• Prince Harry and Meghan Markle welcomed their first infant, a boy named Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor, on May half dozen.
  • Co-ordinate to the royal family'due south official Twitter account, Meghan's mother, Doria Ragland, is currently at Frogmore Cottage with the couple and is "overjoyed by the arrival of her commencement grandchild."
  • So who, exactly, is Doria Ragland? We did some digging and found fun facts (uh, she inspired a new majestic romance novel).

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry just welcomed a bouncing babe boy into the royal family on Mon, May half-dozen. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex appear the news like most parents do in the digital historic period—on Instagram.

"We are pleased to announce that Their Purple Highnesses The Duke and Duchess of Sussex welcomed their firstborn kid in the early forenoon on May sixth, 2019," the caption read on the recently-launched @SussexRoyal business relationship. "Their Royal Highnesses' son weighs 7lbs. 3oz. The Duchess and infant are both good for you and well, and the couple give thanks members of the public for their shared excitement and back up during this very special fourth dimension in their lives."

A smiling Prince Harry also appeared on camera on May 6, sharing the happy news with reporters at Windsor Castle. And just ii days later, on Midweek, May viii, the couple revealed the first adorable photos of their newborn son, likewise as his name: Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor. Oddly enough, Markle and Prince Harry didn't bequeath Archie with an aristocratic title, despite him existence 7th in line to the throne.

"I'thou very excited to denote that Meghan and myself had a baby boy early this morning, a very healthy boy," Prince Harry said on Monday. "Female parent and baby are doing incredibly well."

Simply Markle and Prince Harry aren't the but ones "over the moon" about their new bundle of joy. The Duchess of Sussex's mom, Doria Ragland, is "charmed past the arrival of her first grandchild," according to a statement posted on Twitter by the Royal Family.

Ragland shares a shut bond with her daughter, and we're sure she'll develop the same tight-knit relationship with baby Archie. While Ragland basks in her new role as grandmother, here'south everything yous need to know about the 62-year-old "free spirit," who maybe helped Oprah perfect her downwards domestic dog.


Doria Ragland is a Black woman and girl of a nurse and antiques dealer.

Markle's female parent was born as Doria Loyce Ragland on September ii, 1956, in Cleveland, Ohio. Her mother Jeanette Arnold was a nurse who died in 2000, and her male parent Alvin Ragland sold goods at flea markets. He passed away in 2011, every bit reported by the Daily Mail service. When she was a babe, her parents moved from Cleveland to Los Angeles. Jeanette and Alvin divorced effectually 1983, and Ragland has ii one-half-siblings on her mother'southward side, Joseph Jr. and Saundra Johnson, equally well every bit a younger half-brother on her dad'south side, Joffrey Ragland.

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Ragland met her now ex-hubby, Thomas Markle, on the set of a popular soap opera.

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Per the Toronto Sun, after graduating from Fairfax High School, Ragland worked briefly as a makeup creative person on set of the idiot box show General Hospital, a soap opera the Duchess would subsequently appear on in a guest role. Thomas Markle, 74, who is white, was employed past the aforementioned studio as a lighting manager. The two eventually married in California on December 23, 1979, and Ragland gave birth to their first-born girl, Rachel Meghan Markle, on August 4, 1981.

Ragland and Markle divorced in 1988, merely the Duchess of Sussex lived primarily with her mom. Ragland never remarried or had any other children, but her ex-husband has two kids from a previous matrimony, Samantha Grant and Thomas Markle Jr.


Ragland was a social worker.

Subsequently receiving her bachelor's degree, Ragland pursued her chief's in social work from the University of Southern California in 2011. In 2015, she became certified, and began working at the Didi Hirsch Mental Health Services Dispensary. Ragland, as reported by The states Weekly, left her task at the mental wellness clinic in May 2018 days earlier her daughter's hymeneals.

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Oprah Winfrey on partnering with Prince Harry for mental health docuseries, new book on purpose

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But impacting social change isn't but of importance to Ragland. Both the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are advocates also. Prince Harry, who has opened up in the by about his mental health later on the decease of his mother Princess Diana when he was 12 years old, continues to champion mental health awareness, working with Oprah on a multi-role documentary series and getting involved with the Change Direction campaign.

Earlier marrying Prince Harry, Markle was no stranger to speaking out about humanist issues involving women's right and social justice. In March 2017, she wrote a powerful op-ed for Fourth dimension most the menstruation stigma for women. And she'due south merely continued her charitable efforts since her royal wedding ceremony. Her first philanthropic project as Duchess of Sussex was the September release of Together: Our Community Cookbook, in conjunction with the Hubb Customs Kitchen, a London-based customs kitchen ran by survivors of the Grenfell Tower fire.

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Ragland nonetheless teaches yoga in Los Angeles.

Although information technology's unclear what studio Ragland teaches in, she'due south been photographed past paparazzi leaving local community community centers and gyms. Markle, like her mother, also practices yoga, and was start introduced to it in mommy-and-me classes when she was seven years one-time.

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"Yoga is my matter," she confirmed to Canadian mag All-time Health. "I was very resistant every bit a kid, simply she said, 'flower [her nickname for Meghan], y'all volition notice your practice — merely give it fourth dimension.' In higher, I started doing it more regularly," she added.


Ragland and Oprah are yoga buddies (sort of).

Back in Apr 2018, Ragland was spotted leaving the O of O's Los Angeles home with gifts, prompting speculation online that Oprah was gearing up for a Boob tube special with Markle's mom. Despite previous reports from the Daily Mail, all that came from the rumored vi-hour coming together was luncheon and yoga.

"The story was that Meghan's mom had come to my business firm and she left laden with gifts," Oprah told Entertainment Tonight in June 2018. "You know what the gifts were? First of all, she'due south great at yoga, so I said, 'Bring your yoga mat and your sneaks in case we only want to do yoga on the lawn.' So 1 of the numberless was a yoga mat and the other was lunch."

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Oprah Dishes on Spending an Afternoon With Meghan Markle'southward Mom (Sectional)

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Apparently, kumquats were on the dessert menu, Oprah explained to Amusement Tonight.

"She said, 'I love kumquats,' and I said, 'I have a kumquat tree," Oprah said. "You desire some kumquats?' Then it was a basket of kumquats, people. For all of the people who said I am getting her gifts and I'm trying to bribe her for an interview—they were kumquats. If kumquats can get you an interview, I'1000 all for it!"

Just Lady O did receive an invitation to the May wedding, a momentous occasion that she referred to as "transformative."

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Markle described her mother equally a "complimentary spirit."

On her now-defunct lifestyle blog the Tig, Markle wrote an ode to her mother in May 2014 in a mail called "Love Letter": "Dreadlocks. Nose ring. Yoga instructor. Social worker. Free spirit. Lover of tater chips & lemon tarts."


Ragland inspired Jasmine Guillory's new romance novel.

The Nuptials Date and The Proposal author Jasmine Guillory'southward latest book, Majestic Vacation, was inspired by Meghan Markle's mom, Doria Ragland. Set to exist released on October 1, Purple Romance will follow Vivian Forest, the female parent of Maddie, a fashion stylist (Wedding Engagement and The Proposal readers might recall her as Alexa'due south best friend) who travels across the swimming to mode a British royal. When Vivian follows along for the adventure, she doesn't expect to observe herself falling for Malcolm, the queen's private secretary.


Ragland helped plan the imperial wedding.

Royal contributor Omid Scobie appeared on an April 2018 segment of Good Forenoon America, where he briefly discussed Markle visiting her mother in Los Angeles to talk wedding plans.

"It was in Los Angeles that she arrived equipped with sketches from the wedding and of the wedding ceremony dress itself, so she could really requite her mom some insight on how the big mean solar day will look," Scobie said.

Kensington Palace also confirmed in an official statement that Ragland was involved in Markle and Prince Harry's big day, flight out to London a days before the wedding to help with preparations and meet the imperial in-laws.

"Ms. Doria Ragland will exist arriving in the Great britain in the week of the wedding, allowing time for Prince Harry's family, including The Queen, The Duke of Edinburgh, The Prince of Wales, The Duchess of Cornwall, and The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, to spend time with [her] before the big twenty-four hour period," the couple's printing secretary wrote.

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Markle considered picking her mom to walk her down the aisle.

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After Markle announced that her father wouldn't be attending her wedding on May 19, 2018, information technology left the bridehoped-for in need of someone to walk her down the alley. Since Ragland was Markle'south only family unit fellow member to attend the ceremony, naturally, her mom was the next best selection.

"Doria and Meghan discussed information technology only she just didn't feel she could go through with it," royal announcer Duncan Larcombe told Harper's Bazaar U.M.. "According to the guidance I've been given, Meghan felt that it would be too much to wait her female parent to perform such an of import role when more than one billion people are expected to be watching."

Prince Charles ended upwardly with the laurels of escorting Markle to the chantry, as Ragland looked on teary-eyed at her girl. Ragland turned heads at the nuptials, wearing a mint-green Oscar de la Renta clothes and coat, which perfectly complemented her nose ring and clutch. Celebrities such every bit Oprah, Idris Elba and his then-fiancée Sabrina Dhowre, David and Victoria Beckham, Elton John, and Serena Williams were besides in attendance.


Ragland is helping the couple get settled into their new domicile, Frogmore Cottage.

On Wednesday, May 6, the world got the chance to encounter not bad-grandmother Queen Elizabeth and Ragland meet piffling Archie for the first fourth dimension in a history-making photograph posted on the purple couple's Instagram account.

Beyond it beingness an absolutely adorable photo of the new parents, babe Archie, Ragland, Queen Elizabeth II, and Prince Philip, the celebratory moment marks the first time in history that a British monarch has been photographed with a imperial infant's Blackness grandmother. Ragland arrived in the U.K. from her home in Los Angeles on April 22, weeks alee of Archie'south birth. She is at present at Frogmore Cottage with Markle and Prince Harry.

And who knows? Maybe Markle'southward postpartum recovery will involve yoga sessions with her mom in Windsor.


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