There’s something about Doria Ragland.
Aside from the new Pippa Middleton, aka Meghan Markle’s bestie Jessica Mulroney, Doria Ragland was arguably the stand-out star of the royal wedding.
On what was probably the most intense day of her life as she witnessed her daughter marry into one of the oldest institutions, the British Royal Family, Doria remained cool and composed, standing strong as the sole family member from the bride’s side and quietly weeping tears of joy.
Throughout her life and indeed her whirlwind romance with Prince Harry, the 61-year-old yoga instructor and social worker has been an incredible pillar of strength, stability and support to Meghan Markle.
Speaking about her mum, Meghan has said Doria is a “free-spirited” role model.
“For me to watch this level of life-long sensitivity to nurturing and caregiving, but at the same time my mum has always been a free spirit.”
“She’s got dread locks and a nose ring. She just ran the LA Marathon. We can just have so much fun together, and yet, I’ll still find so much solace in her support,” Meghan has previously beamed.
Prince Harry is also a huge fan of his new mother-in-law, with the pair spending “a lot of time” together over the past few months getting to know each other.
“Her mum’s amazing,” Harry beamed during their engagement interview in November.
And after seeing Doria in action at the royal wedding, she’s just won herself a legion of brand-new #TeamDoria devotees around the world.
Here, we explore what’s next for Meghan Markle’s inspirational mother, Doria Ragland.
Doria Ragland and Oprah Winfrey
Eyebrows were raised when one of the first guests to arrive at the Royal Wedding was none other than Hollywood’s queen, Oprah Winfrey.
Well, it turns out Oprah had a very good reason to attend.
Oprah is rumoured to be filming a tell-all interview with Meghan’s beloved mother to help shine a light on the abhorrent racial abuse she’s copped since her daughter’s romance with Prince Harry was confirmed.
Back in April, Meghan’s mum was seen at the talk show queen’s Santa Barbara mansion and spent six hours in preparation for the interview. Reports out of the UK claim Oprah and Doria will film the tell-all this week while they’re still both in London, however a senior royal aide has since told the MailOnline no such interview is in place and the talk-show star was merely at the wedding as a guest.
But could the palace be trying to throw us off the scent? It wouldn’t be the first time!
Meanwhile, The Sun claim the exclusive chat is still going ahead.
“The plan is for Doria to film part of her interview while Oprah is in London. That’s why she was invited to the wedding,” an insider told the publication.
“There’s huge secrecy about what the interview will involve and when it will air. But both Doria and Meghan felt it was critical for Oprah to be at the wedding to really understand.”
No matter what happens, Doria is one of the most important players in the Meghan and Harry narrative and we have no doubt that when the time is right, she’ll share her story.
The key to pulling off her first-ever interview with the press will be to get the blessing of Prince Harry, Meghan Markle and of course the palace.
Like we saw with Meghan Markle’s interview with Vanity Fair just before the couple announced their engagement, nothing the palace does is ever done on a whim so if Doria ever does want to talk, you can guarantee it will be a well thought-out, tasteful production.
No Thomas Markle-style TMZ sound bites to see here!
Doria has never given an interview, but Oprah is rumoured to have landed the gig.
Will Doria Ragland move to London?
As her daughter embarks on her new life as a working royal, speculation is mounting LA-based Doria will move to London to support Meghan.
A recent report from Woman’s Day revealed the wheels were in motion for Doria to move across the pond.
“Doria is part of the package,” an insider explained.
“Meghan can’t imagine not having her mum close by, and she wants her to experience royal life and the adventure she’s about to embark on. They’re very close.”
The 33-year-old royal is trying to rent Doria a guest suite at Kensington Palace.
Having Royal Wedding withdrawals? The Woman’s Day podcast has you covered! Listen to the latest episode of Woman’s Day Uncensored, where the team discuss the latest on Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, including how their official portraits compare to previous royal weddings, and exactly what the couple are up to this week as they move into married life. Plus, some extra gossip from the wedding is revealed!
But if that doesn’t work out, he’s offered to get her an apartment around the corner.
“Harry is crazy about Meghan and would do anything for her,” the insider says.
“Besides, he gets on great with her mum and thinks it can only enhance his relationship with Meghan if she has her mother nearby.”
If she doesn’t make the full-time move to London, many royal watchers predict she’ll fly back and forth from LA to London on a regular basis.
It’s highly likely LA-based Doria will move to London to be closer to her daughter.
Doria Ragland and the Royals
Apart from prince Harry and Meghan Markle, one of Doria’s biggest supporters is Prince Charles.
Hearts soared when we watched the future King of England hold Doria’s arm as they walked out of the church to wave off the newlyweds.
We can’t wait to see more moments like this.
According to the guests at the wedding reception the pair were as thick as thieves and inseparable all evening.
Like the Royal Family have done in the past with Duchess Catherine’s immediate relatives, including Pippa, Carole and Michael Middleton, it’s believed Doria will be invited to relevant royal events.
READ MORE: Our body language expert weighs in on Doria Ragland and Prince Charle’s strong bond.
Welcome to the family! Doria will be invited to important royal events.
Where does Doria Ragland work at the moment?
Her most recent role as a social worker at a mental health clinic in LA however according to US Weekly, Doria quit her job as a result of the intense scrutiny over her connection to Meghan and Harry.
“Doria made the very difficult decision to leave her job at the clinic because there had been a lot of calls from the media asking to speak with her because her daughter was marrying Prince Harry,” a source told the magazine.
“It just became overwhelming for Doria and she considered taking a leave of absence, but recognised that the interest was only going to continue after the wedding.”
The 61-year-old is still working as a yoga instructor and is thinking about “starting her own private practice.”
If she ends up living at Kensington Palace, she could even run VIP yoga classes with the royals.
Doria recently quit her job at a social worker but is still working as a yoga teacher.
Is Doria Ragland in a relationship?
Not that we know of, no.
Doria and Thomas Markle were married from 1979 until 1988 and despite their split, they raised Meghan together.
“What’s so incredible, you know, is that my parents split up when I was two, [but] I never saw them fight. We would still take vacations together. My dad would come on Sundays to drop me off, and we’d watch Jeopardy! eating dinner on TV trays, the three of us. We were still so close-knit,” she told Vanity Fair last year.
“My parents split up when I was two, [but] I never saw them fight,” Meghan says.
Grandma duties
When the time comes for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle to start a family, one thing is certain – Doria Ragland is going to be an incredible, hands-on grandmother.
In an open letter to her “best friend” penned on The Tig in 2014, Meghan spoke about just how maternal and influential has mother been throughout her life.
“She was keeping me safe. She was teaching me to take care of my body. She was introducing me to history, and fostering a love of being outdoors. She was planting the seed for me to become a foodie,” Meghan penned.
“She was showing me how to be a daughter, not just in that moment, but for when I became that grown woman. For right now. And thirty years from now. She was loving me. So tightly.
Doria, pictured with Meghan when she was a baby, will be an incredible mother.
