Who is Meghan Markle?

Brace yourself as checkout lanes are about to be wallpapered with royal wedding gossip magazine covers for the foreseeable future. Prince Harry proposed to Meghan Markle on a random night in Kensington Palace. He designed her ring with a setting that includes two small diamonds that belonged to his mother, the late Princess Diana. He believes his mother and Markle would have been good friends.

People are freaking out, in a good way, over the engagement. A lot like Prince Harry's mother, Markle marches to the beat of her own drum.

Why this wedding is such a big deal to Americans?

First, Markle is American. Second, she is divorced. There was a time when the Church of England would not allow divorced people to remarry if their former spouse was still alive. When Harry’s uncle King Edward the VIII met Wallis Simpson, who was married, he gave up the throne to run off and marry her in Paris. Markle is not the first American divorcee to be in the Royal Family, but this time the Royal Family has given its approval.

Third, people already love Markle for her acting career. She’s best known as Rachel in the USA Network series “Suits.” And Markle is biracial. Her mother is black, her father is white. While there are historians who suspect Queen Charlotte, who bore fifteen kids for King George, was of African descent, Markle’s ancestry isn’t just known, it’s a huge part of what inspires her.

Markle now gets to live in the United Kingdom on a family visa until she officially becomes a Brit. It’s customary for the Royal Family to abstain from sharing political views, which will be interesting considering Markle’s outspoken nature.

Also, Markle won’t be a princess as Prince Harry is fifth in line for the British throne. After Kate Middleton’s baby comes, he’ll be the sixth. You have to be next up for Queendom to be princess, and even then, you have to be born royal to gain the title. Still, people are excited to see Prince Harry and Markle tie the knot, which may be sometime during the spring of 2018.