15 Surprising Facts About Meghan Markle That The Queen Wants Hidden

After months of speculation, Clarence House has broken the hearts of many women by announcing that one of England's most eligible Bachelors is no longer on the market. Of course, we are talking about none other than Prince Harry (don't worry Orlando Bloom is still up for grabs). On November 27th, 2017, representatives of the royal family revealed that Prince Harry had proposed to his girlfriend of just over a year, Ms. Meghan Markle. So who is Meghan and how did an American girl manage to score a Prince?

While there is no denying that Meghan is beautiful and has many admirable qualities, the truth is there are some skeletons in her closet too. Under normal circumstances, perhaps these skeletons would have gone unnoticed, but given that Meghan is now living under a close microscope there's no hiding her past. Although there are plenty of perks that come along with marrying a Royal (like tea with the Queen and oh, living in a palace), there are also some downsides, like having no privacy. So what sort of things might Meghan have wanted to keep private? Well for starters the fact that she was once married to an American Producer for two whole years before getting a divorce. Although that's pretty common in Hollywood, it is considered slightly scandalous in the lives of the royal family. Not to mention that the separation allegedly occurred because she cheated with a professional hockey player! That's just the start of what the Queen might want to keep hidden about her future granddaughter in law.

15 She was once married to a producer

Before Meghan met Harry, she had another leading man in her life, American producer Trevor Engelson. The pair met in 2004 when Meghan was twenty-three-years-old and Trevor was twenty-eight. They went on to date for six years before getting married at a resort in Jamaica in 2010. They were joined by a hundred and four of their closest friends in a loved-up beach ceremony. However, the marriage did not last very long, and Meghan filed for divorce two years later citing, 'irreconcilable differences.' Trevor has yet to speak out about Meghan's upcoming nuptials, but he is allegedly working on a television show about an American girl who falls in love with a Prince. Trevors most notable work includes Remember Me with Robert Pattinson.

14 She rushed to divorce after allegedly getting close with a pro hockey player

Just before Meghan tied the knot with Trevor Engelson, she landed her notable role in Suits, which catapulted her to stardom. While the role of paralegal Rachel Zane, was great for her career, it wasn't so good for her relationship. Meghan was suddenly based in Toronto for the legal drama while Trevor remained in Los Angeles. Naturally, the distance made it hard to navigate, but there were also rumors that Meghan was growing close to professional ice hockey player Michael Del Zotto. Although Meghan's rep denied the allegations, saying he had nothing to do with their divorce, photos and tweets may tell a different story. There were photos of the pair hanging out across social media and she referred to him as "the best."

13 She was a model on Deal or No Deal

Before Meghan's big break came on Suits, she had to explore other avenues for making money in the entertainment industry. From doing commercials to starring on game show Deal or No Deal, Meghan took the jobs she could get as long as it would get her closer to stardom. A former co-briefcase girl on the show revealed that Meghan and the rest of the girls would have to wear massive pushup bras to play the part. In addition, the producers would inspect the girls every morning for weight gain. Footage of Meghan on the show, reveals that she played the part well with a ton of enthusiasm, but it was merely a stepping stone for her. The same source admits that everyone knew Meghan had aspirations to win an Oscar or to be on Broadway. Lucky for her she's scored an even better leading role than that now.

12 She allegedly had a boyfriend when she met Harry

After divorcing from her husband Trevor Engelson in 2013, Meghan moved onto Canadian chef Cory Vitiello. The pair met while Meghan was filming Suits and was living in Toronto, where Corey currently resides and used to own the now-closed restaurant 'The Harbord Room.' The pair split in 2016 and rumors have been swirling that Meghan started seeing Harry while she was still in a relationship with Cory. Nevertheless, Meghan split with Cory shortly after to dive headfirst into her relationship with Harry. A news source attempted to contact Cory for comment on his relationship with Meghan but to no avail. When asked if Cory was still with Meghan when she met Harry, Cory said, "I can't comment on that." At least for now, Meghan's exes are staying mum on their relationships with her.

11 Megan traveled to Botswana with Harry on their fifth date

During their first joint interview with BBC, Harry and Meghan revealed that they traveled to Botswana together on their fifth date. According to Harry, that is where the pair first fell in love, "under the stars." Harry whisked Meghan away to Botswana again for her 36th birthday this past summer and it is there that he allegedly realized that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. In the same interview, Harry said that he just felt like the "stars were aligned" when he first met Markle and the couple has shown no signs of slowing down. The African continent holds a special place in Harry's heart, so it is no surprise that he chose to share it with Meghan. Harry has previously stated that Africa is "where I feel more like myself than anywhere else in the world."

10 She quit Suits to be with Harry

It is not so much of a secret that Meghan quit Suits for Harry but it undoubtedly left some fans disappointed. Meghan played paralegal Rachel Zane on the show for seven seasons before departing to devote herself to Prince Harry. Although disappointing, it is not too surprising as it would difficult for Meghan to perform her royal duties while still acting on an American television show that is based in Toronto. In their joint interview with BBC, Meghan confirmed that she left the show to pursue ventures with Harry instead. The two stressed that they want to make positive changes in the world and are also looking forward to starting a family soon. Of course, being an actress may have gotten in the way of that.

9 Megan Markle was obsessed with the royal family growing up

According to her longtime former friend of over thirty years, Ninaki Priddy, Meghan was always obsessed with the royal family and wanted to be another Diana. Despite Meghan saying in the BBC interview that she knew little about the royal family, Priddy says that it is all an act. According to her, Meghan has owned books on Princess Diana and has virtually been preparing for this moment her whole life. Priddy reveals, "I'm not shocked at all. It's like she has been planning this all her life. She gets exactly what she wants, and Harry has fallen for her play." Priddy also added some advice to Prince Harry, saying that he should "tread cautiously." Priddy shared a photo of her and Meghan outside of Buckingham Palace at age fifteen. Perhaps Meghan being crowned as homecoming queen in high school was a precursor to the future that lay ahead for her.

8 Family tree shows she shares a distant relative with Harry

A genealogical investigation performed by "The Mail' has revealed that Harry and Meghan are distant cousins. In fact, a family tree shows that the pair is 15th cousins. According to the investigation, Harry and Meghan are related through her father's bloodline and through a 15th Century ancestor of the Queen. The report says that the Queens relative Ralph Bowes granddaughter, married John Hussey of Dorking, Surrey whose Grandson relocated to the states where he went on to produce a Markle. According to these findings, the Hussey grandson and generations to come would produce the Markle last name. If these findings are accurate Harry and Meghan are 15th cousins, although that's nothing new for the royal family. Previous findings have shown that Queen Elizabeth is related to Prince Philip.

7 Her brother was arrested

It appears that not everyone in Markle's family knows how to behave like a royal. In January of this year, Markle's half-brother, Thomas Markle Jr. was arrested for allegedly holding a gun to his girlfriends head. The fifty-year-old man was arrested in his home that he shared with his girlfriend Darlene Blount. Police say that when they arrived, Markle was drunk and it appeared that in his stupor he grabbed the gun. According to reports, the gun incident occurred after a drunken argument turned violent. During the fight, Markle grabbed the gun to try and get Darlene to leave the house. Since the incident, Thomas has revealed that he is sorry and that he is seeking help for his behavior. He claims that he and Meghan still have a close relationship but friends claim the contrary.

6 She has bad blood with her half-sister

Fifty-two-year-old Samantha Markle is Meghan half-sister and has been quite vocal about her disdain for Meghan. According to Samantha, after she was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis in 2008, Meghan grew apart from her. When news first broke about Meghan dating Harry, Samantha reached out to the media saying that Meghan is a 'social climber' who was always ambitious to be with Harry because she wanted to be a Princess. Samantha also claimed that as soon as she became sick, Meghan had no interest in her and refused to offer emotional or financial support to help her with her condition. Samantha said, "I didn't feel a separation from her until I was in the wheelchair." Although now, Samantha is claiming that she is happy for the couple and expressed her joy to the media once the engagement became public. Samantha is allegedly working on a tell-all book.

5 She loves to party

One of the things that everyone who knows Meghan says about her is that she loves to party. During her first wedding to Producer Trevor Engleson, Meghan was photographed playing all sorts of drinking games. As seen in the image above, Meghan is on her wedding trip in Jamaica playing the drunken wheelbarrow with her Husband. Although that's perfectly normal to do as a regular person, the Queen might have something to say about it. Somehow we can't imagine the Queen or anyone in her vicinity playing the drunken wheelbarrow. With the exception of Harry of course, and perhaps Camilla. She also strikes us as having a wild streak. While being a royal, requires you to behave in a certain manner, Harry has never really played by the rules so they'll probably be just fine.

4 Her parents divorced when she was young

On August 4, 1981, yoga instructor and clinical therapist Doria and Television lighting director Thomas Markle gave birth to a little girl that they named Meghan. While the couple was in love through Meghan's early childhood years, by the time she reached six, they had filed for divorce. Doria who has described herself a free spirit and Thomas who has been described as "the most hardworking father" could no longer see eye to eye. Despite the divorce, Meghan remained close with both her father and mother as she grew up. The soon-to-be wife of Prince Harry split her time between both parents and it is believed that both parents will attend the royal wedding. Doria currently resides in Los Angeles while Thomas is living a somewhat reclusive life in Mexico.

3 She once wrote a letter to Hilary Clinton

It seems Meghan has been trying to capture the attention of people in high places from a young age but this time for a very good reason. It's no secret that today Meghan is vocal about her activism from visiting kids in Africa with World Vision to speaking out for women rights but it all started at a young age. When Meghan was eleven-years-old, she penned a letter to Hilary Clinton who was the First Lady at the time and to civil rights lawyer Gloria Alfred about a sexist commercial. Meghan was displeased with a soap commercial that claimed "women all over America are fighting greasy pots and pans," generalizing that only women do the dishes. In addition to sending the letter to Hillary and Gloria, Meghan also sent it to the company and to news anchor, Linda Ellerbee. Ellerbee took note of Meghan's letter and sent out a crew to interview her.

2 Friend and designer Misha Nonoo introduced Meghan to Harry

During their first official interview as an engaged couple, Harry and Meghan mentioned that they met on a blind date, but they wouldn't spill the beans on who introduced them. Well, as it turns out there's no such thing as privacy on the internet and it did not take long before the identity of the alleged matchmaker was revealed. Rumor has it that fashion designer Misha Nonoo set the couple up when Meghan was in London in the summer of 2016. Meghan has previously worn Misha's designs and the two have frequently been photographed together. The designer who was raised in London also happened to be married to Harry's best friend from Eton. The pair recently got divorced but not before they introduce Meghan to Harry. Meghan, Misha and her ex-husband have been pictured on vacation together.

1 She capitalizes on her celebrity with a high-end lifestyle website

One look at Meghan Instagram and it is no secret that she likes nice things. From expensive designer wear to luxury vacations, she has never shied away from sharing her expensive taste. So once Suits raised Meghan's profile she decided to capitalize on it by starting a luxury lifestyle website called The Tig. The website offered tips, photography and a peak inside the lavish life of Meghan. Although she frequently shared her activism on the website as well, it was also a who's who of her famous friends and high-end products. The website was started in 2014 but was just closed down after Meghan and Harry announced their engagement. It seems that living a royal life may require a little more discretion. Meghan posted a farewell letter, which can be seen on the site.