Meghan Markle's Divorce From Her First Husband Was Messier Than It Seemed

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Before she married Prince Harry and became the Duchess of Sussex in a wedding that outshone even King Charles III's coronation, according to a royal expert, Meghan Markle was married to film producer Trevor Engelson. The happy couple exchanged vows in 2011, though they split just two years later, with their divorce officially finalized in 2014 — and the whole thing was apparently a lot more complicated than it seemed at first glance. In fact, the truth about Meghan Markle's first husband is that he was blindsided by the divorce. "The way she handled it, Trevor definitely had the rug pulled out from under him. He was hurt," Meghan's ex-best friend Ninaki Priddy, who was notably the maid of honor at her first wedding, dished to the Daily Mail in 2017. 

What's especially shocking is that Engelson and the future royal had been together for about seven years by the time they tied the knot, meaning things must have deteriorated pretty rapidly between them. According to an expert, however, this is actually way more common than you might expect. Kimberly Miller, founder and chief divorce educator at PartWise, exclusively told The List that while many people assume that a long dating period will lead to a long-lasting marriage, the reality is more complex. "Dating and marriage are fundamentally different dynamics," Miller said, noting that the former "often takes place in a context of flexibility, discovery, and fewer shared responsibilities." The latter, meanwhile, "introduces a new layer of complexities — shared finances, long-term planning, family dynamics, and the pressure of permanence."

One surprising detail regarding the end of Meghan Mark's first marriage further hints at just how tumultuous the process really was behind the scenes, despite its relative quickness getting sorted. In his 2018 book "Meghan: A Hollywood Princess," royal biographer Andrew Morton wrote that the Duchess of Sussex actually returned her wedding and engagement rings to ex-husband Trevor Engelson by mail when she made the decision to end things — a move that is said to have greatly upset the movie producer. Obviously, the end of a marriage is never easy, and just about any divorce will come with a lot of emotional stress. However, as divorce educator Kimberly Miller explained in her exclusive interview with The List, there are ways to keep things courteous, despite how much it all hurts.

"One of the most productive ways couples can keep divorce civil is by approaching it with the mindset that it's not about winning — it's about winding down a relationship with respect and clarity. That shift in perspective can make all the difference," she said. "Certainly, there are ways to help maintain civility. One is to agree on shared goals early. Whether it's protecting the kids' well-being, avoiding court, saving money, or preserving mutual dignity, identifying common ground can guide the tone of the process." Likewise, maintaining clear communication is essential to ending a marriage with some grace since, as Miller warned, "When emotions run high, it's tempting to avoid hard conversations, but transparency and honesty — with boundaries — go a long way in reducing conflict."