truth is that Diana’s sons are being used by Charles to appeal to modern Britons … Some conspiracy theories ring true.” Setting aside the provenance of her claims to “truth” (conspiracy theories?), the impression is that Meghan’s role is comparable to that of a dupe: someone who conveniently fills the role of bride and is walking blithely but unknowingly into “a dysfunctional, cold and unnatural family.” Ethnic chameleon This seems profoundly insulting to Meghan, a woman who seems securely at ease with her commitments and decisions, as well as her ethnic origins and appears nobody’s fool. “I wasn’t black enough for the black roles,” she concluded early in her acting career, though now she’s able “to voice my pride in being a strong, confident mixed-race woman.” On the incidents in Ferguson, Missouri, in 2014 and Baltimore in 2015, both involving conflict between police officers and African Americans, Meghan said to the UK edition of Elle: “As a biracial woman, I watch in horror as both side of a culture I define as my own become victims of spin the media.” In the same article, she described herself as “the ethnic chameleon,” presumably meaning she’s developed the ability to change her ethnic identity to suit different contexts — a capability that should equip her well over the coming years. Her engagement to Harry will introduce royal family devotees and probably everyone else into a new narrative where human crises, especially those involving racism, will be collected and expressed in a way that demands our attention. Imagine if Meghan were around in the 1990s when the case of Stephen Lawrence was on everyone’s mind. She isn’t about to stand up and issue polemics at every instance of social injustice, but there is no doubt she will engage. And she now has propriety rights to do so. This may haunt the stodgier members of the royal family as Diana did. But Meghan is a bright spark and will both light up and electrify the royals and the land over which they rule. I won’t spoil the twist by revealing what Meghan will do next. But she is nobody’s stooge: not the queen’s, not Prince Charles’, not the palace’s. Her zeal for self-examination will extend to British society: She brings not just a new face to the family, but a new perspective. One of life’s benevolent, capricious breezes has swept her to Britain and even the few curmudgeonly Brits who now resent the apparent loss of “racial purity,” or regard her a sop, will soon have to accept that she is going to become the most fascinating and relevant member of the royals since Diana. This article has been originally published in Fair Observer. (Disclaimer: The author writes here in a personal capacity).

Opinion: Meghan Markle, Britain's American princess

<p>Ever since Prince Harry and&nbsp;Meghan Markle announced their engagement, there has been an outpour of congratulatory messages for the couple from celebs and world leaders.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Our desi girl Priyanka Chopra, a good friend of Meghan Markle&#39;s also shared an Instagram post recently showering her blessings on the couple.</p>

<p>Her post reads: &ldquo;Congratulations to my girl @meghanmarkle and Prince Harry!! I&rsquo;m so happy for you Meg! You deserve the best always..keep smiling that infectious smile. Xoxo ????????&rdquo;</p>

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<p style=" margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BcA3fplASko/" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_blank">Congratulations to my girl @meghanmarkle and Prince Harry!! I&rsquo;m so happy for you Meg! You deserve the best always..keep smiling that infectious smile. Xoxo ????????</a></p>

<p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;">A post shared by Priyanka Chopra (@priyankachopra) on <time datetime="2017-11-27T21:20:12+00:00" style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;">Nov 27, 2017 at 1:20pm PST</time></p>
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<p>The post has now sparked off speculation if the Bollywood star would also be attending the royal wedding in the spring of 2018.</p>

<p>Priyanka and Meghan are good friends. They first met&nbsp;at a party in Toronto, Canada, when Meghan was shooting for her popular legal drama series &quot;Suits&quot;. The two then grew close after Meghan interviewed Priyanka for a lifestyle blog she used to run. The two actresses have also been spotted having a good time together via social media posts they share on each other&#39;s profiles.</p>

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<p style=" margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BNQjYcjDHXD/" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_blank">Girls just wanna have fun.. @meghanmarkle @mubinarattonsey #LAlife</a></p>

<p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;">A post shared by Priyanka Chopra (@priyankachopra) on <time datetime="2016-11-26T03:41:23+00:00" style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;">Nov 25, 2016 at 7:41pm PST</time></p>
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<p style=" margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BFt2LLHpszR/" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_blank">Girls day out.. #whoruletheworld @meghanmarkle @mubinarattonsey thank u for the kinda day I needed</a></p>

<p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;">A post shared by Priyanka Chopra (@priyankachopra) on <time datetime="2016-05-22T16:32:25+00:00" style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;">May 22, 2016 at 9:32am PDT</time></p>
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<p style=" margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BFsSNk_GBLQ/" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_blank">This gem. Thank you for the best day of girl talk @priyankachopra ?? #thechipettes #collections #tiptoevoice with the amazing @mubinarattonsey</a></p>

<p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;">A post shared by Meghan Markle (@meghanmarkle) on <time datetime="2016-05-22T01:58:56+00:00" style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;">May 21, 2016 at 6:58pm PDT</time></p>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


If it's true then Priyanka might be the first Bollywood celebrity to attend a British royal's wedding

Ever since Prince Harry and Meghan Markle announced their engagement, there has been an outpour of congratulatory messages for the couple from celebs and world leaders. Our desi girl Priyanka Chopra, a good friend of Meghan Markle's also shared an Instagram post recently showering her blessings on the couple. Her post reads: “Congratulations to my girl @meghanmarkle and Prince Harry!! I’m so happy for you Meg! You deserve the best always..keep smiling that infectious smile. Xoxo ????????” Congratulations to my girl @meghanmarkle and Prince Harry!! I’m so happy for you Meg! You deserve the best always..keep smiling that infectious smile. Xoxo ???????? A post shared by Priyanka Chopra (@priyankachopra) on Nov 27, 2017 at 1:20pm PST × The post has now sparked off speculation if the Bollywood star would also be attending the royal wedding in the spring of 2018. Priyanka and Meghan are good friends. They first met at a party in Toronto, Canada, when Meghan was shooting for her popular legal drama series "Suits". The two then grew close after Meghan interviewed Priyanka for a lifestyle blog she used to run. The two actresses have also been spotted having a good time together via social media posts they share on each other's profiles. Girls just wanna have fun.. @meghanmarkle @mubinarattonsey #LAlife A post shared by Priyanka Chopra (@priyankachopra) on Nov 25, 2016 at 7:41pm PST × Girls day out.. #whoruletheworld @meghanmarkle @mubinarattonsey thank u for the kinda day I needed A post shared by Priyanka Chopra (@priyankachopra) on May 22, 2016 at 9:32am PDT × This gem. Thank you for the best day of girl talk @priyankachopra ?? #thechipettes #collections #tiptoevoice with the amazing @mubinarattonsey A post shared by Meghan Markle (@meghanmarkle) on May 21, 2016 at 6:58pm PDT ×

Priyanka Chopra bridesmaid at Prince Harry, Meghan Markle's royal wedding?

<p>In a fascinating revelation, Meghan Markle`s childhood friend disclosed that the actress was always fascinated by the royal family and hoped to be Princess Diana 2.0 someday.<br />
<br />
On hearing the announcement of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle`s engagement, Markle`s friend Ninaki Priddy said, &quot;I`m not shocked at all. It`s like she has been planning this all her life,&quot; reported News.com.au.&quot;She gets exactly what she wants, and Harry has fallen for her play,&quot; Priddy added.<br />
<br />
As 15-year olds, Markle and Priddy had traveled to London for a trip in 1996, when they had both posed for a photo, sitting on a metal railing in front of Buckingham Palace and gleaming with happiness.&quot;She was always fascinated by the royal family. She wants to be Princess Diana 2.0. She will play her role ably. But my advice to him (Prince Harry) is to tread cautiously,&quot; Priddy said.<br />
<br />
On Monday, while announcing her engagement, Markle claimed that she `didn`t know much` about her blue-blood fiance or his royal family before she met him.&quot;Because I`m from the States, you don`t grow up with the same understanding of the royal family&quot;, Markle confessed.<br />
<br />
Looks like Meghan Markle is one of those few lucky people, whose fairy-tale dreams came true.</p>

<p><br />
&nbsp;</p>


Meghan Markle`s childhood friend disclosed that the actress was always fascinated by the royal family

In a fascinating revelation, Meghan Markle`s childhood friend disclosed that the actress was always fascinated by the royal family and hoped to be Princess Diana 2.0 someday. On hearing the announcement of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle`s engagement, Markle`s friend Ninaki Priddy said, "I`m not shocked at all. It`s like she has been planning this all her life," reported News.com.au."She gets exactly what she wants, and Harry has fallen for her play," Priddy added. As 15-year olds, Markle and Priddy had traveled to London for a trip in 1996, when they had both posed for a photo, sitting on a metal railing in front of Buckingham Palace and gleaming with happiness."She was always fascinated by the royal family. She wants to be Princess Diana 2.0. She will play her role ably. But my advice to him (Prince Harry) is to tread cautiously," Priddy said. On Monday, while announcing her engagement, Markle claimed that she `didn`t know much` about her blue-blood fiance or his royal family before she met him."Because I`m from the States, you don`t grow up with the same understanding of the royal family", Markle confessed. Looks like Meghan Markle is one of those few lucky people, whose fairy-tale dreams came true.

Meghan Markle ''wants to be Princess Diana 2.0'', reveals old friend

<p>US actress Meghan Markle has wrapped up her role on legal drama series&nbsp;<em>Suits </em>after seven seasons, USA Network and Universal Cable Productions said in a statement on Tuesday, a day after Markle and Britain`s Prince Harry announced their engagement.<br />
<br />
Markle, 36, played Rachel Zane on the cable network drama, rising up the ranks from paralegal to lawyer. The character is engaged to be married to Mike Ross, played by Patrick J. Adams.<br />
<br />
Markle has completed all her filming for the seventh season, which will return in early 2018, the network said.<br />
<br />
&quot;We want to send our most heartfelt congratulations to Meghan Markle and Prince Harry on their engagement,&quot; USA Network and Universal Cable Productions, both units of Comcast Corp, said in a joint statement.<br />
<br />
&quot;Meghan has been a member of our family for seven years and it has been a joy to work with her. We want to thank her for her undeniable passion and dedication to Suits, and we wish her the very best,&quot; the statement added.&nbsp;<br />
Markle and Harry, 33, announced on Monday they were getting married in May 2018.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The couple met on a blind date in July 2016 and said their relationship had blossomed &quot;incredibly quickly.&quot;&nbsp;</p>


Markle, 36, played Rachel Zane on the cable network drama, rising up the ranks from paralegal to lawyer

US actress Meghan Markle has wrapped up her role on legal drama series Suits after seven seasons, USA Network and Universal Cable Productions said in a statement on Tuesday, a day after Markle and Britain`s Prince Harry announced their engagement. Markle, 36, played Rachel Zane on the cable network drama, rising up the ranks from paralegal to lawyer. The character is engaged to be married to Mike Ross, played by Patrick J. Adams. Markle has completed all her filming for the seventh season, which will return in early 2018, the network said. "We want to send our most heartfelt congratulations to Meghan Markle and Prince Harry on their engagement," USA Network and Universal Cable Productions, both units of Comcast Corp, said in a joint statement. "Meghan has been a member of our family for seven years and it has been a joy to work with her. We want to thank her for her undeniable passion and dedication to Suits, and we wish her the very best," the statement added. Markle and Harry, 33, announced on Monday they were getting married in May 2018. The couple met on a blind date in July 2016 and said their relationship had blossomed "incredibly quickly."

Meghan Markle departs 'Suits' after engagement to Prince Harry

<p>Meghan Markle says acting will take a back seat when she marries Prince Harry, following the example of screen icon Grace Kelly who abandoned Hollywood to marry into royalty.</p>

<p>The 36-year-old has starred in legal drama <em>Suits</em>&nbsp;since 2011, but is likely to shed many outside interests as she joins the British royal family following the couple&#39;s engagement announcement, according to observers.</p>

<p>Markle confirmed in an interview with the BBC she would be giving up acting and would focus much of her attention on the causes that are important to her.</p>

<p>&quot;I don&#39;t see it as giving anything up. I see it as a change. It&#39;s a new chapter,&quot; she said.</p>

<p>Markle and Harry, 33, will wed in spring next year, 62 years after silver screen icon Kelly abandoned her glittering career to marry Monaco&#39;s Prince Rainier III.</p>

<p>Hollywood branding expert Jeetendr Sehdev pointed out however that Markle is not in the same league as the Oscar-winning star of 1950s Hitchcock thrillers <em>Dial M for Murder</em>, <em>Rear Window</em>&nbsp;and <em>To Catch a Thief</em>.</p>

<p>&quot;Americans who have heard of Meghan will remember her as a working TV actor rather than a celebrity or a Hollywood star,&quot; Sehdev, bestselling author of <em>The Kim Kardashian Principle,</em>&nbsp;told AFP.</p>

<p>He added that Britain&#39;s first mixed-race royal could nevertheless inspire the British TV industry to create more leading roles for actors of color.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&quot;Meghan Markle is the face of the modern princess and there&#39;s no reason why she shouldn&#39;t keep working in TV after her marriage. The palace will likely have a say in any of her future career choices and roles.&quot;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

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<p>The couple is expected to tie the knot in spring of 2018. (Source: YouTube) (Others)</p>
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<p><strong>Reform too far?</strong></p>

<p>But royal writer Catriona Harve-Jenner said in a commentary for British lifestyle magazine Cosmopolitan that Markle had made the right decision in shedding her acting ambitions.</p>

<p>&quot;Being a senior member of the royal family is a full-time job, and it requires those who do it to patron charities, represent the UK on an international scale and generally maintain the traditions of the royal family,&quot; said Harve-Jenner.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&quot;How would she balance all that with a full-time acting role in <em>Suits</em>?</p>

<p>Markle will be the first American welcomed into the royals since Wallis Simpson -- famously also a divorcee -- but will probably not, in fact, be a princess.</p>

<p>What is far more likely, say experts, is that the couple become a duke and duchess, like William and Kate.</p>

<p>As well as starring as paralegal Rachel Zane on <em>Suits</em>,&nbsp;Markle is an entrepreneur, activist, blogger and fashion designer and would probably be expected to drop many of those pursuits too, to focus on royal activities.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The actress appears to already be winding down her workload, having shut down her lifestyle website,<em> The Tig</em>,&nbsp;in recent months.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Sarika Bose, a lecturer in Victorian literature at the University of British Columbia and a royal expert, said times had changed since Kelly was forced to choose between career and family life.</p>

<p>But she added that having a working actress in the fold may yet be a modernizing reform too far for the British throne, which dates back to the merger of England and Scotland in the early 18th century.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>&#39;Very charismatic&#39;&nbsp;</strong></p>

<p>&quot;Although British society and the monarchy have changed greatly over the last few decades, there are still possible assumptions people might impose on Ms Markle which are conflated with her acting roles, her life as a celebrity and her public role as a member of the royal family,&quot; she told AFP.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Bose said she expected Markle to follow other members of the family in pursuing charitable activities.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&quot;Well before meeting Prince Harry, Markle already demonstrated a serious interest and commitment to social justice initiatives, as a World Vision Global Ambassador and an advocate for political participation and leadership for women through the United Nations,&quot; she said.</p>

<p>&quot;These activities provide her with both experience and credibility as a patron of causes when she becomes a member of the royal family.&quot;&nbsp;</p>

<p>The daughter of an African-American mother and white American father of Dutch and Irish descent, Markle&#39;s parents divorced when she was aged six.</p>

<p>She has half-siblings on her father&#39;s side, and grew up in Los Angeles, attending a girls&#39; Roman Catholic school there.</p>

<p>After graduating from Northwestern University&#39;s School of Communication in 2003, Markle appeared on more than a dozen TV shows including <em>CSI: NY,&nbsp;</em><em>Knight Rider</em>&nbsp;and<em> Fringe</em>.</p>

<p>She became more high-profile when she began appearing in <em>Suits</em>&nbsp;and secured a small role in the movie <em>Horrible Bosses</em>&nbsp;(2011).</p>

<p>Clarence Moye, TV editor at Awards Daily, described Markle as a &quot;very charismatic&quot; actress and said he was disappointed that she appeared to be set on conforming to tradition.</p>

<p>&quot;It would be interesting to see a modern woman continuing her career... but it&#39;s not where she seems to be headed,&quot; he said.</p>


Meghan Markle says acting will take a back seat when she marries Prince Harry

Meghan Markle says acting will take a back seat when she marries Prince Harry, following the example of screen icon Grace Kelly who abandoned Hollywood to marry into royalty. The 36-year-old has starred in legal drama Suits since 2011, but is likely to shed many outside interests as she joins the British royal family following the couple's engagement announcement, according to observers. Markle confirmed in an interview with the BBC she would be giving up acting and would focus much of her attention on the causes that are important to her. "I don't see it as giving anything up. I see it as a change. It's a new chapter," she said. Markle and Harry, 33, will wed in spring next year, 62 years after silver screen icon Kelly abandoned her glittering career to marry Monaco's Prince Rainier III. Hollywood branding expert Jeetendr Sehdev pointed out however that Markle is not in the same league as the Oscar-winning star of 1950s Hitchcock thrillers Dial M for Murder, Rear Window and To Catch a Thief. "Americans who have heard of Meghan will remember her as a working TV actor rather than a celebrity or a Hollywood star," Sehdev, bestselling author of The Kim Kardashian Principle, told AFP. He added that Britain's first mixed-race royal could nevertheless inspire the British TV industry to create more leading roles for actors of color. "Meghan Markle is the face of the modern princess and there's no reason why she shouldn't keep working in TV after her marriage. The palace will likely have a say in any of her future career choices and roles." The couple is expected to tie the knot in spring of 2018. (Source: YouTube) (Others) × Reform too far? But royal writer Catriona Harve-Jenner said in a commentary for British lifestyle magazine Cosmopolitan that Markle had made the right decision in shedding her acting ambitions. "Being a senior member of the royal family is a full-time job, and it requires those who do it to patron charities, represent the UK on an international scale and generally maintain the traditions of the royal family," said Harve-Jenner. "How would she balance all that with a full-time acting role in Suits? Markle will be the first American welcomed into the royals since Wallis Simpson -- famously also a divorcee -- but will probably not, in fact, be a princess. What is far more likely, say experts, is that the couple become a duke and duchess, like William and Kate. As well as starring as paralegal Rachel Zane on Suits, Markle is an entrepreneur, activist, blogger and fashion designer and would probably be expected to drop many of those pursuits too, to focus on royal activities. The actress appears to already be winding down her workload, having shut down her lifestyle website, The Tig, in recent months. Sarika Bose, a lecturer in Victorian literature at the University of British Columbia and a royal expert, said times had changed since Kelly was forced to choose between career and family life. But she added that having a working actress in the fold may yet be a modernizing reform too far for the British throne, which dates back to the merger of England and Scotland in the early 18th century. 'Very charismatic' "Although British society and the monarchy have changed greatly over the last few decades, there are still possible assumptions people might impose on Ms Markle which are conflated with her acting roles, her life as a celebrity and her public role as a member of the royal family," she told AFP. Bose said she expected Markle to follow other members of the family in pursuing charitable activities. "Well before meeting Prince Harry, Markle already demonstrated a serious interest and commitment to social justice initiatives, as a World Vision Global Ambassador and an advocate for political participation and leadership for women through the United Nations," she said. "These activities provide her with both experience and credibility as a patron of causes when she becomes a member of the royal family." The daughter of an African-American mother and white American father of Dutch and Irish descent, Markle's parents divorced when she was aged six. She has half-siblings on her father's side, and grew up in Los Angeles, attending a girls' Roman Catholic school there. After graduating from Northwestern University's School of Communication in 2003, Markle appeared on more than a dozen TV shows including CSI: NY, Knight Rider and Fringe. She became more high-profile when she began appearing in Suits and secured a small role in the movie Horrible Bosses (2011). Clarence Moye, TV editor at Awards Daily, described Markle as a "very charismatic" actress and said he was disappointed that she appeared to be set on conforming to tradition. "It would be interesting to see a modern woman continuing her career... but it's not where she seems to be headed," he said.

Engaged to a prince, Meghan Markle follows Grace Kelly in abandoning acting

<p>Former United States President Barack Obama on Tuesday congratulated the newly-engaged couple Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Obama in a tweet said:&nbsp;&quot;Michelle and I are delighted to congratulate Prince Harry and Meghan Markle on their engagement. We wish you a lifetime of joy and happiness together&quot;.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Michelle and I are delighted to congratulate Prince Harry and Meghan Markle on their engagement. We wish you a lifetime of joy and happiness together.</p>
&mdash; Barack Obama (@BarackObama) <a href="https://twitter.com/BarackObama/status/935255366438408192?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 27, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>Prince Harry and Markle announced their <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/prince-harry-announces-his-engagement-to-actress-meghan-markle-25254" target="_blank">engagement </a>on Monday after dating for one and a half years.&nbsp;</p>

<p><em><strong>Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/entertainment-prince-harry-proposed-meghan-markle-while-cooking-a-roast-chicken-25294" target="_blank">Prince Harry proposed Meghan Markle while cooking a roast chicken</a></strong></em></p>

<p>The two were first introduced by a mutual friend.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Prince Harry is the&nbsp;grandson of Queen Elizabeth II and is fifth in line to the throne.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Prince Harry (33) and Markel (36) will get married in the spring of 2018.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


The couple announced their engagement after dating for one and a half years

Former United States President Barack Obama on Tuesday congratulated the newly-engaged couple Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. Obama in a tweet said: "Michelle and I are delighted to congratulate Prince Harry and Meghan Markle on their engagement. We wish you a lifetime of joy and happiness together". Michelle and I are delighted to congratulate Prince Harry and Meghan Markle on their engagement. We wish you a lifetime of joy and happiness together. — Barack Obama (@BarackObama) November 27, 2017 × Prince Harry and Markle announced their engagement on Monday after dating for one and a half years. Also Read: Prince Harry proposed Meghan Markle while cooking a roast chicken The two were first introduced by a mutual friend. Prince Harry is the grandson of Queen Elizabeth II and is fifth in line to the throne. Prince Harry (33) and Markel (36) will get married in the spring of 2018.

Barack Obama congratulates Prince Harry, Meghan Markle on engagement

<p>Following the announcement of Meghan Markle`s engagement to Prince Harry, global star Priyanka Chopra sent her best wishes to the royal couple.<br />
<br />
The <em>Quantico</em>&nbsp;star took to Instagram to express her delight and congratulate her close friend &#39;Meg`.&quot;Congratulations to my girl @meghanmarkle and Prince Harry!! I`m so happy for you Meg! You deserve the best always..keep smiling that infectious smile. Xoxo,&quot; wrote actress.</p>

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<p style=" margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BcA3fplASko/" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_blank">Congratulations to my girl @meghanmarkle and Prince Harry!! I&rsquo;m so happy for you Meg! You deserve the best always..keep smiling that infectious smile. Xoxo ????????</a></p>

<p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;">A post shared by Priyanka Chopra (@priyankachopra) on <time datetime="2017-11-27T21:20:12+00:00" style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;">Nov 27, 2017 at 1:20pm PST</time></p>
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<p>Priyanka has been touted as a potential bridesmaid when Markle ties the knot with Prince Harry next spring.The two first met at a party in Toronto, Canada - where Meghan filmed <em>Suits</em>&nbsp;- two years ago.&nbsp;</p>


The `Quantico` star took to Instagram to express her delight and congratulate her close friend `Meg`

Following the announcement of Meghan Markle`s engagement to Prince Harry, global star Priyanka Chopra sent her best wishes to the royal couple. The Quantico star took to Instagram to express her delight and congratulate her close friend 'Meg`."Congratulations to my girl @meghanmarkle and Prince Harry!! I`m so happy for you Meg! You deserve the best always..keep smiling that infectious smile. Xoxo," wrote actress. Congratulations to my girl @meghanmarkle and Prince Harry!! I’m so happy for you Meg! You deserve the best always..keep smiling that infectious smile. Xoxo ???????? A post shared by Priyanka Chopra (@priyankachopra) on Nov 27, 2017 at 1:20pm PST × Priyanka has been touted as a potential bridesmaid when Markle ties the knot with Prince Harry next spring.The two first met at a party in Toronto, Canada - where Meghan filmed Suits - two years ago.

Priyanka Chopra is 'happy' for friend Meghan Markle as she gets engaged to Prince Harry

<p>King Edward VIII sacrificed his throne and Queen Elizabeth&#39;s sister Margaret gave up her one true love, but for Prince Harry marrying a divorcee is no longer a bar to being a royal or following his heart.<br />
<br />
On Monday, Harry, fifth-in-line to the British throne, announced he was to wed his girlfriend, divorced U.S. actress Meghan Markle, with the blessing of his grandmother, the queen.<br />
<br />
British social attitudes have been transformed in recent decades but the monarchy has been bound by a more traditional set of Christian values.</p>

<p>So the queen&#39;s approval is a stark demonstration of how much the monarchy has also changed and modernised in the last 80 years when the idea of a royal marrying someone who was divorced was inconceivable.<br />
&quot;It&#39;s extraordinary how far we&#39;ve come since the 1930s,&quot; said royal biographer Claudia Joseph. &quot;In less than a century, times have changed beyond all recognition.&quot;<br />
<br />
Famously, Harry&#39;s great-great-uncle Edward VIII set off a constitutional crisis in 1936 by insisting on marrying twice-divorced American socialite Wallis Simpson to the horror of the British establishment, the government and the Church of England, which the monarch nominally heads.</p>

<p>It was dubbed &quot;the greatest love story of the 20th century&quot; and Edward abdicated after just 11 months on the throne and ended up living in France, meaning Elizabeth&#39;s father George VI unexpectedly became king.<br />
<br />
&quot;You must believe me when I tell you that I have found it impossible to carry the heavy burden of responsibility and to discharge my duties as king as I would wish to do without the help and support of the woman I love,&quot; Edward said in his abdication speech.</p>

<p>Such attitudes were still prevalent two decades later. In 1955, Elizabeth&#39;s younger glamorous sister Margaret was forced to call off her proposed marriage to a dashing air force officer, Group Captain Peter Townsend.</p>

<p>Although a royal equerry, Townsend was still deemed an unsuitable husband for the queen&#39;s sister because he was divorced and he was sent off to Brussels by Buckingham Palace.<br />
<br />
<strong>&quot;MARRIAGE IS INDISSOLUBLE&quot;</strong><br />
<br />
&quot;I would like it to be known that I have decided not to marry Group Captain Peter Townsend,&quot; Margaret said in a sad announcement to the nation. &quot;Mindful that Christian marriage is indissoluble and conscious of my duty to the Commonwealth, I have resolved to put these considerations before others.&quot;<br />
<br />
While divorce was considered unfathomable in those days, it has since become a common feature for the Windsors. Of Elizabeth&#39;s four children, three of their marriages have ended in divorce, most spectacularly that of Harry&#39;s father, heir-to-the-throne Prince Charles and his first wife Princess Diana.<br />
<br />
They divorced in 1996, 15 years after their fairytale wedding and a year before she was killed in a car crash in Paris and Charles went on to wed another divorcee Camilla Parker Bowles in 2005.<br />
<br />
Camilla was someone who he had first considered marrying in the early 1970s but who royal courtiers had considered unacceptable while she was not keen on taking on the role herself at the time.</p>

<p>However Charles and Camilla could not marry in church, and the queen, who holds strong religious beliefs and has taken her role as Supreme Governor of the Church of England very seriously, declined to attend the civil ceremony.<br />
<br />
The Church of England had only ruled three years earlier that a divorced person could &quot;in exceptional circumstances&quot; marry again in church while their former spouse was still alive.<br />
<br />
Joseph said Charles&#39;s second marriage had paved the way for Harry.<br />
<br />
&quot;I think the dilemma came when Prince Charles married the Duchess of Cornwall,&quot; she told Reuters. &quot;That was a hard thing for the queen to deal with. Somehow they had to marry without compromising her role as head of the church.&quot;<br />
<br />
Harry and Meghan&#39;s union, like all those of the first six royals in direct line of succession, must be approved by the queen under the 2013 Succession to the Crown Act, which replaced an even more prescriptive law dating back to the 18th century.<br />
<br />
&quot;The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh are delighted for the couple and wish them every happiness,&quot; Buckingham Palace said in a statement.</p>


The queen's approval is a stark demonstration of how much the monarchy has also changed and modernised in the last 80 years when the idea of a royal marrying someone who was divorced was inconceivable

King Edward VIII sacrificed his throne and Queen Elizabeth's sister Margaret gave up her one true love, but for Prince Harry marrying a divorcee is no longer a bar to being a royal or following his heart. On Monday, Harry, fifth-in-line to the British throne, announced he was to wed his girlfriend, divorced U.S. actress Meghan Markle, with the blessing of his grandmother, the queen. British social attitudes have been transformed in recent decades but the monarchy has been bound by a more traditional set of Christian values. So the queen's approval is a stark demonstration of how much the monarchy has also changed and modernised in the last 80 years when the idea of a royal marrying someone who was divorced was inconceivable. "It's extraordinary how far we've come since the 1930s," said royal biographer Claudia Joseph. "In less than a century, times have changed beyond all recognition." Famously, Harry's great-great-uncle Edward VIII set off a constitutional crisis in 1936 by insisting on marrying twice-divorced American socialite Wallis Simpson to the horror of the British establishment, the government and the Church of England, which the monarch nominally heads. It was dubbed "the greatest love story of the 20th century" and Edward abdicated after just 11 months on the throne and ended up living in France, meaning Elizabeth's father George VI unexpectedly became king. "You must believe me when I tell you that I have found it impossible to carry the heavy burden of responsibility and to discharge my duties as king as I would wish to do without the help and support of the woman I love," Edward said in his abdication speech. Such attitudes were still prevalent two decades later. In 1955, Elizabeth's younger glamorous sister Margaret was forced to call off her proposed marriage to a dashing air force officer, Group Captain Peter Townsend. Although a royal equerry, Townsend was still deemed an unsuitable husband for the queen's sister because he was divorced and he was sent off to Brussels by Buckingham Palace. "MARRIAGE IS INDISSOLUBLE" "I would like it to be known that I have decided not to marry Group Captain Peter Townsend," Margaret said in a sad announcement to the nation. "Mindful that Christian marriage is indissoluble and conscious of my duty to the Commonwealth, I have resolved to put these considerations before others." While divorce was considered unfathomable in those days, it has since become a common feature for the Windsors. Of Elizabeth's four children, three of their marriages have ended in divorce, most spectacularly that of Harry's father, heir-to-the-throne Prince Charles and his first wife Princess Diana. They divorced in 1996, 15 years after their fairytale wedding and a year before she was killed in a car crash in Paris and Charles went on to wed another divorcee Camilla Parker Bowles in 2005. Camilla was someone who he had first considered marrying in the early 1970s but who royal courtiers had considered unacceptable while she was not keen on taking on the role herself at the time. However Charles and Camilla could not marry in church, and the queen, who holds strong religious beliefs and has taken her role as Supreme Governor of the Church of England very seriously, declined to attend the civil ceremony. The Church of England had only ruled three years earlier that a divorced person could "in exceptional circumstances" marry again in church while their former spouse was still alive. Joseph said Charles's second marriage had paved the way for Harry. "I think the dilemma came when Prince Charles married the Duchess of Cornwall," she told Reuters. "That was a hard thing for the queen to deal with. Somehow they had to marry without compromising her role as head of the church." Harry and Meghan's union, like all those of the first six royals in direct line of succession, must be approved by the queen under the 2013 Succession to the Crown Act, which replaced an even more prescriptive law dating back to the 18th century. "The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh are delighted for the couple and wish them every happiness," Buckingham Palace said in a statement.

Prince Harry's engagement shows British monarchy has moved on from scandals of past

<p>It is official. Prince Harry of UK is engaged to actress Meghan Markle. The two will be getting married in the spring of 2018, Harry&#39;s father Prince Charles &nbsp;announced in a statement on Monday.<br />
<br />
Harry, 33, currently fifth-in-line to the British throne, and Markle, 36, best known for her role in the U.S. TV legal drama Suits, became engaged earlier this month, the statement issued by Clarence House said.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/meet-meghan-markle-the-mix-race-actress-set-to-marry-britains-prince-harry-25266">Also read: Who is Meghan Markle</a><br />
<br />
&quot;Prince Harry has informed Her Majesty The Queen and other close members of his family. Prince Harry has also sought and received the blessing of Ms Markle`s parents,&quot; the statement said.<br />
<br />
The couple started dating sometime last year but did not confirm it. It was only in September that Markle admitted to their relationship in an interview to Vanity Fair magazine. The actress said, &quot;We&rsquo;re a couple,&ldquo; Markle told the U.S. magazine. &rdquo;We&rsquo;re in love. I&lsquo;m sure there will be a time when we will have to come forward and present ourselves and have stories to tell, but I hope what people will understand is that this is our time. This is for us. It&rsquo;s part of what makes it so special, that it&rsquo;s just ours. But we&rsquo;re happy. Personally, I love a great love story.&rdquo;</p>

<p>(With inputs from Reuters)</p>

<p><br />
&nbsp;</p>


The couple are set to marry in spring of 2018

It is official. Prince Harry of UK is engaged to actress Meghan Markle. The two will be getting married in the spring of 2018, Harry's father Prince Charles announced in a statement on Monday. Harry, 33, currently fifth-in-line to the British throne, and Markle, 36, best known for her role in the U.S. TV legal drama Suits, became engaged earlier this month, the statement issued by Clarence House said. Also read: Who is Meghan Markle "Prince Harry has informed Her Majesty The Queen and other close members of his family. Prince Harry has also sought and received the blessing of Ms Markle`s parents," the statement said. The couple started dating sometime last year but did not confirm it. It was only in September that Markle admitted to their relationship in an interview to Vanity Fair magazine. The actress said, "We’re a couple,“ Markle told the U.S. magazine. ”We’re in love. I‘m sure there will be a time when we will have to come forward and present ourselves and have stories to tell, but I hope what people will understand is that this is our time. This is for us. It’s part of what makes it so special, that it’s just ours. But we’re happy. Personally, I love a great love story.” (With inputs from Reuters)

Prince Harry announces his engagement to actress Meghan Markle

<p>For a lot of royal watchers, news of Prince Harry&#39;s engagement to actress Meghan Markle was an impending one. The two have been going steady for a while and many felt that marriage was always on the cards.<br />
<br />
While any news around UK&#39;s royal family manages to create a stir, this particular news should be celebrated more as Meghan Markle entry into the royal family marks an end to the white-skin domination inside the Buckingham Palace.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
The soon-to-be princess is a mix-race American citizen who- by her own admission- is an activist and believes in voicing her opinion.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Sending good vibes - always in all ways <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/nobadenergy?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#nobadenergy</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/bethechange?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#bethechange</a> <a href="https://t.co/MnJQwsgzo1">pic.twitter.com/MnJQwsgzo1</a></p>
&mdash; Meghan Markle (@meghanmarkle) <a href="https://twitter.com/meghanmarkle/status/830866134232608770?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 12, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>Born in California to African-Amercian mother and a Caucasian father, Meghan states it that she had to fight her own battles while growing up as a mixed race individual. In an interview to<a href="http://www.elleuk.com/life-and-culture/news/a26855/more-than-an-other/"> Elle</a> magazine last year, Markle spoke about how she fought her herself and created her own terms. &quot;You push for color-blind casting, you draw your own box &hellip; You create the identity you want for yourself, just as my ancestors did when they were given their freedom,&rdquo; said Markle.&nbsp;</p>

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<p style=" margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BLB_IDRgj9g/" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_blank">Weekend shenanigans with @jessicamulroney (wearing my very favorite button down from @mishanonoo) ????</a></p>

<p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;">A post shared by Meghan Markle (@meghanmarkle) on <time datetime="2016-10-01T18:52:25+00:00" style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;">Oct 1, 2016 at 11:52am PDT</time></p>
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<p><br />
Markle&#39;s inclusion into Britain&#39;s royal family is a momentous one. For years, the family has married into royalty or within aristocratic families-&nbsp;Kate Middleton perhaps being an exception. But white skin has dominated the family for centuries and Markle would be the first mix-race woman to be married into the Windsor family.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
On November 8, 2016, an official statement was released from the Royal Family&#39;s communications secretary addressing the &quot;wave of abuse and harassment&quot; directed toward Markle that followed the announcement of her relationship with Prince Harry. The statement condemned the sexist, racist and defamatory stories that were directed at Markle and urged the press to &quot;pause and reflect&quot; before driving these storylines. The royal family&#39;s statement defending a mix-race woman was welcomed by one and all.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
A feminist, Markel has advocated for women&#39;s rights for a long time. Earlier in 2017, Markel visited India to highlight the stigma around menstruation for poverty-stricken women in Delhi and Mumbai and later wrote an article for <a href="http://time.com/4694568/meghan-markle-period-stigma/">TIME </a>magazine about her experience.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Thank you TIME Mag for the opportunity to highlight such an important issue. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/grateful?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#grateful</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IWD?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#IWD</a> RT <a href="https://twitter.com/TIME?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TIME</a>: Meghan Markle: <a href="https://t.co/cgPUQQfj44">https://t.co/cgPUQQfj44</a></p>
&mdash; Meghan Markle (@meghanmarkle) <a href="https://twitter.com/meghanmarkle/status/839533777466576896?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 8, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>Markle made her acting debut in 2002 in an episode in<em> General Hospital</em> and has worked in shows like<em> CSI: Miami, Knight Rider, </em>and <em>Castle</em> among others. But she is best known for playing Rachel Zane in legal comic-drama series <em>Suits</em>.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
The actress was married to actor and producer Trevor Engelson and got divorced in 2013. She met Prince Harry in 2016 and the two have been in a relationship since June 2016. A student of theater and international studies, she had once interned at the US embassy in Buenos Aires. She was also the editor-in-chief and owner of a lifestyle website called <em>The Tig</em> which closed in April 2017.</p>

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<p style=" margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BSlzBvGhwxW/" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_blank">Thank you to all the supporters of The Tig! From followers to contributors, you have become friends ? It is YOU who have made this Tig community so special. And even though I haven&#39;t met most of you, for three years I&#39;ve seen your faces and read your comments and hugged you from afar. (Domi, Em, Hannah, Sol, Iris, Doris, Jessy, Simone, Cassy....and so many more! I will always be grateful for your support). Go to @thetigofficial or thetig.com to see our official send-off. Sending all the love xx MM #TigFarewell</a></p>

<p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;">A post shared by Meghan Markle (@meghanmarkle) on <time datetime="2017-04-07T16:19:07+00:00" style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;">Apr 7, 2017 at 9:19am PDT</time></p>
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<p style=" margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BKPVuG2Al3o/" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_blank">About last night. Thank you to my babe @priyankachopra for the best date night #Hamilton #NYC</a></p>

<p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;">A post shared by Meghan Markle (@meghanmarkle) on <time datetime="2016-09-12T02:48:35+00:00" style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;">Sep 11, 2016 at 7:48pm PDT</time></p>
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<p>The couple is set to marry in spring of 2018 and while everyone knows that Markle will have to follow certain protocols as part of the royal family- it would be interesting to see what new trends Markle creates on her own accord.&nbsp;</p>


The couple will get married in Spring next year

For a lot of royal watchers, news of Prince Harry's engagement to actress Meghan Markle was an impending one. The two have been going steady for a while and many felt that marriage was always on the cards. While any news around UK's royal family manages to create a stir, this particular news should be celebrated more as Meghan Markle entry into the royal family marks an end to the white-skin domination inside the Buckingham Palace. The soon-to-be princess is a mix-race American citizen who- by her own admission- is an activist and believes in voicing her opinion. Sending good vibes - always in all ways #nobadenergy #bethechange pic.twitter.com/MnJQwsgzo1 — Meghan Markle (@meghanmarkle) February 12, 2017 × Born in California to African-Amercian mother and a Caucasian father, Meghan states it that she had to fight her own battles while growing up as a mixed race individual. In an interview to Elle magazine last year, Markle spoke about how she fought her herself and created her own terms. "You push for color-blind casting, you draw your own box … You create the identity you want for yourself, just as my ancestors did when they were given their freedom,” said Markle. Weekend shenanigans with @jessicamulroney (wearing my very favorite button down from @mishanonoo) ???? A post shared by Meghan Markle (@meghanmarkle) on Oct 1, 2016 at 11:52am PDT × Markle's inclusion into Britain's royal family is a momentous one. For years, the family has married into royalty or within aristocratic families- Kate Middleton perhaps being an exception. But white skin has dominated the family for centuries and Markle would be the first mix-race woman to be married into the Windsor family. On November 8, 2016, an official statement was released from the Royal Family's communications secretary addressing the "wave of abuse and harassment" directed toward Markle that followed the announcement of her relationship with Prince Harry. The statement condemned the sexist, racist and defamatory stories that were directed at Markle and urged the press to "pause and reflect" before driving these storylines. The royal family's statement defending a mix-race woman was welcomed by one and all. A feminist, Markel has advocated for women's rights for a long time. Earlier in 2017, Markel visited India to highlight the stigma around menstruation for poverty-stricken women in Delhi and Mumbai and later wrote an article for TIME magazine about her experience. Thank you TIME Mag for the opportunity to highlight such an important issue. #grateful #IWD RT @TIME: Meghan Markle: https://t.co/cgPUQQfj44 — Meghan Markle (@meghanmarkle) March 8, 2017 × Markle made her acting debut in 2002 in an episode in General Hospital and has worked in shows like CSI: Miami, Knight Rider, and Castle among others. But she is best known for playing Rachel Zane in legal comic-drama series Suits. The actress was married to actor and producer Trevor Engelson and got divorced in 2013. She met Prince Harry in 2016 and the two have been in a relationship since June 2016. A student of theater and international studies, she had once interned at the US embassy in Buenos Aires. She was also the editor-in-chief and owner of a lifestyle website called The Tig which closed in April 2017. Thank you to all the supporters of The Tig! From followers to contributors, you have become friends ? It is YOU who have made this Tig community so special. And even though I haven't met most of you, for three years I've seen your faces and read your comments and hugged you from afar. (Domi, Em, Hannah, Sol, Iris, Doris, Jessy, Simone, Cassy....and so many more! I will always be grateful for your support). Go to @thetigofficial or thetig.com to see our official send-off. Sending all the love xx MM #TigFarewell A post shared by Meghan Markle (@meghanmarkle) on Apr 7, 2017 at 9:19am PDT × About last night. Thank you to my babe @priyankachopra for the best date night #Hamilton #NYC A post shared by Meghan Markle (@meghanmarkle) on Sep 11, 2016 at 7:48pm PDT × The couple is set to marry in spring of 2018 and while everyone knows that Markle will have to follow certain protocols as part of the royal family- it would be interesting to see what new trends Markle creates on her own accord.

Meet Meghan Markle: The mix-race actress set to marry Britain's Prince Harry

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/cricket/after-bagging-quickest-300-test-wickets-ravichandran-ashwin-now-eyes-to-double-the-record-25268" target="_blank">After bagging quickest 300 Test wickets, Ashwin eyes &#39;super 600&#39;</a></p>

<p>As&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/cricket/cricket-india-two-wickets-away-from-crushing-win-against-sri-lanka-25236" target="_blank">India beat Sri Lanka</a>&nbsp;by an inning and 239 runs in the Nagpur test today,&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/cricket/ashwin-breaks-record-as-india-crush-sri-lanka-in-2nd-test-25259" target="_blank">spinner Ravichandran Ashwin penned history</a>&nbsp;by becoming the quickest bowler to collect 300 Test wickets in 54 matches, two shy of Australian pace bowler Dennis Lillee&#39;s who held the record previously.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/prince-harry-announces-his-engagement-to-actress-meghan-markle-25254" target="_blank">Prince Harry announces his engagement to actress Meghan Markle</a></p>

<p>It is official. Prince Harry of UK is engaged to actress Meghan Markle. The two will be getting married in the spring of 2018, Harry&#39;s father Prince Charles announced in a statement on Monday.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/12-afghan-soldiers-killed-in-attack-by-taliban-25258" target="_blank">12 Afghan soldiers killed in attack by Taliban</a></p>

<p>Twelve Afghan&nbsp;soldiers have been killed in an attack by Taliban in Nimroz province, reports said. Afghan news agencies reported district governor of Khashrood in Nimroz said the blast occurred due to a&nbsp;roadside bomb. No group has taken responsibility for the attack.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/ivanka-trump-in-india-mum-about-working-conditions-of-employees-25249" target="_blank">Ivanka Trump in India, mum about working conditions of employees</a></p>

<p>The American president&#39;s daughter, who is a White House adviser, will be in the country to promote female entrepreneurship and economic power.&nbsp;</p>

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/kerala-love-jihad-nia-submits-100-page-report-on-hadiya-25262" target="_blank">Kerala &#39;love jihad&#39;: I want freedom, Hadiya tells Supreme Court</a></p>

<p>The Supreme Court has directed that Hadiya be&nbsp;taken to college for her studies and that the college should provide her hostel facilities. The next hearing of the case&nbsp;has been postponed the next hearing for&nbsp;the third week of January.&nbsp;</p>


After bagging quickest 300 Test wickets, Ashwin eyes 'super 600' As India beat Sri Lanka by an inning and 239 runs in the Nagpur test today, spinner Ravichandran Ashwin penned history by becoming the quickest bowler to collect 300 Test wickets in 54 matches, two shy of Australian pace bowler Dennis Lillee's who held the record previously. Prince Harry announces his engagement to actress Meghan Markle It is official. Prince Harry of UK is engaged to actress Meghan Markle. The two will be getting married in the spring of 2018, Harry's father Prince Charles announced in a statement on Monday. 12 Afghan soldiers killed in attack by Taliban Twelve Afghan soldiers have been killed in an attack by Taliban in Nimroz province, reports said. Afghan news agencies reported district governor of Khashrood in Nimroz said the blast occurred due to a roadside bomb. No group has taken responsibility for the attack. Ivanka Trump in India, mum about working conditions of employees The American president's daughter, who is a White House adviser, will be in the country to promote female entrepreneurship and economic power. Kerala 'love jihad': I want freedom, Hadiya tells Supreme Court The Supreme Court has directed that Hadiya be taken to college for her studies and that the college should provide her hostel facilities. The next hearing of the case has been postponed the next hearing for the third week of January.

WION Evening News Brief, November 27

<p>Prince Harry had a cute thief stealing from his tub of popcorn in a game on Thursday in Toronto, Canada.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The prince was seen attending a match as part of <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/prince-harry-with-actress-girlfriend-meghan-markle-launch-the-third-invictus-games-20572" target="_blank">Invictus Games, running in its third edition this year</a>.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The little girl in the video is the daughter of Dave Henson,&nbsp;Paralympian and ambassador for Prince Harry&rsquo;s &#39;Walking with the Wounded&#39;&nbsp;charity. Dave is also the GB team captain from the first Invictus Games and is good friends of the prince. The lady in the video is his wife.</p>

<p>Prince Harry can be seen playing with the girl by first being oblivious to her eating from his tub to then teasing her for the same. They can be seen having a good time at the Games.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Prince Harry earlier made waves at the Games when he made his first <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/prince-harry-and-meghan-markle-hold-hands-in-first-official-public-appearance-as-couple-20659" target="_blank">official public appearance with his girlfriend-actress Meghan Markle</a>.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Watch:&nbsp;</strong></p>

<p><iframe allowfullscreen="true" allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="315" scrolling="no" src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FODN%2Fvideos%2F1632233256823303%2F&amp;show_text=0&amp;width=560" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" width="560"></iframe></p>


Harry was seen attending a match as part of Invictus Games, running in its third edition this year

Prince Harry had a cute thief stealing from his tub of popcorn in a game on Thursday in Toronto, Canada. The prince was seen attending a match as part of Invictus Games, running in its third edition this year. The little girl in the video is the daughter of Dave Henson, Paralympian and ambassador for Prince Harry’s 'Walking with the Wounded' charity. Dave is also the GB team captain from the first Invictus Games and is good friends of the prince. The lady in the video is his wife. Prince Harry can be seen playing with the girl by first being oblivious to her eating from his tub to then teasing her for the same. They can be seen having a good time at the Games. Prince Harry earlier made waves at the Games when he made his first official public appearance with his girlfriend-actress Meghan Markle. Watch:

WATCH: Cute girl quietly eats Prince Harry's popcorn

<p>A Singaporean member of the dreaded ISIS group has challenged Britain&#39;s Prince Harry to fight the jihadists and threatened to send him to &quot;hellfire&quot;.</p>

<p>The man identifying himself as Abu Uqayl appeared in a three-and-a-half minute video in which he encourages would-be terrorists to fight for ISIS in Asia, the Middle East, and Africa.</p>

<p>&quot;To Harry, you come to Singapore and tell such stories to gain sympathy for the London terror attacks. Why don&#39;t you come here and fight us if you&#39;re man enough so that we can send you and your Apaches (helicopters) to hellfire,&quot; says Uqayl in the video.</p>

<p>The reference is to the fact that the 33-year-old prince flew Apache attack helicopters in Afghanistan when he served as a soldier in the British Army in the past.</p>

<p>The fifth in line to the British throne had visited Singapore soon after an ISIS-claimed terror attack in London in June during which three knifemen had used a van to ram pedestrians on London Bridge before stabbing people in restaurants and pubs around Borough Market area of London.</p>

<p>In his speech, Harry had made a reference to the attack, which had claimed eight lives and injured 48 others.</p>

<p>Singaporean authorities have identified the man in the video as 39-year-old Megat Shahdan bin Abdul Samad, who left the city-state to work in the Middle East in 2014.</p>

<p>&quot;Our security agencies have been aware for some time now of the presence in Syria of a Singaporean, Megat Shahdan bin Abdul Samad, 39, and have been monitoring his activities,&quot; the country&#39;s Ministry of Home Affairs said in a statement.</p>

<p>&quot;It is believed that the person in the video calling himself &#39;Abu Uqayl&#39; is Shahdan.&quot;&nbsp;</p>

<p>Prince Harry is currently in Toronto, Canada, at the Invictus Games a sporting event he founded for injured war veterans.</p>


A Singaporean member of the dreaded ISIS group has challenged Britain's Prince Harry to fight the jihadists and threatened to send him to 'hellfire'

A Singaporean member of the dreaded ISIS group has challenged Britain's Prince Harry to fight the jihadists and threatened to send him to "hellfire". The man identifying himself as Abu Uqayl appeared in a three-and-a-half minute video in which he encourages would-be terrorists to fight for ISIS in Asia, the Middle East, and Africa. "To Harry, you come to Singapore and tell such stories to gain sympathy for the London terror attacks. Why don't you come here and fight us if you're man enough so that we can send you and your Apaches (helicopters) to hellfire," says Uqayl in the video. The reference is to the fact that the 33-year-old prince flew Apache attack helicopters in Afghanistan when he served as a soldier in the British Army in the past. The fifth in line to the British throne had visited Singapore soon after an ISIS-claimed terror attack in London in June during which three knifemen had used a van to ram pedestrians on London Bridge before stabbing people in restaurants and pubs around Borough Market area of London. In his speech, Harry had made a reference to the attack, which had claimed eight lives and injured 48 others. Singaporean authorities have identified the man in the video as 39-year-old Megat Shahdan bin Abdul Samad, who left the city-state to work in the Middle East in 2014. "Our security agencies have been aware for some time now of the presence in Syria of a Singaporean, Megat Shahdan bin Abdul Samad, 39, and have been monitoring his activities," the country's Ministry of Home Affairs said in a statement. "It is believed that the person in the video calling himself 'Abu Uqayl' is Shahdan." Prince Harry is currently in Toronto, Canada, at the Invictus Games a sporting event he founded for injured war veterans.

ISIS challenges Prince Harry to a fight

<p>Prince Harry and girlfriend-actress Meghan Markle made headlines after they were photographed holding hands in Toronto at the&nbsp;wheelchair tennis event as part of Invictus Games 2017.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The event on Monday marked their first official public appearance as a couple.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The couple&nbsp;left hand in hand for Toronto&#39;s city hall after&nbsp;a match of the wheelchair tennis between Australia and New Zealand at the small venue.&nbsp;</p>

<p>They&nbsp;were also photographed exchanging a few laughs.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

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<p>Prince Harry and girlfriend Meghan Markle share a moment together (AFP)</p>
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<p>The couple have been dating since last year (AFP)</p>
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<p>Prince Harry and Meghan Markle attend a Wheelchair Tennis match during the Invictus Games 2017 at Nathan Philips Square in Toronto, Canada (AFP)</p>
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<p>The couple leave after watching an exciting and inspiring game of wheelchair tennis (AFP)</p>
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<p>The prince was seen sporting an &quot;Invictus Games&quot; polo shirt and jeans while the America actress&nbsp;also kept it low in a white button-down shirt with ripped blue denim jeans.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/prince-harry-with-actress-girlfriend-meghan-markle-launch-the-third-invictus-games-20572" target="_blank">two were earlier spotted at the Invictus Games opening ceremony</a> this weekend. Meghan was spotted cheering from the stands while Harry was seated in the VIP section with US First lady Melania Trump besides him.&nbsp;</p>

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<p>Prince Harry was seated next to US First Lady Melania Trump while his girlfriend Meghan Markle sat 18 seats to his left and three rows in front with her good friend. (Reuters)</p>
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<p>Both the prince and his lady are in Toronto attending the Invictus Games in its third season.&nbsp;The first Invictus Games, based on the Paralympic Games, were held in September 2014 in London. They were launched by Prince Harry, who served with the British Army in Afghanistan. He was inspired to create the Games, in order to help wounded and sick military personnel and their families.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The couple has been photographed together in the past but this is the first time they have appeared together at an official event. Their relationship news thickened after the actress in an interview to magazine Variety went on record to say: &quot;We&#39;re two people who are really happy and in love.&quot;&nbsp;</p>

<p>Prince Harry has been dating Markle since last year.&nbsp;</p>


The couple held hands as they walked toward Toronto's city hall after attending an Invictus Games 2017 event

Prince Harry and girlfriend-actress Meghan Markle made headlines after they were photographed holding hands in Toronto at the wheelchair tennis event as part of Invictus Games 2017. The event on Monday marked their first official public appearance as a couple. The couple left hand in hand for Toronto's city hall after a match of the wheelchair tennis between Australia and New Zealand at the small venue. They were also photographed exchanging a few laughs. Prince Harry and girlfriend Meghan Markle share a moment together (AFP) × The couple have been dating since last year (AFP) × Prince Harry and Meghan Markle attend a Wheelchair Tennis match during the Invictus Games 2017 at Nathan Philips Square in Toronto, Canada (AFP) × The couple leave after watching an exciting and inspiring game of wheelchair tennis (AFP) × The prince was seen sporting an "Invictus Games" polo shirt and jeans while the America actress also kept it low in a white button-down shirt with ripped blue denim jeans. The two were earlier spotted at the Invictus Games opening ceremony this weekend. Meghan was spotted cheering from the stands while Harry was seated in the VIP section with US First lady Melania Trump besides him. Prince Harry was seated next to US First Lady Melania Trump while his girlfriend Meghan Markle sat 18 seats to his left and three rows in front with her good friend. (Reuters) × Both the prince and his lady are in Toronto attending the Invictus Games in its third season. The first Invictus Games, based on the Paralympic Games, were held in September 2014 in London. They were launched by Prince Harry, who served with the British Army in Afghanistan. He was inspired to create the Games, in order to help wounded and sick military personnel and their families. The couple has been photographed together in the past but this is the first time they have appeared together at an official event. Their relationship news thickened after the actress in an interview to magazine Variety went on record to say: "We're two people who are really happy and in love." Prince Harry has been dating Markle since last year.

Prince Harry, Meghan Markle hold hands in first official public appearance as couple

<p>Prince Harry with actress-girlfriend Meghan Markle launched the third Invictus Games on Saturday for the disabled or wounded soldiers and&nbsp;veterans. This was the couple&#39;s first public appearance.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The event took place in Toronto, where the launch ceremony was inaugurated by Prince Harry&nbsp;and US First Lady Melania Trump.&nbsp;Canadian pop artists Sarah McLachlan and Alessia Cara and British soprano Laura Wright performed at the ceremony.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Prince Harry meets <a href="https://twitter.com/FLOTUS">@FLOTUS</a> the First Lady of the United States, who is leading the USA team delegation to the Invictus Games. <a href="https://t.co/PSiWPMHmRa">pic.twitter.com/PSiWPMHmRa</a></p>
&mdash; Kensington Palace (@KensingtonRoyal) <a href="https://twitter.com/KensingtonRoyal/status/911646625059270657">September 23, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>Prince Harry was dressed in a blue blazer and beige pants while Melania Trump put on a houndstooth suit. The two spoke for a few minutes before posing for photographs after which the royal moved on to giving out the first medals of the Games at the driving challenge competition.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">My <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/OpeningSpeech?src=hash">#OpeningSpeech</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GodBless?src=hash">#GodBless</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/InvictusToronto?src=hash">#InvictusToronto</a> you are winners! merci de m&#39;inspirer!????<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PrinceHarry?src=hash">#PrinceHarry</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WeAreInvictus?src=hash">#WeAreInvictus</a> <a href="https://t.co/cDuwX1vwPW">pic.twitter.com/cDuwX1vwPW</a></p>
&mdash; Prince Harry (@HRHHenryWindsor) <a href="https://twitter.com/HRHHenryWindsor/status/911797537895481346">September 24, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>In his address, Prince Harry said the games were &quot;not only to help veterans recover from their physical and mental wounds but also to inspire people to follow their example of resilience, optimism and service in their own lives.&quot;</p>

<p>This year&nbsp;will see the coming together of 550 injured soldiers and veterans from 17 countries.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Following the launch, Prince Harry spent some time with athletes before visiting&nbsp;Toronto`s Center for Addiction and Mental Health, which his late mother Diana visited 26 years ago. He met the hospital staff and young patients at the Center.&nbsp;</p>

<p>According to AFP,&nbsp;Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau&nbsp;on the event said, &quot;The Invictus Games are a unique and powerful way to honour those who have sacrificed so much on behalf of their country.&quot;</p>

<p>The event was a hit among fans and media as this is the first time he has made an appearance with his girlfriend after the actress announced in an interview to magazine Vanity Fair that the couple &quot;are in love&quot;.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The actress, Meghan Markle is known&nbsp;for playing the character Rachel Zane on hit web television series &quot;Suits&quot; and was seen wearing a plum coloured leather jacket thrown casually over a plum coloured dress, seated a few rows&nbsp;behind the British royal.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Fans and the press have been eagerly awaiting the first official public appearance of the prince and Markle since the &quot;Suits&quot; actress, 36, told Vanity Fair the couple are &quot;in love&quot; in an interview published early this month.</p>

<p>According to the royal&#39;s schedule, he will stay at Markle&#39;s Toronto home for the entire eight days of the Games.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Last year, the Games took place in Orlando, Florida.&nbsp;The first Invictus Games, based on the Paralympic Games, were held in September 2014 in London. They were launched by Prince Harry, who served with the British Army in Afghanistan.<br />
<br />
American rocker Bruce Springsteen will headline the closing ceremony on September 30, joined by Canada`s Bryan Adams and Quebecois artist Coeur de Pirate.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


This is the couple's first public appearance

Prince Harry with actress-girlfriend Meghan Markle launched the third Invictus Games on Saturday for the disabled or wounded soldiers and veterans. This was the couple's first public appearance. The event took place in Toronto, where the launch ceremony was inaugurated by Prince Harry and US First Lady Melania Trump. Canadian pop artists Sarah McLachlan and Alessia Cara and British soprano Laura Wright performed at the ceremony. Prince Harry meets @FLOTUS the First Lady of the United States, who is leading the USA team delegation to the Invictus Games. pic.twitter.com/PSiWPMHmRa — Kensington Palace (@KensingtonRoyal) September 23, 2017 × Prince Harry was dressed in a blue blazer and beige pants while Melania Trump put on a houndstooth suit. The two spoke for a few minutes before posing for photographs after which the royal moved on to giving out the first medals of the Games at the driving challenge competition. My #OpeningSpeech #GodBless #InvictusToronto you are winners! merci de m'inspirer!????#PrinceHarry #WeAreInvictus pic.twitter.com/cDuwX1vwPW — Prince Harry (@HRHHenryWindsor) September 24, 2017 × In his address, Prince Harry said the games were "not only to help veterans recover from their physical and mental wounds but also to inspire people to follow their example of resilience, optimism and service in their own lives." This year will see the coming together of 550 injured soldiers and veterans from 17 countries. Following the launch, Prince Harry spent some time with athletes before visiting Toronto`s Center for Addiction and Mental Health, which his late mother Diana visited 26 years ago. He met the hospital staff and young patients at the Center. According to AFP, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on the event said, "The Invictus Games are a unique and powerful way to honour those who have sacrificed so much on behalf of their country." The event was a hit among fans and media as this is the first time he has made an appearance with his girlfriend after the actress announced in an interview to magazine Vanity Fair that the couple "are in love". The actress, Meghan Markle is known for playing the character Rachel Zane on hit web television series "Suits" and was seen wearing a plum coloured leather jacket thrown casually over a plum coloured dress, seated a few rows behind the British royal. Fans and the press have been eagerly awaiting the first official public appearance of the prince and Markle since the "Suits" actress, 36, told Vanity Fair the couple are "in love" in an interview published early this month. According to the royal's schedule, he will stay at Markle's Toronto home for the entire eight days of the Games. Last year, the Games took place in Orlando, Florida. The first Invictus Games, based on the Paralympic Games, were held in September 2014 in London. They were launched by Prince Harry, who served with the British Army in Afghanistan. American rocker Bruce Springsteen will headline the closing ceremony on September 30, joined by Canada`s Bryan Adams and Quebecois artist Coeur de Pirate.

Prince Harry with actress-girlfriend Meghan Markle launch the third Invictus Games

<p>Britain&#39;s Prince Harry suffered &quot;total chaos&quot; before eventually seeking help to deal with the death of his mother Princess Diana, he said in an interview published Monday.</p>

<p>Speaking to The Telegraph newspaper, the 32-year-old prince said he had spent years trying to ignore his emotions following Diana&#39;s death in 1997 when he was just 12.</p>

<p>&quot;My way of dealing with it was sticking my head in the sand, refusing to ever think about my mum, because why would that help? It&#39;s only going to make you sad. It&#39;s not going to bring her back,&quot; he said.</p>

<p>It was not until the age of 28 that he sought help from mental health professionals after encouragement from others, including &quot;huge support&quot; from his older brother Prince William.</p>

<p>&quot;It was 20 years of not thinking about it and then two years of total chaos...I didn&#39;t know what was wrong with me,&quot; he said.</p>

<p>While Harry has referred to grief in the past and supported mental health charities, he is acutely sensitive about media attention and it is rare for him to speak openly about his personal experience.</p>

<p>Diana and her boyfriend Dodi Fayed were killed in a car crash in a Paris underpass on August 31, 1997, along with their French driver Henri Paul as they tried to outrun chasing photographers.</p>

<p>Her death triggered a mass outpouring of public grief and Harry walked behind her coffin during a funeral which was broadcast around the world.</p>

<p>Harry said he recently confronted the grief of losing his mother as well as tackling the pressures of a royal life including overcoming a feeling of &quot;fight or flight&quot; during engagements.</p>

<p>&quot;I generally don&#39;t know how we (royals) stay sane. I don&#39;t have any secrets, I&#39;ve probably been very close to a complete breakdown on numerous occasions,&quot; he said.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Boxing &#39;saved me&#39;&nbsp;</strong></p>

<p>During a decade in the British army Harry served twice in Afghanistan and went on to meet soldiers in a recovery unit, an experience he said had an impact on his health.</p>

<p>&quot;You park your own issues, because of what you are confronted with,&quot; he told The Telegraph.</p>

<p>Describing himself as &quot;a problem&quot; through much of his twenties, Harry said as well as seeking treatment he found taking up boxing helped.</p>

<p>&quot;Everyone was saying boxing&#39;s good for you and it&#39;s really good for letting out aggression. That really saved me, because I was on the verge of punching someone. Being able to punch someone with pads was certainly easier,&quot; he said.</p>

<p>Prince William and his wife Kate are campaigning along with Harry to end stigma around mental health, supporting charities through their Heads Together initiative.</p>

<p>Harry said once he started talking about how he felt he discovered he was &quot;part of quite a big club&quot; and encouraged others to open up.</p>

<p>&quot;What we&#39;re trying to do is normalise the conversation to the point of where anyone can sit down and have a coffee and say, &#39;You know what, I&#39;ve had a really sh*t day. Can I just tell you about it?&#39;&quot; he said.</p>

<p>(AFP)</p>


Only 16 years later did he seek help from mental health professionals after 'huge support' from his older brother, Prince William

Britain's Prince Harry suffered "total chaos" before eventually seeking help to deal with the death of his mother Princess Diana, he said in an interview published Monday. Speaking to The Telegraph newspaper, the 32-year-old prince said he had spent years trying to ignore his emotions following Diana's death in 1997 when he was just 12. "My way of dealing with it was sticking my head in the sand, refusing to ever think about my mum, because why would that help? It's only going to make you sad. It's not going to bring her back," he said. It was not until the age of 28 that he sought help from mental health professionals after encouragement from others, including "huge support" from his older brother Prince William. "It was 20 years of not thinking about it and then two years of total chaos...I didn't know what was wrong with me," he said. While Harry has referred to grief in the past and supported mental health charities, he is acutely sensitive about media attention and it is rare for him to speak openly about his personal experience. Diana and her boyfriend Dodi Fayed were killed in a car crash in a Paris underpass on August 31, 1997, along with their French driver Henri Paul as they tried to outrun chasing photographers. Her death triggered a mass outpouring of public grief and Harry walked behind her coffin during a funeral which was broadcast around the world. Harry said he recently confronted the grief of losing his mother as well as tackling the pressures of a royal life including overcoming a feeling of "fight or flight" during engagements. "I generally don't know how we (royals) stay sane. I don't have any secrets, I've probably been very close to a complete breakdown on numerous occasions," he said. Boxing 'saved me' During a decade in the British army Harry served twice in Afghanistan and went on to meet soldiers in a recovery unit, an experience he said had an impact on his health. "You park your own issues, because of what you are confronted with," he told The Telegraph. Describing himself as "a problem" through much of his twenties, Harry said as well as seeking treatment he found taking up boxing helped. "Everyone was saying boxing's good for you and it's really good for letting out aggression. That really saved me, because I was on the verge of punching someone. Being able to punch someone with pads was certainly easier," he said. Prince William and his wife Kate are campaigning along with Harry to end stigma around mental health, supporting charities through their Heads Together initiative. Harry said once he started talking about how he felt he discovered he was "part of quite a big club" and encouraged others to open up. "What we're trying to do is normalise the conversation to the point of where anyone can sit down and have a coffee and say, 'You know what, I've had a really sh*t day. Can I just tell you about it?'" he said. (AFP)

Prince Harry suffered 'total chaos' over Diana's death

<p>Britain&#39;s Prince William and his younger brother Harry have commissioned a statue in honour of their mother Princess Diana who died in a Paris car crash 20 years ago to be erected outside their official London home, their office said on Saturday.</p>

<p>Diana, the first wife of the brother&#39;s father the heir-to-the-throne Prince Charles, was killed when the limousine carrying her and her lover Dodi al-Fayed crashed in a Paris tunnel in August 1997.</p>

<p>William was 15 and Harry was 12 at the time.</p>

<p>&quot;It has been 20 years since our mother&#39;s death and the time is right to recognise her positive impact in the UK and around the world with a permanent statue,&quot; William, 34, said in a statement.</p>

<p>The princes have formed a committee to advise on the sculptor and to raise private funds to pay for the statue which will be located in a public garden at Kensington Palace.</p>

<p>Work on the statue will begin soon and it is hoped that the statue will be unveiled before the end of the year, the statement from their office said.</p>

<p>The first permanent memorial to her, a 210-metre (689-foot) long fountain was unveiled in Hyde Park in 2004 after years of bureaucratic wrangling and squabbling over the design.</p>

<p>It had to be closed down a number of times after its opening and a committee of lawmakers later said it was &quot;ill-conceived and ill-executed&quot;.</p>

<p>William announced earlier this month that he would move into Kensington Palace with his wife Kate and children, George and Charlotte, from his current home in eastern England when he gives up his job as an air ambulance pilot to focus on royal duties full-time later this year.</p>

<p>(Reuters)</p>


The statue will be located in a public garden at Kensington Palace

Britain's Prince William and his younger brother Harry have commissioned a statue in honour of their mother Princess Diana who died in a Paris car crash 20 years ago to be erected outside their official London home, their office said on Saturday. Diana, the first wife of the brother's father the heir-to-the-throne Prince Charles, was killed when the limousine carrying her and her lover Dodi al-Fayed crashed in a Paris tunnel in August 1997. William was 15 and Harry was 12 at the time. "It has been 20 years since our mother's death and the time is right to recognise her positive impact in the UK and around the world with a permanent statue," William, 34, said in a statement. The princes have formed a committee to advise on the sculptor and to raise private funds to pay for the statue which will be located in a public garden at Kensington Palace. Work on the statue will begin soon and it is hoped that the statue will be unveiled before the end of the year, the statement from their office said. The first permanent memorial to her, a 210-metre (689-foot) long fountain was unveiled in Hyde Park in 2004 after years of bureaucratic wrangling and squabbling over the design. It had to be closed down a number of times after its opening and a committee of lawmakers later said it was "ill-conceived and ill-executed". William announced earlier this month that he would move into Kensington Palace with his wife Kate and children, George and Charlotte, from his current home in eastern England when he gives up his job as an air ambulance pilot to focus on royal duties full-time later this year. (Reuters)

UK princes commission statue to honour late mother Princess Diana

<p>Britain&#39;s Prince Harry has hit out at the press for subjecting his girfriend, American actress Meghan Markle to constant &quot;abuse and harassment.&quot;&nbsp;</p>

<p>A statement issued by Kensington Palace criticised the media for their defamatory articles about his girlfriend and for the sexist and racist articles against her online. This is the first time that the 32-year-old prince has spoke about his relationship with the US actress best known for playing Rachel Zane in the TV drama Suits.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Kensington Palace has issued a statement this morning about the harassment currently being experienced by Meghan Markle and her family. <a href="https://t.co/EuFZ4fmUIj">pic.twitter.com/EuFZ4fmUIj</a></p>
&mdash; Kensington Palace (@KensingtonRoyal) <a href="https://twitter.com/KensingtonRoyal/status/795931735443861504">November 8, 2016</a></blockquote>
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<p>&quot;But the past week has seen a line crossed. His girlfriend, has been subject to a wave of abuse and harassment. Some of this has been very public - the smear on the front page of a national newspaper; the racial undertones of comment pieces; and the outright sexism and racism of social media trolls and web article comments,&quot; the statement read.</p>

<p>British newspapers have been running daily stories about Markle since news emerged that the 35-year-old actress was dating the prince. The statement spoke of the constant legal battles the royal family had to fight to keep defamatory stories about the couple from appearing in papers.</p>

<p>&quot;Some of it has been hidden from the public - the nightly legal battles to keep defamatory stories out of papers; her mother having to struggle past photographers in order to get to her front door; the attempts of reporters and photographers to gain illegal entry to her home and the calls to police that followed; the substantial bribes offered by papers to her ex-boyfriend; the bombardment of nearly every friend, co-worker, and loved one in her life.</p>

<p>Harry, grandson of Queen Elizabeth, has often made headlines for his personal life. He says he is worried about his girlfriend&#39;s safety and &quot;deeply disappointed&quot; that he has not been able to protect her.</p>

<p>&quot;Prince Harry is worried about Ms. Markle&rsquo;s safety and is deeply disappointed that he has not been able to protect her. It is not right that a few months into a relationship with him that Ms. Markle should be subjected to such a storm.&quot;</p>

<p>Meghan Markle also featured in the 2011 film &quot;Horrible Bosses.&quot;</p>

<p>(WION)</p>


British newspapers have been running daily stories about Markle since news emerged that she was dating Prince Harry

Britain's Prince Harry has hit out at the press for subjecting his girfriend, American actress Meghan Markle to constant "abuse and harassment." A statement issued by Kensington Palace criticised the media for their defamatory articles about his girlfriend and for the sexist and racist articles against her online. This is the first time that the 32-year-old prince has spoke about his relationship with the US actress best known for playing Rachel Zane in the TV drama Suits. Kensington Palace has issued a statement this morning about the harassment currently being experienced by Meghan Markle and her family. pic.twitter.com/EuFZ4fmUIj — Kensington Palace (@KensingtonRoyal) November 8, 2016 × "But the past week has seen a line crossed. His girlfriend, has been subject to a wave of abuse and harassment. Some of this has been very public - the smear on the front page of a national newspaper; the racial undertones of comment pieces; and the outright sexism and racism of social media trolls and web article comments," the statement read. British newspapers have been running daily stories about Markle since news emerged that the 35-year-old actress was dating the prince. The statement spoke of the constant legal battles the royal family had to fight to keep defamatory stories about the couple from appearing in papers. "Some of it has been hidden from the public - the nightly legal battles to keep defamatory stories out of papers; her mother having to struggle past photographers in order to get to her front door; the attempts of reporters and photographers to gain illegal entry to her home and the calls to police that followed; the substantial bribes offered by papers to her ex-boyfriend; the bombardment of nearly every friend, co-worker, and loved one in her life. Harry, grandson of Queen Elizabeth, has often made headlines for his personal life. He says he is worried about his girlfriend's safety and "deeply disappointed" that he has not been able to protect her. "Prince Harry is worried about Ms. Markle’s safety and is deeply disappointed that he has not been able to protect her. It is not right that a few months into a relationship with him that Ms. Markle should be subjected to such a storm." Meghan Markle also featured in the 2011 film "Horrible Bosses." (WION)

Prince Harry confirms relationship with US girlfriend, slams media for subjecting her to 'harassment'

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