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Was Meghan Markle Married Before Prince Harry? Details on Her First Wedding to Trevor Engelson
Meghan Markle made history not only by being the first American to marry into the British royal family, but she was also a divorcée. Keep reading for details on the Duchess of Sussex’s first marriage prior to Prince Harry.
Was Meghan Markle Married Before Prince Harry?
The Suits star married longtime boyfriend Trevor Engelson on September 10, 2011, after nine years of dating. The pair had a destination wedding at the five-star Jamaica Inn in Ocho Rios, Jamaica. They invited 100 guests, including family and friends, and Meghan’s now-estranged father, Thomas Markle, walked her down the aisle at the beachfront ceremony. The actress was 30 years old at the time.
While the “I do’s” in the non-denominational ceremony were brief, the wedding celebration lasted for four days, with the couple and their nearest and dearest enjoying cocktails and activities at the resort’s private beach.
Meghan chose a strapless white dress with a metallic-patterned belt for her marriage to Trevor, while wearing her hair down and straightened. It was a far cry from the Clare Waight Keller for Givenchy gown she wore to marry Harry in 2018, which reportedly cost $265,000.
When Did Meghan Markle Get Divorced?
While Meghan and Trevor’s dating relationship was long, their marriage was brief. The pair split in 2013, less than two years after tying the knot. Their divorce was finalized in August of that year.
While “irreconcilable differences” was cited as the reason for the divorce, a close friend blamed it on distance. Meghan got her first big break on Suits, but the show filmed in Toronto, Canada, which was a five-hour flight from where she used to live with Trevor in Los Angeles.
Meghan’s best friend since childhood, Ninaki Priddy, said the split blindsided film producer Trevor and their entire circle of pals. Ninaki was Meghan’s maid of honor at their wedding.
“What came to light after Trevor and I spoke ended my friendship with Meghan. I think everybody who knew them both was in shock,” she told The Sun in 2017.
“Meg had just finished the first series of Suits. It was a big part for her — her first full-time role. She’d hustled for years to get there, so that was huge. Trevor was so supportive. He traveled back and forth [from Los Angeles to Toronto, where Suits is filmed] and there was a lot of Skyping and FaceTiming going on,” she told the publication, saying, “It was an exciting time. This was the man she wanted to have children with.”
“It was such a shock when she told me they were getting divorced. After about three seasons of Suits, she called me and said she wanted me to know because it was going to come out in the papers,” Meghan’s former pal explained, adding, “I knew they fought sometimes, but it wasn’t anything huge. The only obstacle was the distance because she was living in Toronto and Trevor was based in L.A.”
When Did Meghan Markle Marry Prince Harry?
The couple wed in a lavish ceremony at Windsor’s St. George’s Chapel on May 19, 2018, in front of more than 600 guests. Harry and Meghan announced their engagement in a televised interview in November 2017, after nearly a year and a half of dating.
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