First Royal of African Descent May Not Be Meghan Markle

Meghan Markle may mark many firsts as she enters the Royal Family, but she may not be the first of African Descent to enter it.

Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex, is the daughter of mother Doria Ragland who is of African American descent and of father Thomas Markle Sr. who is Caucasian. Her marriage to Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, has been all over the news due to all of the barriers of tradition it happens to be breaking. The fact that Meghan Markle was an American actress, has been divorced, and is biracial makes her quite different from the majority of spouses chosen to enter the Royal Family. However, she may not be the first woman to become a member of the Royal Family that is of African Descent.

Princess Sophie Charlotte was the first woman of African descent to become a member of the Royal Family. From the year of her marriage to King George III in 1761, Queen Charlotte served as both Queen of Great Britain and Queen of Ireland until 1801, when the United Kingdom formed and she continued to serve as Queen until her death in 1818. She was the daughter of mother Princess Elizabeth Albertine of Saxe- Hildburghausen, and of father Duke Charles Louis Frederick of Mecklenburg, Prince of Mirow. There have been many places named after Queen Charlotte, including U.S. state North Carolina’s most popular city, Charlotte.

Meghan Markle married Prince Harry on May 19th, 2018, which happens to be the day she was born in 1744.