The Public Moments That Changed How The World Saw Meghan Markle

Everyone knows who Meghan Markle is — fame comes with being a prominent member of the British royal family. Except, Markle used to be a regular Jane growing up, and she was just starting to carve out her acting career in the legal drama "Suits" when she and Prince Harry started dating. Then everything changed.

Markle went from an up-and-coming actress to literal royalty when news broke in October 2016 that she and Prince Harry were dating. A friend of the prince's confirmed the couple's relationship to People, and nothing has ever been the same since. She went from "Suits" star to Harry's girlfriend, and that label was going to stick, even if she didn't end up marrying him. 

Rumors were swirling about Harry's love life shortly before he met Meghan, but that was nothing compared to the rumors that were making the rounds after it was confirmed that he was dating the actress. By November 2016, the media tempest surrounding their relationship had become so unbearable that Harry released a rare statement in which he pleaded with the press and the public to stop harassing his girlfriend. This was also, unfortunately, how he confirmed their relationship personally for the first time. There was no going back for Meghan Markle. Public perception of her had forever changed, but this was but the beginning.

Being Prince Harry's girlfriend was one thing. Becoming his fiancée was something else entirely, and it might be safe to say that the couple's engagement photo call irrevocably changed the public's perception of Meghan Markle. She officially went from the American actress who's dating Prince Harry to a future duchess, and the moment was immortalized by eager photographers as the two stepped out as a newly engaged couple, with Meghan showing off her engagement ring on November 27, 2017. The couple was all smiles for the cameras, with Harry telling one reporter when he knew Meghan was his forever person. "It was the very first time we met," he said, per Harper's Bazaar. 

Prior to posing for the cameras, the couple announced their engagement on X via an official statement from the palace, which noted, "His Royal Highness and Ms. Markle became engaged in London earlier this month." Of course, all eyes were on the interview the couple did with the BBC after the photo call, where they divulged a few more details. 

Meghan revealed that Harry literally went down on one knee, and she was so excited that she interrupted him halfway through popping the question. "She didn't even let me finish. She said, 'Can I say yes? Can I say yes?' And then were was hugs and I had the ring in my finger and I was like, 'Can I — can I give you the ring?' She goes, 'Oh yes the ring,'" Harry shared. The couple attended their first royal engagement mere days after the exciting announcement, making a joint appearance at the World AIDS Day charity fair in Nottingham on December 1, 2017.

After Prince Harry and Meghan Markle announced their engagement, the world's attention turned to the upcoming royal wedding, which took place in May 2018. It was a groundbreaking event, thanks to its modern twist. The bishop was African-American, Meghan walked herself down the aisle, only meeting then-Prince Charles halfway, and the couple was serenaded by a Black gospel choir. Markle's life was never the same after marrying Harry, but it might be safe to say the monarchy irrevocably changed as well.

The grand royal wedding marked the end of Meghan's life as an ordinary civilian. She was officially a senior member of the royal family and a working royal. People were excited to see this transition for themselves, with thousands watching the wedding. "I just want to be here to observe the changing of the guard and the changing of the British Empire," one pundit told The New York Times. "Today is a day that history will never forget."

Of course, Markle's public persona had to change somewhat (okay, a lot) after she became Prince Harry's wife. Royal protocols kicked in, and as the newly minted Duchess of Sussex, she was no longer allowed to air her political opinions or run her own personal social media account. Her style changed to be befitting of a royal and her acting career was something of the past.

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's fairytale wedding saw Markle officially becoming a member of the royal family, but what really cemented her new role in the minds of the public was when she and Harry embarked on their first royal tour. From the get-go, it was clear that the duchess was determined to forge her own path, even if it meant breaking a royal rule or two. Meghan Markle underwent a stunning transformation after joining the royal family, and it was never more obvious than during her and Harry's 2018 Australia and New Zealand tour.

The 16-day journey saw the Duchess of Sussex make some unusual moves, like spending the night before an engagement baking banana bread for farmers she and Harry were set to meet and delivering three speeches. What was even more unusual was that, as a new royal, Meghan already seemed to know what she wanted to use her new platform for, and some of the causes bordered on political, something the royals are supposed to steer clear of. It became apparent very quickly that the duchess was set to be a different kind of royal during this tour. 

Meghan and Harry also embarked on a tour of southern Africa in 2019, taking their newborn baby, Prince Archie, with them. This tour in particular let the public see another, more vulnerable side of Markle when she opened up about the challenges of being a newlywed, a new mother, and a new royal. "Not many people have asked if I'm okay. But it's a very real thing to be going through behind the scenes," she admitted during an interview for an ITV documentary, per the BBC. 

When Meghan Markle and Prince Harry welcomed their son, Prince Archie, into the world in 2019, royal pundits across the globe were understandably excited. Those who were eagerly waiting for the couple to pose on the hospital steps with their new baby were sorely disappointed, however. The royal tradition, which was upheld by both Princess Diana and Princess Catherine, was one of many royal rules Meghan Markle broke. She and Harry didn't do a photo-op, instead holding a photo call two days after Archie was born.

The Sussexes posed with their son in St. George's Hall in Windsor Castle, gushing over their newborn. "It's magic. It's pretty amazing. I have the two best guys in the world so I'm really happy," Markle told reporters, per Forbes. "He has the sweetest temperament; he's really calm." Prior to giving birth, some recommended that Markle avoid the royal tradition of showing off her baby fresh from the hospital. Chelsea Hirschhorn, founder of Fridababy, penned a column for The New York Times, urging Meghan to keep it real and not pose on the hospital steps, pretending to feel amazing, while the after effects of birth feels anything but.

"Sure, your blowout will be perfect for your hospital step photo-op, but people will be opening on all the wrong things — like how soon you will fit into your pre-baby wardrobe — instead of having an honest conversation about what women go through during birth and immediately after," Hirschhorn wrote, per Express. Whether or not Meghan ever laid eyes on that piece and took it to heart will remain a mystery, but she certainly did exactly what Hirschhorn suggested and introduced Archie to the world on her own terms.

January 2020 was the month Prince Harry and Meghan Markle announced they'd be leaving royal life behind. The announcement wasn't followed by an immediate cessation of their royal duties, however, and their public appearances in the aftermath confirmed them to be the rebellious royals pundits always knew they could be.

March 2020 saw Harry and Meghan attending the Endeavour Fund Awards, which acknowledges military veterans who overcame injuries with the help of physical exercise and used their own experience to lend a hand to others in the same circumstances. Harry and Meghan arrived at the event not looking the least bit solemn that they'd be leaving royal life behind at the end of that month. The couple was making a public statement without saying a word, and they did so again when they attended their final royal event before their abrupt exit from the UK.

Harry and Meghan joined the rest of the royal family for the Commonwealth Day service on March 9, 2020. Meghan sported a dark green outfit that made her stand out in the crowd. Just a few days prior, Meghan had paid a visit to students in Dagenham in east London to celebrate International Women's Day. Her speech didn't directly address her departure from the royal family, but it had strong undertones of doing the right thing for yourself and others. "No matter how small you may feel, how low you may feel on the ladder or the totem pole, no matter what colour you are, no matter what gender you are, you have a voice and you certainly have the right to speak up for what is right," she told students, per the BBC.

Some believe that Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's explosive 2021 interview with Oprah Winfrey was necessary to expose the cruelty of the British press and the truth of what really goes on behind the palace walls. Others thought the interview destroyed Meghan's reputation for good.

The duchess dropped some royal bombshells in the interview, alleging that some members of the royal family questioned what Prince Archie's skin color would be. She also claimed that she was severely depressed while pregnant and that the palace wouldn't allow her to get help from a therapist. She addressed the rumor that she'd had a spat with Princess Catherine that left the latter in tears, saying that the opposite had happened. She also made it clear that she believed the intense press scrutiny she had to endure hadn't been the same as what other members of the family have had to face. "Rude and racist are not the same," Markle told Winfrey, per AP News.

The interview understandably got people talking. Some, like journalist Otto English, tweeted that the media coverage had gotten completely out of hand and that people were unfairly hating on Markle. "We're getting to the point where if Meghan Markle were to take a posy offered to her, the press would report it as: 'Evil Duchess steals flowers from child,'" he penned on X. Others thought Markle had done nothing but complain during the interview. "I found Meghan entitled and self-absorbed, and Harry to be sad and dimwitted," one Quora user wrote after watching the interview.

When Prince Harry and Meghan Markle released their Netflix docuseries, "Harry & Meghan," in 2022, they threw Queen Elizabeth II's age-old mantra of "never complain, never explain" right out the window, and the consequences of this decision varied. The documentary told the couple's story from their point of view.

Harry revealed that his family were brutally dismissive of the media storm Meghan was subjected to before and after joining the family. "[It] was almost like a rite of passage. [They said] 'My wife had to go through that, so why should your girlfriend be treated any differently?" he explained, per NPR. The documentary was released in two batches, and the BBC noted that the royal tea in Volume One was pretty tepid and didn't quite touch on the subjects fans were expecting, like the exposure of individuals who allegedly tried to make Meghan look bad in the press. This was revealed in Volume Two, with Harry alleging, albeit not directly, that his brother, Prince William, was responsible for spreading some of those stories to take some heat off himself and his family.

All in all, the couple painted themselves (especially Meghan) as a victim of an ancient system that relies on media coverage to stay relevant. Reactions were mixed. One reviewer for NBC News noted that the documentary made their former empathy for the couple vanish into thin air. "I want to admire Harry and Meghan. But I'm done with watching their 'poor me' act," the review read. A review by The Guardian praised the documentary for providing a look at the couple's lives and how their love eventually triumphed over their circumstances.

When Meghan Markle officially joined the royal family, she didn't just give up her acting career, she also gave up the privilege to have her personal social media accounts. That changed when she left the royal family, though, and Markle made an unexpected return to Instagram in January 2025. She posted a short clip of her running on the beach before quickly writing 2025 in the sand.

The clip appeared effortless, but internet sleuths quickly noticed another "2025" was written in the sand in the final clip, hinting that Meghan practiced to get the perfect shot a few times. Reactions to the post were mixed. While some celebrated Meghan's return to social media (and what was clearly a new era for the former working royal), others made it clear they'd rather have her stay incognito. GB News hosts quickly offered up criticism, with Stephen Dixon noting, "It's very useful if you don't know what year it is" (via Instagram).

Shortly after she made her return to social media in 2025, Meghan Markle released her Netflix cooking and lifestyle show, "With Love, Meghan." It marked her official return to the small screen, and while some couldn't wait to watch it, others were critical of her decision to make the show in the first place. "I WILL BE SEAAAATEEDDDDD!!!!!!!! UGHHHH TEARS IN MY EYES I LOVE HER!!!!!" one excited fan penned on X, per The Independent. Others disagreed entirely, arguing that the duchess was being a hypocrite for launching her own lifestyle show while she previously complained about the lack of privacy she experienced since she joined the royal family.

Once the show aired, some took to X to praise the easy-to-make recipes, noting that people shouldn't listen to the haters. "I watched With Love Meghan and it was inspiring and fun," one fan wrote. On the flip side, a detractor called it "the most basic, uninspired content I've ever seen." One thing Markle did get right in the eyes of most people was her wardrobe choices. Even The Wall Street Journal noted this, praising the duchess' effortless and elegant outfits.

Meghan Markle went from being an actress, to a senior member of the British royal family, to a runaway royal, and finally, a businesswoman with the launch of her product line, As Ever. Markle announced As Ever in 2025, officially establishing herself as a lifestyle entrepreneur. The brand sells anything from jams to wines and baking mixes. In 2026, Meghan added decadent chocolates to that collection ahead of Valentine's Day.

As per usual, Markle's business venture had the world talking. Some were incredibly excited about the launch when she announced it in February 2025, with one taking to X to pen, "OMG this is HUGE!! ... Congratulations to the People's Princess!" Others were predictably skeptical about the brand's longevity. "The WORST marketing and laziest launch I've ever seen. This isn't sustainable and will eventually fail," one predicted.

The haters were very wrong in this case. When As Ever's products launched in April 2025, they all sold out in less than 24 hours. Paired with the launch of her Netflix show, Markle emerged as a relatable figure to many, encouraging people to try their hand at baking, cooking, and decorating, while also providing them with the products to do so. It was a smart marketing move. Love it or hate it, the Duchess of Sussex seems to know what she's doing.