Who Is Meghan Markle's Mom? 7 Things To Know About Doria Ragland

As Meghan Markle prepares to tie the knot to royal Prince Harry at Windsor Castle in London on Saturday, it is said that her mother, Doria Ragland will have the honor of walking her down the aisle. 

So who is the mother of the bride? Here are seven things to know about the actress’ mom. 

1. Ragland is originally from Ohio. 

Markle wrote in an essay for Elle in 2015 that her mother hails from Ohio. She was reportedly born in 1956 and earned a masters degree from University of Southern California. 

2. She lives in California. 

In Markle’s own words, the former Suits actress wrote a poignant note about 10 women who changed her life for Glamour in August 2017 and included her mother. 

“My mom’s a yoga instructor, but she does social work, as well, and she works specifically with the geriatric community,” she said. “She just ran the LA Marathon.”

3. Meghan describes her mom as “free-spirit” and her “best friend.”

“For me to watch this level of life-long sensitivity to nurturing and caregiving, but at the same time, my mom has always been a free spirit. She’s got dreadlocks and a nose ring,” she said. “We can just have so much fun together, and yet, I’ll still find so much solace in her support. That duality coexists the same way it would in a best friend.”

4. Ragland met Markle’s dad in the late 1970s.

“When my parents met, my dad was a lighting director for a soap opera and my mom was a temp at the studio,” the 36-year-old wrote via Elle.“I like to think he was drawn to her sweet eyes and her Afro, plus their shared love of antiques. Whatever it was, they married and had me. They moved into a house in The Valley in LA, to a neighborhood that was leafy and affordable.”

Ragland and Markle divorced in 1987.

5. Prince Harry reportedly loves her. 

Doria reportedly first met her future son-in-law in September 2017 at the Invictus Games in Toronto. In the couple’s first public interview after announcing their engagement, the Royal described Markle’s mother as simply “amazing.”

The Kensington Palace shared after news broke that Prince Harry popped the question that both Ragland and Markle’s father, Thomas, wished their daughter and his Royal Highness “a lifetime of happiness.”

6. She has the sweetest nickname for Meghan. 

On a blog entry on her now-defunct lifestyle website, The Tig, Markle revealed that her mother has called her “Flower” since she was really little.

7. Ragland will walk her daughter down the aisle. 

With her father’s recent health scare, the star broke her silence to announce that her father would not be attending her nuptials across the pond on Saturday. 

“Sadly, my father will not be attending our wedding. I have always cared for my father and hope he can be given the space he needs to focus on his health,” she said in a statement released by Kensington Palace. 

With her father’s absence, it is reported that Ragland will have the honor of giving her daughter away.