Doria Ragland, the mother of Meghan Markle, turns 69 today, and the Duchess of Sussex is expected to post a tribute on social media later this evening.
Born on September 2, 1956, the Los Angeles native has been a steady presence in the lives of her daughter, son-in-law Prince Harry, and grandchildren Archie, six, and Lilibet, four, since the Sussexes relocated to California.
Known for her quiet support and close bond with Meghan, Ms Ragland has largely stayed out of the spotlight, appearing only occasionally at family milestones.
She famously attended her daughter’s wedding to Prince Harry at Windsor Castle in 2018, where she sat proudly as Meghan walked down the aisle, and has since been photographed at a handful of events in California.
Meghan Markle expected to share tribute to her mother Doria Ragland in just hours
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Though the Duchess of Sussex has yet to post publicly about her mother’s special day, she has become increasingly active on social media since relaunching her Instagram account earlier this year.
Meghan now regularly shares glimpses of family life, behind-the-scenes shots from her projects, and personal touches with her four million followers.
Given the significance of the occasion, there is speculation that Meghan could share a tribute to her mother later today.
On Monday, Meghan marked the Labour Day weekend with a carousel of images from the set of her Netflix lifestyle and cookery series, With Love, Meghan.
Doria Ragland has been a close source of support to Harry and Meghan | GETTY
The post offered a rare look at both Archie and Lilibet, who were seen observing filming and sitting in a director’s chair.
Harry also featured in one shot, alongside Meghan and celebrated chef Clare Smyth, who catered the couple’s wedding.
Meghan captioned the post with a cheerful reflection on filming season two of her series, writing: “Filming season two of ‘With Love, Meghan’ was more fun than you can imagine.
"Part of how we kept the vibe alive? Music. Between set ups I would play a song from my phone, and today I wanted to share some of the favorites I kept on rotation!
Doria Ragland pictured alongside Kris Jenner and Kim Kardashian at the This Is About Humanity's fifth annual soiree
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Queen Camilla pictured with Meghan's mother, Doria Ragland, at the 2018 wedding
| PA"Add them to your playlist, press shuffle, and enjoy! Happy Labor Day weekend! Work hard, play hard.”
The post, shared on September 1, quickly gathered thousands of likes.
It also came amid mixed reviews of the second season of With Love, Meghan, which critics described as “contrived” but acknowledged as earnest.
Ms Ragland, who remains based in Los Angeles, is believed to spend significant time at the Sussexes’ Montecito home and is thought to have played a vital role in helping to raise Archie and Lilibet.