As Meghan Markle plans for her future as a member of the royal family, royal fans are eager to know more about her past.
And now a photo from the actress’ college years has resurfaced showing the future Duchess as a fresh faced teenager.
The photo was taken of Meghan at the age of 16 during her sophomore year at Northwestern where she was studying Communications.
At the time of the photo, taken 20 years ago, Meghan was party of the Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority – a society for female students in US colleges.
The photo, shared on Twitter by the Chicago Sun-Times, sees a fresh-faced Meghan beaming at the camera for her college year book.
As a student she always had her heart set on acting but admitted that she didn’t want to become a stereotype.
‘I knew I wanted to do acting, but I hated the idea of being this cliche—a girl from LA who decides to be an actress,’ she told Marie Claire in 2013, according to the Chicago Tribune.
‘I wanted more than that, and I had always loved politics, so I ended up changing my major completely, and double-majoring in theater and international relations.’
Prince Harry announced his engagement to Meghan on Monday and the pair appeared at a photocall at Kensington Palace in London
The couple announced that their wedding will take place at Windsor Castle (pictured) in May
A former lecturer of Meghan, Professor Harvey Young, remarks that he believed she had the potential to go far from the offset.
He told ABC Chicago: ‘She was one of those people that I would highlight for students. I would say. “This is a possibility. This is a path you can pursue if you work hard.”‘
During her primary years Meghan attended the private Hollywood Little Red Schoolhouse before moving on to an independent all-girls Catholic school, Immaculate Heart High, in LA.
She went on to take theatre and international relations as a double major at the Northwestern University School of Communication, Illinois.
Harry’s communication secretary said that the couple, who were grateful for the warm wishes from the public, ‘would be putting their stamp on their wedding day’
By the time she graduated in 2003, she had already made her screen debut in the US soap General Hospital.
Bigger parts on TV shows such as cult crime series CSI, and finally in Hollywood, began to trickle in. For a time she was on the American version of Deal Or No Deal as a ‘briefcase girl’ – holding the equivalent of the British TV game show’s red boxes.
Her starring role was of course Rachel Zane on the US series Suits after joining the show in 2011.
It was confirmed on Monday that she will not be returning to the series after announcing her engagement to Prince Harry.
Harry, 33, and Miss Markle, 36, appeared at a photocall at Kensington Palace in London on Monday.
Fifth in line to the throne Harry has been dating the American actress since the summer of last year.
Their 16-month whirlwind romance blossomed when they met through mutual friends in London, and the pair have been almost inseparable in recent months.
The couple will live together in Harry’s current home, Nottingham Cottage at Kensington Palace, and Miss Markle will become an HRH and a senior royal.
She is expected to become a duchess – just like Kate Middleton did when she became the Duchess of Cambridge after saying her vows in 2011.
Miss Markle will most probably become HRH the Duchess of Sussex, if Harry is made the Duke of Sussex by the Queen on the morning of his wedding.
The pair were secretly engaged earlier this month, and Harry took Miss Markle to meet his grandmother the Queen for tea at Buckingham Palace in October.
The wedding will take place at St George’s Chapel in the grounds of Windsor Castle in May because it is a place ‘close to the couple’s hearts’, it was revealed today.
The couple chose the ‘very special’ venue because the prince and his fiancé had spent time there together during their 16-month romance.
They have shunned a larger wedding at Westminster Abbey or St Paul’s for a more intimate church service where his father married Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, in 2005 – but it is likely to be televised.
And in choosing Windsor Castle and its chapel the Queen and Prince Philip can easily travel to the wedding of the year as it was revealed that the royal family will pay for the event, the music, the flowers and the reception.
American Meghan, a protestant who went to a catholic high school, will be baptised and confirmed before the spring church wedding and is also said to be taking British citizenship to become a dual national.