What do Meghan Markle and Grace Kelly really have in common? From ‘fairy tale’ weddings with Prince Harry and Prince Rainier III to struggles with royal life

Sep 21 , 2021

Meghan Markle and Grace Kelly share many similarities. Photos: @HollywoodYeste1/Twitter, @oprahdaily/Instagram

Both were famous Hollywood actresses before marrying into royalty – Markle starred in TV show Suits while Kelly acted in Alfred Hitchcock classics like Rear Window

Markle opened up about racism to Oprah Winfrey, and Kelly had to pay millions for her royal dowry, giving up her Oscar Award-winning acting career too

Meghan Markle is frequently compared to Grace Kelly, who became Princess Grace of Monaco in 1956 and died on September 14, 1982. But besides being famous American actresses before marrying into royal families, what else do they have in common – and how are their lives different?

They are Americans who married foreign royals

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry in 2019, and Grace Kelly and Prince Rainier III in 1956. Photos: Reuters, @CoutureisBeyond/Twitter

Kelly and Markle were both born in the United States and married foreign royals. Kelly was born on November 12, 1929, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. According to Biography, her father was a three-time Olympic gold medallist for rowing, while her mother was the first coach of women’s athletic teams at the University of Pennsylvania.

Markle was born on August 4, 1981, in Los Angeles, California. Her mother, Doria Ragland, was a clinical therapist and yoga instructor, while her father, Thomas Markle, worked in television as a light and photography director.

They were famous actresses

Meghan Markle in Suits, and Grace Kelly holding her Oscar at the 1954 Oscars. Photos: NBC Universal, @FabianoAzevdo1/Twitter

Markle and Kelly were both famous actresses before marrying into royal families. Before becoming one of the most famous royals in the world, Kelly had a highly successful career. She acted in her first film, Fourteen Hours, when she was just 22 years old. She got her big break in 1952 with the release of High Noon, which launched her career to new heights.

She went on to star in Mogambo opposite Clark Gable and Ava Gardner, during which time she was romantically linked to Gable. For her role as Linda Nordley, she was nominated for her first Academy Award and won a Golden Globe Award for best supporting actress. She later won the Academy Award for best actress in 1954 for The Country Girl, beating out Judy Garland in A Star is Born.