Here’s Doria Ragland’s Nickname for Meghan Markle (and a Buncha Other Fun Facts You Didn’t Know)

berkshire, england   may 18  meghan markle and her mother, doria ragland arrive at cliveden house hotel on the national trusts cliveden estate to spend the night before her wedding to prince harry on may 18, 2018 in berkshire, england  photo by steve parsons   pool  getty images
Doria Ragland’s Nickname for Meghan Markle Is 😍WPA Pool - Getty Images

Meghan Markle’s mom, Doria Ragland, keeps a pretty low profile, considering her daughter is one of the most famous people in the world. But based on everything the internet knows about her—which is kind of a lot due to the internet being nosy, not to mention her brief appearance on Harry & Meghan on Netflix—she is quite literally the best. Doria is a hugely important figure in Meghan’s life—especially now that the duchess is living back in her home state of California with Prince Harry and their children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet. Sooo let’s get to know Doria, shall we? Just gonna hit you with a buncha facts:

Doria Lives Close to Meghan and Harry

So, back in 2020, an Us Weekly source reported that “Doria Ragland continues to live with Meghan, Harry, and Archie” and that “this has been the most time she has spent with her grandson since he was born.” And having Doria around all the time to chill with Archie during those early days was obviously a huge help to Meghan and Harry because she would “get up in the morning and read to him” and make him “all-organic” food. Aww.

london, england september 20 meghan, duchess of sussex c arrives with her mother doria ragland l and prince harry, duke of sussex to host an event to mark the launch of a cookbook with recipes from a group of women affected by the grenfell tower fire at kensington palace on september 20, 2018 in london, england photo by ben stansall wpa poolgetty images
WPA Pool - Getty Images

However! It looks like Doria is now back in her own home in Los Angeles, about a two-hour drive from the Sussexes’ place in Montecito. Meghan revealed this herself during an episode of her podcast Archetypes (via Hello), saying, “Anytime we go to that part of town where my mum now lives, I’m like, ‘Ooh, pink boxes, let’s get a bean pie.’ They are so good!”

She’s Supported Meghan Both Privately and Publicly

During Meghan and Harry’s tell-all interview with Oprah, Meghan talked about her rocky relationship with her father, Thomas Markle, and her half-sister, Samantha Markle. While discussing the betrayal she feels over Thomas’ contact with the British press, she pointed to Doria as an example of true support for shunning tabloids asking her for interviews.

oprah with meghan and harry a cbs primetime special
Handout - Getty Images

“You’ve never heard her say a word [to the press]. She remained in silent dignity for four years watching me go through this,” Meghan said.

Doria also spoke about Thomas’s willingness to speak to tabloids on Harry & Meghan, saying, “I was absolutely stunned that Tom would become part of this circus. I felt sad that the media would run with this…that he would capitalize, certainly as a parent. No. That’s not what you do. That’s not parenting.”

Doria Was Interviewed on Meghan and Harry’s Doc

“The last five years have been challenging,” she said, via CNN. “I’m ready to have my voice heard, that’s for sure. A little bit of my experience, you know, as her mom.” Doria went on to say that Harry made a great first impression on her, noting, “He was just really nice. And they looked really happy together. Yeah, like he was The One.”

She also spoke about the racism Meghan has faced since joining the royal family, saying, “As a parent, in hindsight, I would absolutely like to go back and have that very real conversation about how the world sees you.”

doria ragland
Netflix

Additionally, Doria touched on paparazzi intrusion she faced, saying, “I felt unsafe a lot. I couldn’t just walk my dog, I couldn’t just go to work. There was always someone there waiting for me, following me to work. I felt I was being stalked by the paparazzi.”

Doria Went With Meghan to Introduce Archie to the Queen

Doria traveled with Meghan and Harry to Windsor Castle when they first introduced their son to the late Queen and Prince Philip, and she even appeared in official royal portraits.

Doria Is a Huge Influence on Meghan

The duchess’s makeup artist Daniel Martin told People, “Meghan draws a lot of strength from her mother. Doria is classy, chic, and confident but not unapproachable. I definitely feel Meghan gets a lot of that from her mother.”

windsor, united kingdom may 19 doria ragland arrives at st georges chapel at windsor castle before the wedding of prince harry to meghan markle on may 19, 2018 in windsor, england photo by gareth fuller wpa poolgetty images
WPA Pool - Getty Images

Her Nickname for Meghan Is “Flower”

Meghan revealed this sweet fact in her now-defunct lifestyle blog, The Tig, writing about how she once asked her mom why she had such a strong desire to act and do humanitarian work:

“‘I don’t know, Flower. You were just born that way.’ This is my mom’s response to the aforementioned question and indicative of the character traits she knows me to have so well: opinionated, driven, and with a deep desire to effect change. ‘It’s just who you are,’ she says. (And yes, she calls me ‘Flower.’)”

She’s a “Free Spirit,” According to Meghan

Speaking of The Tig, Meghan also wrote a truly lovely article about her mom in a post called “Love Letter,” which is full of details:

“Dreadlocks. Nose ring. Yoga instructor. Social worker. Free spirit. Lover of potato chips & lemon tarts. And if the DJ cues Al Green’s soul classic ‘Call Me,’ just forget it. She will swivel her hips into the sweetest little dance you’ve ever seen, swaying her head and snapping her fingers to the beat like she’s been dancing since the womb. And you will smile. You won’t be able to help it. You will look at her and you will feel joy. I’m talking about my mom.”

new york, ny march 10 meghan markle and doria ragland attend un womens 20th anniversary of the fourth world conference of women in beijing at manhattan centre at hammerstein ballroom on march 10, 2015 in new york city photo by sylvain gabourypatrick mcmullan via getty images
Sylvain Gaboury - Getty Images

She’s Friends With Oprah

Like, Hung! Out! At! Oprah’s! House! level friends with Oprah. Although the iconic host had some things to say about misinformed rumors that she was trying to convince Doria to do an interview:

“I love the story, it was that Meghan’s mum came to my house and she left with gifts. Do you know what the gifts were? For lunch, we had dessert with kumquats and she said, ‘I love kumquats,’ and I said, ‘I have a kumquat tree, do you want some kumquats?’ For all the people who said I’m giving her gifts, I’m trying to bribe her for an interview, they were kumquats.”

She Ran a 5K for Suicide Prevention

Doria was spotted at Los Angeles’s 21st annual Alive & Running 5K Run/Walk for Suicide Prevention in 2019, which raised $480,000. She kept a low profile but was clearly having a great time:

los angeles, california september 29 doria ragland crosses the finish line at the 21st annual alive and running 5k for suicide prevention on september 29, 2019 in los angeles, california photo by robin l marshallgetty images
Robin L Marshall - Getty Images

She’s a Yoga Instructor and Social Worker

As Meghan herself told Glamour (via People), “My mom’s a yoga instructor, but she does social work as well, and she works specifically with the geriatric community. For me to watch this level of lifelong sensitivity to nurturing and caregiving, but at the same time, my mom has always been a free spirit. She’s got dreadlocks and a nose ring. She just ran the L.A. Marathon. We can just have so much fun together, and yet, I’ll still find so much solace in her support. That duality coexists the same way it would in a best friend.”

Doria Drove With Meghan to Her Wedding Ceremony

Chances are, you didn’t miss this iconic and historic moment, but it was so special that we’ve gotta shout it out:

topshot meghan markle r and her mother, doria ragland, arrive for her wedding ceremony to marry britains prince harry, duke of sussex, at st georges chapel, windsor castle, in windsor, on may 19, 2018 photo by oli scarff afp photo credit should read oli scarffafp via getty images
OLI SCARFF - Getty Images

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