With just days to go before Prince Harry and Meghan Markleâs royal wedding, the internet has a lot of questions. While Harry has captured the worldâs attention for decades, Meghan has piqued many peopleâs interests in the last few years, first for her acting role on âSuitsâ and her humanitarian work, and now as she prepares to join the British royal family.
We wanted to know what exactly the internet was wondering about Meghan. So we mimicked a Google search about the former actress to learn what people were searching in real time and turned to Google Trends to see popular searches over the last year and in the last 30 days. Here are some of the most common questions, keywords and searches associated with Meghan on Google.
âMeghan Markle fatherâ
In a 2015 essay for Elle, Meghan shared that her dad, Thomas Markle, and her mom, Doria Ragland, met in the late 1970s. Doria was a temp at the studio where Thomas was working as a lighting director for a soap opera. Thomas also worked on the sitcom âMarried With Children,â which Meghan brought up in an interview with Esquire in 2013.
âI wasnât allowed to watch it at home,â she said. âI could watch the end credits so I could give the screen a kiss when I saw my dadâs name go by.â
The recent surge in searches for Meghanâs dad likely has to do with his probable absence the day of the wedding. On May 4, Kensington Palace confirmed that Thomas would walk his daughter down the aisle. In the weeks prior to the wedding, her dad was photographed preparing for the event by reading books about Britain, exercising and being fitted for a suit.
Reports emerged this week that he had staged the photos, and Thomas told TMZ he was responsible. He also said he recently had a heart attack and that he would not be attending the wedding. On Tuesday, Thomas seemed to change his mind, telling TMZ he would be attending, then he changed his story again, saying he had a major heart surgery scheduled and would not be traveling to Britain for the event.
Kensington Palace has since put out a statement from Meghan confirming that her father will not attend the wedding.
âI have always cared for my father and hope he can be given the space he needs to focus on his health,â she wrote in the statement. She also thanked âeveryone who has offered generous messages of support.â
Many wondered if Meghanâs mom would walk her down the aisle, but Kensington Palace tweeted Friday that Prince Charles will accompany her.
âMeghan Markle motherâ
Unlike Meghanâs father, her mom has met Prince Harry. The royal and his future mother-in-law were both in attendance at the 2017 Invictus Games closing ceremony. During Meghan and Harryâs first joint interview after their engagement, Harry described Ragland as âamazing.â
In her essay for Elle, Meghan described growing up in a neighborhood that wasnât very diverse. She said many people assumed her mother was her nanny because her momâs skin was darker than her own. In August 2017, Meghan included her mother, who is a yoga teacher and a social worker, on a list she put together for Glamour about 10 women who changed her life.
âWe can just have so much fun together, and yet, Iâll still find so much solace in her support,â she wrote. âThat duality coexists the same way it would in a best friend.â
Meghan has since described how her parents, who are divorced, helped her to be proud of her background and supported her dreams of acting. Many are wondering if Ragland will be the one walking her daughter down the aisle on her big day.
âMeghan Markle ageâ
Meghan, 36, was born Rachel Meghan Markle on Aug. 4, 1981, in Los Angeles. She shares that birthdate with former President Barack Obama, born 20 years earlier in Honolulu. Harry and Meghan have spoken fondly of their trip to Botswana last year where they camped under the stars and were able to have some privacy. The trip was reportedly for Meghanâs birthday.
âMeghan Markle weddingâ
Harry and Meghan will wed in St. Georgeâs Chapel at Windsor Castle at noon in the U.K. (thatâs 7 a.m. EST and 4 a.m. PST for royal family devotees across the pond).
Kensington Palace also announced the plans for after Harry and Meghan exchange their vows.
âAt 1 p.m. the couple, now married, will undertake a Carriage Procession from St Georgeâs Chapel through Windsor Town returning to Windsor Castle along the Long Walk,â the palace tweeted.
There will be a reception at St. Georgeâs Hall followed by another more private reception for the coupleâs close friends and family.
âMeghan Markle wedding dressâ
Erdem, Jenny Packham, Christopher Bailey and Stella McCartney have all been thrown into the royal wedding dress rumor mill recently. Meghan could also go with Alexander McQueen, whose creative director Sarah Burton designed the Duchess of Cambridgeâs (and Meghanâs soon-to-be sister-in-lawâs) wedding dress, or Ralph & Russo, the designers behind the sheer dress she wore in her engagement photos.
Itâs worth remembering that Meghan will likely wear another dress after she walks down the aisle, like Kate did.
âMeghan Markle first wedding dressâ is also a popular search. Meghan married her first husband, producer Trevor Engelson, in 2011, in Jamaica. According to Inside Edition, Meghan wore âa simple white dress with a shimmery silver belt.â The couple divorced in 2013. This year, her fans got a sneak peek of her in a wedding gown for an episode of âSuits.â
âMeghan Markle moviesâ
Throughout her acting career, Meghan was best known for her role as Rachel Zane in the law-focused TV drama âSuits.â She also starred in a couple of Hallmark movies, âDaterâs Gameâ and âWhen Sparks Fly.â
âMeghan Markle sororityâ
Meghan joined Northwestern Universityâs chapter of the Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority before she graduated in 2003. Her sorority portrait (below) has been picked up by various news sites.
âIs Meghan Markle still on Suits?â
Meghan will no longer be on âSuitsâ and will be focusing on her royal duties full time.
âWhat will Meghan Markle be called?â
Just like Kate is now the Duchess of Cambridge, Meghan will receive a title after marrying Harry. Many are speculating that Harry will be named the Duke of Sussex, making Meghan the Duchess of Sussex.
âMeghan Markle Orotonâ
Meghan has an enviable sense of style, according to internet searches. When the future royal stepped out with a black-and-white crossbody bag, people flocked to Google to learn where she got it. It turns out itâs from the Australian brand Oroton.
Other fashion-related searches involving Meghan include âMeghan Markle coatâ and âMeghan Markle handbag.â The âKate effectâ refers to Kateâs fashion sense triggering new trends and higher sales for certain brands. Weâre likely well on our way to the âMeghan effect,â as well.
This piece has been updated to reflect that Meghan confirmed her father would not be at the wedding, and with additional comment from Kensington Palace.