As surprising as it may seem, it's gotten hard to remember a time when Meghan Markle wasn't the elegant Duchess of Sussex she is now. Even though her days now consist of attending royal engagements and tea with the queen, Meghan already had quite the amazing life before she married Prince Harry. The then-actress attended red carpets, spoke in front of the United Nations, and had an amazing fashion sense. Honestly, not much has changed in Meghan's life except for her vastly different wardrobe, her royal baby and husband, and her hectic engagement schedule. It's completely the same, right?
As much as we love following the Duchess of Sussex on her royal journey, we do love looking back at her pre-tiara days. Meghan had the most perfect cool-girl actress air about her, and that made her someone that people couldn't help but pay attention to. There's a reason that her blog, The Tig, was so popular among health and beauty junkies. The now-duchess has always been someone that people go to for advice and style tips, and it's no surprise that she was so quickly loved and accepted by the royal family when she started dating Prince Harry.
It certainly has been a wild journey since Meghan went from actress to duchess, and to put things in a little perspective, it's important to look back on the days before she had ever even met Prince Harry. Was there ever really a time like that? Well, these 20 photos of Meghan during her pre-royal days are proof that there was. Enjoy!
Check out our Meghan Markle page for all the latest news about Meghan, Prince Harry, and their growing family.
Preparing for Royal Speeches
Meghan was definitely no stranger to making public speeches before she joined the royal family, and honestly, we think this classic black dress that she was sporting for this event could fit right in with her royal wardrobe nowadays.
The Bigger the Shades, the Better
Oh man, those sunglasses. We know Meghan liked to play around with her style during her pre-royal days, but we think she should leave those sunglasses behind. The soon-to-be duchess still looked fabulous, but this definitely wasn't her best look.
The Skirt of Days Past
Long gone are the days that we would ever seen Meghan wearing a short bodycon skirt with a tank top. What a scandal that would be nowadays! Plus, we love the lighter honey brown hair color she was sporting back then.
Adoring Harry
Meghan didn't have HRH status at this point, but she was definitely completely smitten with Prince Harry. I mean … just look at that smile on her face. The soon-to-be duchess had already fallen hard for sure.
A Lot Going On
This might be one of those pictures that Meghan looks back at and thinks "oh man, what was I thinking." The bow is definitely eye-catching, and we think the actress had never looked shinier than she did in this outfit. It's all about trying new things, right??
Owning the Red Carpet
Meghan was definitely no stranger to red carpets and cameras before she married Prince Harry, so this soon-to-be duchess definitely knew how to work her best angles.
Work it, Meghan!
Full-On Glam
We don't see Meghan in red lipstick very often … or ever, so this photo is truly a national treasure. Plus, the future duchess in leather pants with larger Hollywood-style sunglasses on?? It really doesn't get much better than that.
Taking on NY Fashion Week
During her pre-royal days, Meghan had the chance to attend all of the hottest NYC events, and perhaps the biggest one was Fashion Week. We don't think the duchess will have too many more chances to walk the streets of Fashion Week … unless of course the queen approves it.
Totally Bodycon
Oh man, we could only imagine what Queen Elizabeth would have to say about this outfit if Meghan wore it today. We hope Meghan enjoyed all of her bodycon dresses while she could, because there's no going back now!
Street Fashion
Gone are Meghan's days of being a part of NYC's street fashion. She's ruling the English fashion scene now, but that doesn't mean we can't look back at this photo and remember when her kingdom was the Big Apple.
Skintight
Meghan loved wearing dresses that showed off that amazing body of hers … and hey, if you've got it flaunt it, right? While she could never get away with something this revealing today, she definitely had her fill of bodycon dresses while she was an actress.
Meghan the Pin-Up Girl
Meghan looked like she walked straight out of a 1950s magazine with this bright red vintage dress. This is another look that we think could fit right in with her royal wardrobe that she has to sport today.
On Set or Red Carpet?
This outfit looks like something Meghan would wear while she was in-character for her role on Suits. Maybe she was trying to attempt method acting or felt a little more corporate that day! We love business-y Meghan.
Rocking Photo Shoots
Meghan's photo shoots definitely look a lot different now. Her royal shoots involve a photographer trusted by the family and an elegant designer dress … not leather pants and sultry eye makeup. We love a duchess who can do both!
Wowing in Shorts
Ugh, we just love this outfit. There's no denying that we wish Meghan could rock an outfit like this nowadays, but we'll just have to settle for appreciate this one she wore a few years before she joined the royal family.
Nothing but Sparkle
We see that Meghan's love of sparkly dresses hasn't changed since she's become a royal. She was sporting dazzling ensembles long before she had her duchess title, and we're hoping she doesn't stop.
Caped Up
Meghan seriously needs to channel vintage Hollywood more often, because boy did it suit her (no pun intended) with this outfit. We think the duchess could get away with an outfit like this nowadays if she wore it to the right event.
Flying in Style
Yeah … Meghan can't really wear ripped jeans anymore, and this is far from what her traveling style looks like now. But at some point in her life, she was traveling back and forth from seeing Harry, and we are still loving her old airplane style.
Showing Off Those Legs
We'd be lying if we said we didn't miss the days when Meghan could show off those amazing legs of hers with no consequences. We doubt the queen would approve of a dress this short for the duchess now, but we still have this picture to remember the good times.
Following the Peplum Trend
Oh the days of the peplum dresses. Meghan was nothing if not trendy during her pre-royal days, so of course she had to wear the peplum styles! And honestly, she's one of the few people that actually made the peplum work!
