Meghan Markle Gets "a Lot of Her Strength" from Her Mom, Doria Ragland

Meghan Markle's closest friends say she gets a lot of her strength from her mom, Doria Ragland.

Preparations for Royal Wedding of Harry and Meghan
(Image credit: WPA Pool)
  • As Prince Harry has been working out the details of his and Meghan Markle's royal exit, Meghan has been spending time in Canada.
  • According to family friends, Meghan's mom, Doria Ragland, stayed with her and baby Archie Harrison in Canada while Harry was in the UK hammering details.
  • Friends say Meghan gets a lot of her strength from her mom.

Needless to say, Meghan Markle has been through a lot the last few months (okay, make that the last few years). Through it all though, she's had a constant rock: Her mother, Doria Ragland.

Earlier this year, when Meghan and her husband, Prince Harry, announced their decision to step back from their duties with the royal family, she returned to Canada to be with their son, Archie Harrison while Harry stayed behind in the United Kingdom to discuss the details of their exit with his grandmother, father, and brother.

Meghan and Archie weren't alone during those weeks in Canada without Harry though. Naturally, her mom stepped up to the plate. 

"Meghan had friends and her mom around while Harry remained in England," a source told People of the period in Meghan's life. 

Anyone who knows anything about Meghan knows just how close her and her mother's bond is. And those closest to the Duchess of Sussex say that Doria's impact on her daughter's life runs deep.

"She definitely gets a lot of her strength from her mother," a friend said.

As for Doria herself, those close to the royals say she's sweet—but definitely no pushover. And she's stayed close to Meghan (and Harry) throughout her transition into royal life.

"She has a softness, but I detected a steely core to her," a family friend said.
"She and Meghan are so close. Harry really gets on well with her too. Any new mom wants her own mom around at this time, so it’s great."

As Meghan and Harry transition into the next phase of their lives (which is rumored to include significant time spent in Los Angeles, where Doria lives), we're sure that bond will only grow even stronger. If that's possible, anyway.

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Kayleigh Roberts
Weekend Editor

Kayleigh Roberts is a freelance writer and editor with more than 10 years of professional experience. Her byline has appeared in Marie Claire, Cosmopolitan, ELLE, Harper’s Bazaar, The Atlantic, Allure, Entertainment Weekly, MTV, Bustle, Refinery29, Girls’ Life Magazine, Just Jared, and Tiger Beat, among other publications. She's a graduate of the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University.