Meet Meghan Markle’s inner circle
They say that blood is thicker than water. But, apart from her mother, Doria Ragland, 61, and father, Thomas Markle, 73, few relatives of Meghan Markle are expected to attend the American actress’ wedding to Britain’s Prince Harry on Saturday.
Instead, the 36-year-old bride is leaning on her loyal girlfriends in the run-up to the Windsor Castle nuptials — but none of them will be her matron of honor. A palace spokesman told the Telegraph that Markle “has a very close-knit circle of friends and she didn’t want to choose one over another. All have been actively involved in helping her . . . and will be there in the days beforehand.”
Here are the unofficial royal wedding planners:
Jessica Mulroney, 38:
The Toronto-based stylist — who is the daughter-in-law of former Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney — was a wardrobe consultant on Markle’s TV series “Suits.” She’s had a huge impact on the future duchess’ style over the years, introducing her to edgy labels such as Erdem and Sentaler. Mulroney, who also dresses Canadian first lady Sophie Gregoire Trudeau, has advised Markle on bridal gowns twice: for her character on “Suits” and also for the royal wedding — rumors abound that she’s suggested either Erdem or designers Ralph & Russo. The stylist’s daughter Ivy, 4, is expected to be a flower girl.
Misha Nonoo, 31:
After the prince and Markle mentioned in a TV interview that they’d been set up by a mutual female friend, many suspected it was chic Manhattan-based fashion designer Nonoo — who was married to Alexander Gilkes, a former Eton classmate of Harry’s. (Nonoo and Gilkes were guests at Prince William’s wedding to Kate Middleton in 2011.) Markle paired a $185 white button-up by Nonoo with a pair of ripped jeans for her first public appearance with Harry in September 2017.
Millie Mackintosh, 28:
The former UK reality star has taken Markle under her wing since the actress moved full-time to London last fall — whisking her away for a girls’ trip to a countryside spa and teaching her the rules of upper-class society. “Millie couldn’t have been more hands-on with helping Meghan organize the wedding,” a royal source recently told the Daily Mail.
Lindsay Jill Roth, 35:
Markle was maid of honor at Roth’s August 2016 wedding at the St. Regis Hotel in Manhattan. The women met as freshmen at Northwestern University in a Toni Morrison literature class. “I don’t know many people who are as generous and supportive as Meg is,” Roth, a TV producer and novelist, gushed to People in March.
Priyanka Chopra, 35 :
The “Quantico” actress and 2000 Miss World met Markle at a 2016 dinner for women in TV. Chopra’s been critical of press coverage, such as a September 2017 Vanity Fair cover story, that’s been overly focused on her friend’s role as Harry’s girlfriend, telling Entertainment Tonight: “She’s an actor, she’s an activist, she’s a philanthropist. I mean, she does so much more.” She also has a concern about her own wardrobe for the wedding — particularly the “fascinators” worn at posh British weddings. “I’m more stressed out about a small hat [than a dress],” she told Bravo’s Andy Cohen. “How do those things stay [on]?”
Heather Dorak, 36:
Dorak, a fitness instructor, has run Pilates Platinum studio in Los Angeles for more than a decade and is said to be responsible for Markle’s trim and toned figure. The bride-to-be used to post photos on her now-defunct Instagram account of her vacation jaunts with Dorak, to locales including Spain and St. Barts.
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