This Rare New Portrait of Meghan Markle Was Taken by Someone Very Special to Her

They go way back.

Meghan Markle portrait 2024
(Image credit: Misan Harriman)

A Sussex rebrand seems to be in the works, complete with a new website for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle and a new podcast announcement for the latter. Since she left her career as a working member of the royal family, official portraits of Meghan have been less common, but we have a new one—shot by an old friend.

The beautiful photo from photographer Misan Harriman accompanied the announcement yesterday that she is starting a new podcast with Lemonada Media, a followup to her Spotify podcast “Archetypes.” It was not disclosed what the subject matter of the new podcast is or when we can expect content.

Meghan Markle

Meghan is launching a new podcast with Lemonada Media

(Image credit: Getty Images)

“I’m proud to now be able to share that I am joining the brilliant team at Lemonada to continue my love of podcasting,” Meghan said in a statement. “Being able to support a female-founded company with a roster of thought-provoking and highly entertaining podcasts is a fantastic way to kick off 2024. Our plan to re-release ‘Archetypes’ so that more people can now have access to it, as well as launching a dynamic new podcast, are well in the works. I’m so eager to be able to share it soon and am overjoyed to be joining the Lemonada family.”

In the photo that accompanied the announcement, Meghan wears a gray sleeveless turtleneck top and smiles softly with her hands folded in front of her. In addition to being a celebrated photographer, Meghan and Harriman are close friends, People reports, and frequent collaborators—Harriman shot Harry and Meghan’s 2021 pregnancy announcement, where three years ago today they announced they were expecting their second child that June. That child, Princess Lilibet, was born on June 4, and Harriman took Lili’s first birthday portrait a year later in June 2022. He has also captured the Sussexes behind the scenes at events including the One Young World Summit and the Invictus Games. (Speaking of, Harry and Meghan are in Canada as we speak at the One Year to Go celebration of the 2025 Games, which will take place in Vancouver and Whistler next year.) 

Meghan Markle

David Oyelowo, Misan Harriman, and Meghan Markle

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Harriman also appeared in the couple’s Netflix docuseries Harry & Meghan and has defended his friends on numerous occasions, including after what a spokesperson for Harry and Meghan called a “near catastrophic car chase” in New York City last year. In the aftermath of the incident, Harriman tweeted “They need to be protected, this is unacceptable and terrifying, they have babies at home…..sigh.”

Meghan has also supported Harriman, including making a surprise appearance via video to introduce him before his TED Talk last year; in November, she moderated a special screening of Harriman’s short film on Netflix, The After

Rachel Burchfield
Senior Celebrity and Royals Editor

Rachel Burchfield is a writer, editor, and podcaster whose primary interests are fashion and beauty, society and culture, and, most especially, the British Royal Family and other royal families around the world. She serves as Marie Claire’s Senior Celebrity and Royals Editor and has also contributed to publications like Allure, Cosmopolitan, Elle, Glamour, Harper’s Bazaar, InStyle, People, Vanity Fair, Vogue, and W, among others. Before taking on her current role with Marie Claire, Rachel served as its Weekend Editor and later Royals Editor. She is the cohost of Podcast Royal, a show that was named a top five royal podcast by The New York Times. A voracious reader and lover of books, Rachel also hosts I’d Rather Be Reading, which spotlights the best current nonfiction books hitting the market and interviews the authors of them. Rachel frequently appears as a media commentator, and she or her work has appeared on outlets like NBC’s Today Show, ABC’s Good Morning America, CNN, and more.