The Support of Her Pups
It was revealed in 2021 just how important dogs are to Meghan’s life. When times are tough, she always loved going home to her beloved pooches – and that’s still the same today. In an interview with Hello! Magazine, the CEO of an animal welfare charity, Caroline Yates, spoke about Meghan’s relationship with dogs.
Caroline explained how “Whenever we talk to the Duchess about the charity, she always references how important her dogs are and what a support they are, particularly during everything that’s happened this year, with COVID, and with the personal trials and tribulations she went through this year.” It’s no surprise that Meghan gives a lot of time to dog charities these days.
Working Into the Wee Hours of the Night
Meghan posted this photoshoot image of her as Rachel Zane, lying on the floor behind actress Sarah Rafferty. They were costars and friends, but it’s thought that they aren’t in contact anymore. While Meghan loved working on a hit TV show, she often spoke about how early or late she was working.
In one interview with all the main Suits actors, Meghan talked about having to shoot “until, like, three or four in the morning.” And in an Instagram post, she mentioned how sometimes she would wake up very early for filming. Sometimes at four in the morning. Luckily for her, she loved her job.
Waking up at the Crack of Dawn
Waking up at the crack of dawn to film Suits obviously worked well for Meghan. She continued the practice of waking up early even when she didn’t need to shoot. She told her readers on The Tig about what her morning and daily routine looked like, and it involved waking up at 4:30 in the morning.
After Meghan woke up, she immediately did some light yoga. At 5 am, she admitted to opening her computer and answering emails or doing other work. Oatmeal and acai bowls were on the menu for breakfast, and occasionally omelets too for when she wanted to “indulge.” Interestingly, she didn’t mention anything about coffee.
A Revealing Shot
Buckingham Palace was probably in shock when they saw photos of Meghan in bed on her former Instagram. It’s far too personal for a member of the royal family to post and strictly goes against royal protocol.
In Meghan’s defense, this isn’t her relaxing at home. She was shooting for Suits – which explains why her hair is perfectly styled and why she’s wearing makeup in bed. Nonetheless, she definitely broke all sorts of rules before she became a royal.
Taking Time off From Work
Meghan definitely had an amazing life even before marrying Prince Harry. On her blog The Tig, she mentioned that she spent a month in Italy once after simply reading Eat, Pray, Love. She wanted to experience “Being present. Being vulnerable. The act of celebrating and really truly enjoying your life.”
She explained: “I decided to spend the month of August to ‘Eat, Pray, Love.’ Or, in my humble interpretation: eat everything, pray (and meditate) often, and simply love my life, every ounce of it.” Meghan continued: “What I discovered was that with the incredible luxury of time, I was able to celebrate my life.”
$40 in Her Bank Account
Continuing on in her blog post, Meghan explained how money wasn’t what enabled her to celebrate her life. She wrote: “I don’t think you need money to do this. It wasn’t long ago (cough – about ten years ago – cough) that I only had $40 in my bank account.” It’s hard to imagine that Meghan might have had very humble beginnings.
According to Meghan, she was having a hard time booking any auditions, and she didn’t have many friends around. “But even then, without all the pomp and circumstance, I made time to celebrate my life,” she reminisced. “Maybe it was a pizza and bottle of two buck chuck from Trader Joe’s… Or maybe it was a dance party in my tiny apartment or a sobbing session to purge all of those feels with my nearest and dearest.”
Just Like Everybody Else
Looking through Meghan’s deleted Instagram photos, it’s clear that she used to be just like everyone else. In one of her blog posts, she talked very frankly about some major disappointments. I.e. she’s no stranger to breaking New Year’s resolutions. “Run a marathon. Stop biting my nails. Stop swearing. Re-learn French. These make my New Year’s resolution list nearly (AKA actually every) single year,” Meghan revealed to her readers.
She continued: “The marathon hasn’t happened. The swearing comes in lulls triggered by being overworked or feeling mighty cheeky after a couple of drinks. Then there’s the French – a language I studied through high school and then lost.” Finally, she admitted that “when it comes to the biting of the nails – well, it still happens with a turbulent flight or a stressful day. It’s unladylike. But then again, so is the swearing. Dammit.”
Cozy Couture
Meghan also showed her Instagram followers how she loved to dress down. Her casual clothes or loungewear usually came in neutral colors, with a focus on soft and warm fabrics and loose silhouettes. But no matter what she wore she looked stylish in it.
As the Duchess of Sussex, she wasn’t allowed to dress too casually in public. So these photos of her in cozy clothes are a rare sighting for us. Despite leaving behind her senior royal duties in 2020, she’s unlikely to ever give people so much access to her private life again.
Your Average Sun-Worshipper
It’s clear that Meghan loves a vacation. Some people have speculated as much, as she attended significantly fewer public engagements as a working senior royal than almost all the other royals. In 2019, Prince Charles worked roughly six times as much as the actress.
So, it comes as no surprise that Meghan loves a vacation, but at least we know she was like that since before she met Harry. A lot of her Instagram feedback during the day showed pictures of her at the beach or touring around different countries.
She’s Basically a Travel Guide
Meghan claimed that “I’m the person friends come to when they want to find the perfect restaurant or boutique hotel on the outskirts of Paris. As opposed to scouring the Internet for a travel guide, wouldn’t you rather ask the people who are really cool who go there?” At least, that’s what she does.
Her friends go to Meghan because she’s such a lover of diverse cultures. “Barcelona is one of the best cities in the world. I love it there. I love Big Sur. It’s stunning and you get a therapeutic experience there. The drive up the coast is one of the most beautiful I’ve ever done. Also, Hong Kong. I could easily live there!”
A Big Food Nerd
While food make no make up the majority of her Instagram posts, it’s still clear that the Duchess used to pride herself on her cooking skills. In this photo, we can see her gutting a fish in the kitchen, and she has a big smile on her face as she’s doing it.
She’s admitted to loving comfort food too, like pasta, and has shared her favorite recipes to go with it. Either way, she enjoys experimenting with food and has admitted to cooking at least one homemade meal a day since she’s been married to the prince.
Meghan Takes on #VanLife
Even before Meghan became a part of the royal family, she took a serious amount of luggage when she traveled. Take a look at the Instagram post below, in which we can see she’s filled three large cases for a trip. She was vacationing in New Zealand, and decided to do it in a campervan!
“I was told to let go of my impressions of RV culture in the US, that it was a totally different thing in New Zealand,” she said at the time. It was 2015, and Meghan absolutely loved her time there. “It’s magical and otherworldly, and you become acutely aware of how intuitive, engaging, and playful these beautiful creatures are. It was an unforgettable experience.”
Meghan Says Relax
It isn’t that Meghan necessarily thinks like is all fun and games. She once stated: “Take things with a grain of salt and find balance within your life. On your lunch break, leave to go and get some fresh air. You don’t need to make your life your job.” Clearly, Meghan likes to take time out of her busy schedule to just relax and enjoy life.
She continued: “I have to find that balance for myself, as well…I think you have to make time for yourself so that work doesn’t become the end-all-be-all.” Meghan definitely communicates that through her old Instagram. In almost every photo she shows herself just enjoying life.
Power Dressing Principles
Meghan knows the value of fashion and has spoken out before about just how transformative clothes can be. “Have a power piece in your wardrobe. If it’s the one dress that makes you feel so badass, or the one crisp button-down — whatever it is…”
She continued: “…So that when you wake up on those days where you’re not really feeling going into work, you put that piece on and it’s almost like your own anthem. It can really shift the energy of your whole day.” In this photo, Meghan looks as though she’s taken her own advice and is really feeling herself.
Conquering Fears
Meghan comes across as fairly adventurous on her old Instagram, telling her followers to take risks in life. And it’s certainly true that she lives her own life that way: “Sometimes making the best decision for yourself and your family might not be the most popular one,” she once stated.
Meghan continued: “My faith is greater than my fear… If you live knowing the truth, regardless of what anyone says, you’ll be able to go to sleep with a clear conscience.” In her opinion, “Most people are afraid of the unknown, but sometimes you need to take that leap.”
Race and Identity
The Duchess has admitted that in some ways it was easier for her as an actress. She said: “Being ‘ethnically ambiguous,’ as I was pegged in the industry, meant I could audition for virtually any role. Morphing from Latina when I was dressed in red, to African American when in mustard yellow.”
Meghan continued: “My closet [is] filled with fashionable frocks to make me look as racially varied as an Eighties Benetton poster.” Meghan personally identifies as half black and half white. “Being biracial paints a blurred line that is equal parts staggering and illuminating.”
Work hard, Play Hard
“I’ve never wanted to be a lady who lunches – I’ve always wanted to be a woman who works,” Meghan once stated. And perhaps we should be viewing her Instagram photos with that in mind. “You have to take care of yourself so you can manage the workload of a very, very full plate.”
So, it’s fair to assume that even though we see her enjoying herself, it’s all necessary for a balanced life. She probably knows the value of hard work, as she started out young: “I started working at a soup kitchen in skid row of Los Angeles when I was 13 years old.”
As She’s Getting Older
Meghan’s now 40 years old, and she’s making sure to take care of herself as time goes by. “As I’m getting older, my approach to aging is quite different. I make sure that I take care of my skin and body, especially with the work hours I have.”
