Who is Doria Radlan, Meghan Markle's Mother?
Now that the whole world knows of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's engagement, it's time to take a closer look at the British prince's soon-to-be mother-in-law.
The princess-to-be Meghan Markle once described her mother as a "free-spirited clinical therapist" who focused her work on impoverished areas back when she was a child. If that were so, then Markle definitely had a great role model growing up. Markle's mother, Doria Radland, is actually a yoga instructor, and those snooping around her Facebook page might know that she is a proud social worker for the Didi Hirsch Mental Health Services based in California. Interestingly, while Meghan Markle may not look like it, but she is actually part African American because of her mother's genetics.
Doria Radlan gave birth to Meghan back in 1981 with her then-husband Thomas Markle who is Dutch-Irish and is an Emmy-award winning lighting director. The couple would ultimately get divorced six years later and Meghan would subsequently stay with her mother.
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Growing up, Meghan says people questioned her about whether or not Radlan is actually her mother because the actress looked more caucasian while the latter is black and with dreadlocks. In fact, she says Radlan had often been mistakened for her nanny and was once called the N-word. These experiences coupled with where she had come from has made her proud of who she is and what she looks like.
"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 said.
As for how Radlan feels about Meghan's engagement to Prince Harry, she, along with her ex-husband, released a joint statement, saying: "We are incredibly happy for Meghan and Harry. Our daughter has always been a kind and loving person. To see her union with Harry, who shares the same qualities, is a source of great joy for us as parents."
