In the midst of embracing their new life, separate from the royal family, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry recently celebrated their second wedding anniversary. A lot has unfolded for the couple since Meghan walked down the aisle during their wedding, which brought in an estimated viewership of over a billion people worldwide!

Ever since Kensington Palace confirmed Prince Harry and Meghan's relationship in late 2016, the couple has been a source of constant media attention. Meghan's life quickly changed to adapt to the royal family and her increased star status, but what was Meghan's life like before she met Prince Harry?

As a former B-list celebrity, she had some success on the small screen and was mostly known for her role as a paralegal, Rachel Zane, on the hit TV show, Suits. However, she has admitted that landing roles in the industry could be a struggle. In this list, we'll go through all the things Meghan was up to before she married into royalty.

13 She Was Born And Raised In Los Angeles — The Land Of Hollywood

To start off this list, we'll be looking into where it all started. Meghan was born in Los Angeles, California in 1981. Her mother is Gloria Ragland and her father is Thomas Markle Sr. Her parents divorced when Meghan was only six years old and she grew closer to her mother over the years. Growing up in Hollywood, it wasn't long before Meghan expressed an interest in theatre.

Related: Meghan Markle: Things Everyone Forgets About Her California Upbringing

12 Her Father Worked As An Emmy Award-Winning Lighting Director And She Often Accompanied Him On Famous TV Sets

From as young as nine-years-old, Meghan would often accompany her father to work after school. During this time, her father worked on the set of an 80s sitcom titled Married... With Children. Meghan shared that she spent her childhood behind the scenes of the show...and even appeared on an episode as a background actor in her teens. There is no denying that her time on set sparked intensified her interest in acting.

Related: Prince Harry Had No Choice And Now Meghan Markle's Father Is Embarrassed

11 While Her Mother Worked As A Yoga Instructor And Former Social Worker, Sparking Meghan's Love For Yoga To This Day

Meghan shares a very close relationship with her mother, Gloria. Her mother worked as a yoga instructor and introduced Meghan to the exercise style when she was only seven-years-old. Ever since then, Meghan has made yoga an important part of her fitness routine. She fits it into her busy schedule and used to be seen carrying a yoga mat out on the street.

10 She Stood Up For What She Believed In, Even At The Young Age Of 11, When She Spoke Out Against A Sexist TV Commercial

During a school project, her class was required to evaluate messages in commercials, and Meghan came across an ad for dish soap. The ad indicated that a woman's place is in the kitchen. After being encouraged by her father to write a letter to the company, she brought the problematic ad to the dish soap company's attention — the company obliged and changed the marketing message!

9 She Didn't Always Want To Be An Actress To Avoid Becoming A "Cliché" And Earned A Bachelor's Degree From Northwestern University Back In 2003

After graduating from a Catholic private school in Los Angeles, Meghan was admitted to Northwestern University where she double-majored in international relations and theatre. She reportedly had a typical experience at university and was even part of an on-campus sorority. She thought about pursuing a political career and landed an internship at the American Embassy in Buenos Aires.

8 But Her Passion For Acting Persevered - After Graduation, She Began Landing Roles On The Small Screen And Big Screen

Having been familiar with life on TV sets, it made sense that Meghan got her start on the small screen, with several guest roles on TV shows. She also had bit parts in movies. She landed her first speaking role in 2002, in an episode of the daytime soap opera, General Hospital. She continued to land small guest roles on various other series, including hit shows, like CSI: NY and 90210, over the course of several years.

7 She Revealed That It Was Difficult For Her To Land Roles Early In Her Career So She Worked As A Freelance Calligrapher And Bookbinder In Between Acting Jobs

In previous interviews, she shared that she had difficulty landing roles because she was often described in the industry as "ethnically ambiguous." This meant that Meghan had to pursue work elsewhere to support herself between acting jobs.

She had a talent for calligraphy and freelanced as a calligrapher. She even booked high-profile jobs, such as being the calligrapher for Robin Thicke and Paula Patton's wedding invitations! She taught bookbinding on occasion.

6 Prince Harry Wasn't Her First Marriage! She Was Previously Married To Film Producer, Trevor Engelson, But They Divorced In 2013

Meghan and film producer, Trevor Engelson, began dating in 2004 and married seven years later, during a private ceremony in Jamaica. The year they married, Meghan also landed a recurring role on the hit TV series, Suits, which required her to move to Toronto, Canada. At that point, she and Trevor were long-distance. Nearly two years later, they divorced, citing irreconcilable differences.

5 In 2011, Meghan Landed A Role On Suits As Paralegal, Rachel Zane, And The Hit TV Show Skyrocketed Her Star Status

Meghan finally landed her breakthrough role when she signed on to play a recurring role on Suits. It didn't take long for Meghan to get accustomed to her new job. The TV show was a big hit with fans and Meghan reportedly received a large paycheck for each episode on the show. It's estimated that the former actor made a whopping $50,000 per episode!

Related: 20 Things Meghan Markle Has Said About Her Time On Suits

4 She Considered Canada To Be Her Second Home Since The Filming For Suits Took Place In Toronto

We weren't kidding when we said that Meghan settled into her new life fairly quickly. Canada soon became her second home, as filming for the TV show took place in the bustling city of Toronto. Meghan also made friends in high places - she became close to a high-profile Canadian fashion stylist, Jessica Mulroney. The two were often spotted spending time together. Jessica later attended Meghan's royal wedding.

Meghan had a passion for all the finer things in life and she had a lifestyle blog dedicated to living the ideal lifestyle! Her newly-acquired royal duties prevented her from updating the blog, but before she met Harry, Meghan regularly updated The Tig. She shared thoughts on the best travel destinations and the latest beauty tips. She also did interviews with notable friends and delivered the hottest fashion advice.

2 Her Two Dogs Are Rescues And She Even Adopted One Of Them Because Ellen DeGeneres Convinced Her To

Meghan has always been an animal lover and is often seen with her three dogs, which she adopted at different times in her life. Her beagle named Guy was by her side on her wedding day, while her Labrador-Shepherd mix, Bogart, was adopted after a little convincing from Ellen Degeneres herself. Meghan she bumped into Ellen at the animal shelter. She also shares an adopted black Labrador named Oz with her husband, Prince Harry.

1 Before Meghan Met Harry, She Was Rumored To Have Dated A Pro Golfer And Celebrity Chef

To finish off our list, let's talk about Meghan's dating history before she met Prince Harry. She was involved with a few well-known men in the past, one of whom was professional golfer, Rory McIlroy. She was linked with him back in 2014. She also dated celebrity chef, Cory Vitiello, the same year. She and Cory were spotted attending events together on several occasions. However, their relationship was short-lived.

Next: Meghan Markle And Prince Harry's Wedding: Details We Forgot About