Here are the 8 biggest revelations from new book about Meghan Markle
Since news broke that American actress Meghan Markle is due to marry Britain's most eligible bachelor, Prince Harry, in the spring, she quickly became the envy of women everywhere. I mean, at one point or the other, we've all dreamed of becoming a princess - it was a veritable right of passage, right there next to Barbies and all the other effluvia of girlhood.
However, it's apparent that Meghan has been the subject of countless "girl crushes" since she first appeared on Suits back in 2011. But while we were privy to her sartorial stylings and the information she divulged about her health and fitness regimen - courtesy of her lifestyle blog, The Tig, which closed in April 2017 - we knew relatively little about Markle's past.
This has, of course, changed since she became a princess-to-be. Royal biographer, Andrew Morton, has taken it upon himself to shed some light on Meghan's childhood, her college experience, and the years leading up to her fateful meeting with Prince Harry in a new book titled, Meghan: A Hollywood Princess. Read on for some of his juiciest finds...
1. Her parents met on the set of General Hospital
Tom Markle Sr was working at the show's lighting director when he met Meghan's mother, Doria Ragland, who was training as a makeup artist.
2. She staged a Gulf War protest at the age of 10
After one of her classmates expressed fear that his brother wouldn't come home from his tour of duty, a 10-year-old Meghan led her class in a protest that took place on school grounds with anti-war banners and signs. It was even filmed by the local television station, KTLA.
3. She once worked at a frozen yoghurt shop
The actress worked at a store called Humphrey Yogart when she was 13 and made $4 an hour by working the counter and taking out rubbish.
4. Meghan appeared in Tori Amos's music video for 1000 Oceans
Morton states that she made around $600 for two days of work.
5. She didn't get a callback for a Shakira music video that she once auditioned for
Meghan purportedly told a friend that she was dancing so hard that she was scared she was going to "fall out" of her shirt.
6. Meghan used to enter and exit her car from the trunk because she couldn't afford to get it fixed
During the period when the actress was struggling to make it in Hollywood, she didn't have enough cash to repair the mechanism that would unlock the doors to her car, so she started using the trunk as a door and pretended that she was looking for something if anyone ever caught her making a sneaky entrance or exit.
7. She borrowed a sweater from Anna Wintour
When it started raining at Wimbledon in 2016, Meghan obviously needed to protect her black suede dress. Vogue's editor-in-chief, Anna Wintour, came to her aid and let her borrow a cardigan until their seats were covered.
8. She gave the Queen a singing hamster for Christmas
The royals traditionally give each other jokey presents at the holidays, so for Meghan's first Christmas at Sandringham House, she gifted Queen Elizabeth II with a singing hamster - as you do.
Well, there you have it. It appears that Meghan Markle is a woman of many – and varied – talents.