Royals

Meghan Markle talks Prince Harry, glows like a princess on the cover of Vanity Fair

8 things we learnt from the star’s first big cover profile.
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Meghan Markle – star of Suits, vocal activist, girlfriend of Prince Harry and imminent superstar – has just taken a huge step forward into the limelight with her very own cover of iconic glossy magazine Vanity Fair.

The actress looks stunning in her close-up profile shot on the magazine’s cover, accompanied by the heart-melting cover-line, “She’s just wild about Harry!”

Journalist Peter Lindbergh speaks to several different people in Meghan’s life for the profile, so there’s a lot to learn about the (fingers crossed) future princess. She even opens up in an unprecedented way about her relationship…

On the attention that has come with dating a royal…

“It has its challenges, and it comes in waves—some days it can feel more challenging than others… And right out of the gate it was surprising the way things changed. But I still have this support system all around me, and, of course, my boyfriend’s support.”

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On her relationship with her parents…

“My parents had been so supportive… watching me audition, trying to make ends meet, taking all the odds-and-ends jobs to pay my bills. I was doing calligraphy, and I was a hostess at a restaurant—and all those things that actors do. My father knew how hard it is for an actor to get work, so he above all people was so proud that I was able to beat the odds.”

And their divorce…

“What’s so incredible, you know, is that my parents split up when I was two, [but] I never saw them fight. We would still take vacations together. My dad would come on Sundays to drop me off, and we’d watch Jeopardy! eating dinner on TV trays, the three of us. . . . We were still so close-knit.”

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On being IN LOVE… <3

“I can tell you that at the end of the day I think it’s really simple… We’re two people who are really happy and in love. We were very quietly dating for about six months before it became news, and I was working during that whole time, and the only thing that changed was people’s perception. Nothing about me changed. I’m still the same person that I am, and I’ve never defined myself by my relationship.”

On her mixed race ethnicity…

Meghan says that photographers usually airbrush out her freckles. “I’ve always loved my freckles,” she revealed, noting that she was “thrilled” to work with Peter Lindbergh on this shoot because “he rarely retouches and he believes in such little makeup. I gave him a big hug and said, ‘I am so excited to work with you because I know we will finally be able to see my freckles!'”

She’s good friends with Serena Williams, who has nothing but praise for her…

“Her personality just shines… I told her, ‘You’ve got to be who you are, Meghan. You can’t hide.'”

Serena and Meghan together in 2014

As does Suits cast-mate Abigail Spencer…

“She’s got warm elegance, though her style is hard to pin down. It’s classy and timeless. When you’ talking to her, you feel like you’re the only person on the planet. And it’s just wonderful to see her so in love.”

Abigail and Meghan on Suits

She refers to Harry as “her boyfriend”…

“We’re a couple. We’re in love. I’m sure there will be a time when we will have to come forward and present ourselves and have stories to tell, but I hope what people will understand is that this is our time. This is for us. It’s part of what makes it so special, that it’s just ours. But we’re happy. Personally, I love a great love story.”

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