15 Surprising Things You Didn't Know About Meghan Markle

Dating a prince will definitely land you on the front of a few newspapers, and since her relationship with Prince Harry has gone public, the world has been dying to know more about the talented Meghan Markle. The Suits actress, real name Rachel Meghan Markle, has retreated a little from the public eye since her relationship with Harry was confirmed, but there are still a few things we do know about the star!

Though she might seem like your typical gorgeous actress, Meghan's beautiful qualities start from within. And while her life seems leagues away from what the average person can relate to, you'll see that she is still a regular human with whom you probably have a few things in common!

Read on to find out all about Meghan's interests and passions, challenges and hardships, and the qualities that won Prince Harry's heart.

15 She's A Feminist

A proud feminist, Meghan Markle supports the rights of all women. She not only stands up for her sisters in her daily life, but she's also got some pretty big credentials listed on her feminist resume, including being an advocate for UN Women. Meghan is responsible for more than one amazing quote about the power and potential of women, including our personal favorite: “… when women lead, the world changes.” Can we get that engraved somewhere? The actress also delivered some moving words when she spoke at the UN Women's conference, in front of key people such as the former Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. “It is said that girls with dreams become women with vision,” she said. “May we empower each other to carry out such vision because it isn't enough to simply talk about equality. One must believe it. And it isn't enough to simply believe in it. One must work at it.” What a champion!

14 And She's Been Fighting For Women Since She Was Little

Meghan's preoccupation with women's rights didn't begin once she achieved fame, or when it became trendy for public figures to have such preoccupations. Instead, she's been passionate about standing up for women since she first noticed that there was a need to do so, and she traces her passion back to childhood. When she was 11, she saw a soap advertisement that said, “Women all over America are fighting greasy pots and pans.” When two boys in her class agreed with the tagline, saying all women belong in the kitchen, Meghan took her first stand. She wrote to Hillary Clinton, who was First Lady at the time, as well as Gloria Allred and Linda Ellerbee and the soap manufacturer, expressing her opinion. And at just 11, she tasted success when the commercial was changed from “women all over America” to “people all over America” because of her letter. That's what you call a role model!

13 She's Also A Humanitarian

We know that Meghan is passionate about women's rights in particular, but she's also concerned with the rights of all people, no matter their gender, race or beliefs. In addition to other things, Meghan is a Global Ambassador for World Vision Canada. She has traveled to Rwanda with the organization to better understand the crucial need for clean water, and has since done a lot to raise awareness for the local people. “I think there's a misconception that access to clean water is just about clean drinking water; which, of course, it is but it's so much more than that,” she said of her experience. “Access to clean water in a community keeps young girls in school, because they aren't walking hours each day to source water for their families.” Her beau also happens to be a humanitarian, so this is one huge thing they have in common. We bet Princess Diana would be proud!

12 She's Been Married Before

Harry and Meghan like to keep things pretty quiet, but many assume that the relationship between them is getting serious. This isn't Meghan's first serious relationship, as she was married once before! In 2011, she married actor and producer Trevor Engelson, with whom she'd been in a relationship for seven years. Their careers increasingly demanded attention, and in the months following their wedding, it became a constant struggle to find time to work on their marriage. They ended up divorcing in 2013, and it's been reported that Meghan isn't seeking any financial compensation from her ex. It has also been whispered that Trevor is working on a TV show which centers on a man whose wife leaves him to date a prince… Nice and subtle! Once upon a time, being divorced might have ruined your chances at marrying in the Church of England, let alone a royal, but thankfully things are a little more relaxed now!

11 She's Been Attacked For Dating A Prince

Dating a prince (and Prince Harry, no less!) seems like the ideal scenario for many. But Meghan has seen first-hand that being involved with a royal definitely comes with its cons. Since opening up about their relationship, Meghan and Harry have been the targets of endless and overwhelming media attention, and Meghan especially has fallen victim to bullying and harassment from thousands of online users. It's been so challenging that Harry even released a statement to condemn this, outlining all the horrible things Meghan and her family have had to deal with: “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… ” That sounds like nightmare territory.

10 She Has The Cutest Furry Friends

Meghan Markle may differ from the average woman in a few ways, but something she has in common with millions around the world is her love of animals, and in particular, her rescue pooches. Guy and Bogart feature regularly on the actress' Instagram, and look like they're quite at home in her Toronto house. Basically treated like children, these pups cuddle up to Meghan and seem to get the best of the best. Really, who doesn't want the best of the best for their pooch? She's also been seen taking the little guys out for a stroll, and Guy the beagle has been known to sport the odd Union Jack sweater. Too cute for words! Meghan encourages her fans and followers to look at rescuing furry companions rather than going to pet shops, commonly using the hashtag #adoptdontshop in her snaps of her boys. We know the Queen loves her dogs, so Meghan should fit right into the family!

9 Before She Made It, Her Jobs Weren't Glam

She's on top of her acting game now, but like many of us, Meghan had to work her way up to success. And while she was on her way up, she did some interesting jobs to pay the bills! For only one season in 2006, Meghan appeared as a briefcase model on Deal or No Deal. That might sound more glam than your 9-5 office job, but as it turns out, Meghan found it awful. “I would end up standing up there forever in these terribly uncomfortable and inexpensive five-inch heels just waiting for someone to pick my number so I could go and sit down,” she later told Esquire. In addition to her briefcase modelling stint, Meghan earned money as a professional calligrapher on the side while she was auditioning. Producing writing for weddings and events, Meghan got to know some big LA names while she was waiting for her break.

8 She Grew Up Around The Camera

Okay, so she didn't grow up in front of the camera, but she did grow up around it! Born in Los Angeles (arguably the best place to be born if you want to be an actress one day!), Meghan went to work a lot with her dad, who was a director of photography. In particular, she spent a lot of time on the set of Married… with Children, so even though she wasn't a child star, she was exposed to sets and cameras from a very young age. This is where she first fell in love with acting, and maybe her life would have taken a different path if her dad had done a different job! After attending private school in Los Angeles, Meghan took theater studies in college to help develop her craft. Most people now know her from her work on Suits, but she's also appeared in films such as Get Him to the Greek and Remember Me.

7 Yoga Is Her Fave

It's no secret that Meghan has a hot bod that's the envy of people all over the world, and contrary to popular belief, it doesn't take starvation and excessive, strenuous exercise to obtain results like that. Actually, Meghan is serious about yoga, and always makes time for it in her daily life. The limber star was first introduced to yoga as a child, when she started taking Mommy & Me yoga classes with her mom. Her mom being a famous yoga instructor probably has a little something to do with her passion as well! She kept it up after those first Mommy & Me classes, and as a result, she's incredibly fit and flexible. She loves hot yoga in particular, where the yoga is completed in heated rooms to increase the benefits of the workout. There are plenty of snaps online of Meghan pulling off super tricky poses like a pro-just in case she hadn't impressed us enough!

6 She Is Biracial And Proud

Miss Markle has quite a diverse family background and identifies as being biracial. Her mother, Doria Radlan, is African-American, and her father, Tom Markle, is Dutch-Irish. Being mixed race has come with its own set of challenges for Meghan, but she has worked through the obstacles and now credits her background with helping her to “keep a foot on both sides of the fence” in terms of identifying herself. “While my mixed heritage may have created a grey area surrounding my self-identification, keeping me with a foot on both sides of the fence, I have come to embrace that. To say who I am, to share where I'm from, to voice my pride in being a strong, confident mixed-race woman,” she wrote for Elle. “Being biracial paints a blurred line that is equal parts staggering and illuminating.” Meghan is definitely a role model for biracial fans, and encourages them to be proud of their identities.

5 People Don't Always Believe Her Mom Is Her Mom

One of the challenges that Meghan has faced as a result of having such a diverse family background is people assuming that her mom isn't really her biological mother. Seeing as Doria is African-American and Meghan's Caucasian side is what many people see first when they look at her, she has experienced (on more than one occasion) people accusing her of lying about her relationship with her mother. These sort of cruel insinuations caused Meghan to feel uncomfortable with her ethnicity until she was in her 20s, which is totally unfair. Today, Meghan is not only proud of her heritage and encourages others to be too, but she has a very strong relationship with her mom. She even posted a photo of herself and Doria after she graduated with a Master's degree in social work from USC. #motherdaughtergoals.

4 She Double Majored In College

Speaking of college, it seems that intelligence and persistence definitely run in the family. After finishing up at her all-girls private Catholic school, Meghan attended Northwestern University, where she did a double major of theater and international relations as part of her communications degree. Who would have thought that knowing a thing or two about international relations would help her out one day in the future? While she was in college, she was able to better explore her biracial identity, and it certainly helped her to prepare for working in Hollywood, which is known to white-wash and stereotype actors of color. She even did an African-American studies class as an elective, and got the opportunity to learn about phenomena that affect her life, like colorism. In her senior year, Meghan got the chance to complete an internship at the U.S. Embassy in Argentina. This girl really was always destined to go places!

3 She's A Total Foodie

Something else that Meghan has in common with the general population? She's a total foodie! Being the daughter of a yoga therapist, it's only natural that Meghan was taught about nutrition and healthy eating from a young age. Today, she finds ways to make healthy eating fun, and has developed a real love of all food, whether it's a clean meal she's created or an indulgence that she can't resist. Her Instagram is full of food, including the plates she's made and the plates she's eating, and for a while, she even ran her own lifestyle blog. Known as The Tig, Meghan wrote about things like travel, fashion, beauty and of course food, as well as sharing parts of her life with her fans. The site has closed down now, which is very likely a result of the increased media attention she's received as a result of dating Prince Harry. We're sure she'll keep up the cooking though!

2 She Has Some Famous Friends

It seems that other celebrities are catching on to how incredible Meghan is. She's opened up about her growing friendship with pro tennis star Serena Williams, and the two first met at DIRECTV's Celebrity Beach Bowl, where they played a game of flag football together. “We hit it off immediately,” Meghan wrote on The Tig, “taking pictures, laughing through the flag football game we were both playing in, and chatting not about tennis or acting, but about all the good old fashioned girly stuff.” Like a good friend, Meghan often attends Serena's games and cheers in support, while Serena has taken the time to advise Meghan on how to deal with her growing fame and celebrity status. Of course, Meghan's also probably gotten to know a few royal faces through her relationship with Harry. She became friends with Emma Watson after supporting the Harry Potter actress in her HeForShe campaign with UN Women.

1 She Calls Toronto Home

Though she was born in L.A., Meghan Markle now lives in Toronto; after being cast in Suits it was just easier for her to relocate to where the show was being filmed. If there's at least one positive to her new home, it's that she's a little closer to London, so the flight to see her beau would be a tad shorter! Toronto is quite a change from sunny California, but Meghan appears to be having the time of her life there. Not only does she have a great gig as Rachel Zane on Suits, but her new pad is luxurious to say the least! Another thing she loves about Toronto is the fact that there aren't nearly as many paparazzi there as there are in L.A., New York or London. “There is no paparazzi so it's really easy to just have a normal life,” she said. Her pooches also appear to love the Canadian city!