Many Americans have German ancestors — and that's also the case for actress Meghan Markle, who will be marrying Prince Harry in May 2018.
The great-great-great-grandfather of his Royal Highness Prince Henry Charles Albert David of Wales, Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order — better known as Prince Harry — was from the House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, a German dynasty.
But if Prince Harry's ancestral links to Germany are well documented, his future bride's German roots have been revealed by tabloid magazine Bunte.
Meghan Markle's ancestors on the side of her mother, Doria Ragland, came from Africa and were slaves on cotton plantations. On the paternal side of the family, her dad Thomas Markle's roots lead back to Germany and Switzerland.
From 'Markel' to 'Markle'
According to Bunte magazine, Johann Markel left his home town of Offentburg in Baden-Württemberg in the late 18th century and moved to Pennsylvania. His son Conrad Markel was born there in 1809. Conrad later married Catherine Hovis, whose ancestors were also from Prussia and Switzerland.
Their son Isaac later changed his name to Markle following an error in a census. Isaac Markle married Leah Reisenberg. One of their sons, Gordon Arnold Markle, is Meghan Markle's grandfather.
Americans with full or partial German roots make up the largest ancestry group in the US, according to the US Census Bureau. Most German immigrants settled in Pennsylvania, New York and Virginia from the 1670s through the 19th century.
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PRINCE HARRY TO MARRY MEGHAN MARKLE
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are engaged
The US TV actress and the prince, fifth-in-line to the British throne, met in July 2016 after they were introduced through friends. In September this year, she told Vanity Fair: "We're in love." Now they've revealed their engagement, and plan to marry in the spring of next year.
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PRINCE HARRY TO MARRY MEGHAN MARKLE
A smiling couple
Prince Harry and Markle were photographed holding hands for the first time in September 2017, during a wheelchair tennis competition at the Invictus Games in Toronto, Canada. The games for disabled or wounded soldiers and veterans were created by Harry.
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PRINCE HARRY TO MARRY MEGHAN MARKLE
The young Harry
The youngest son of Prince Charles and the late princess Diana, Prince Henry of Wales — familiarly known as Prince Harry — was born in 1984. His childhood was dominated by his parents' messy divorce and Diana's tragically early death. The family is shown pictured together in 1995, with Harry on the left side next to his mother, and his brother Prince William next to their father.
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PRINCE HARRY TO MARRY MEGHAN MARKLE
After Princess Diana's death
Princess Diana died in a car crash in Paris in 1997. Harry was only 12 at the time, and his brother William, 15. This iconic picture shows the young princes bowing their heads as their mother's coffin is carried out of Westminster Abbey. The tragic event deeply affected Prince Harry.
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PRINCE HARRY TO MARRY MEGHAN MARKLE
A long process of grief
Earlier this year, Harry admitted how much he had struggled throughout his life. In support to a mental health campaign, he revealed in an interview with the Daily Telegraph that he came "very close to a complete breakdown on numerous occasions." He added: "Shutting down all of my emotions for the last 20 years has had a quite serious effect on not only my personal life but also my work as well."
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PRINCE HARRY TO MARRY MEGHAN MARKLE
The playboy prince grows up
The impulsive prince appears to have inherited his mother's ability to connect with people, as well as her sense of mischief. Often photographed with different attractive women, he was long labelled a "playboy." He once told Newsweek that he "wanted out" of the Royal Family.
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PRINCE HARRY TO MARRY MEGHAN MARKLE
The army as escape
Photographs of him wearing a swastika at a costume party that were published in 2005 caused outrage. The same year he entered the army, as many other royals have done, and spent 10 years serving in the British forces. He later admitted that his military service "was the best escape I've ever had" from the constant public attention.
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PRINCE HARRY TO MARRY MEGHAN MARKLE
A popular prince
Following his military career through which he served twice in Afghanistan, Harry has turned into one of Britain's most popular royals, not just within the country but globally. Like his mother, he uses his public profile to raise awareness for different causes, including a recent campaign about mental health with William and Kate.
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PRINCE HARRY TO MARRY MEGHAN MARKLE
Meghan Markle
Britain barely knew who Meghan Markle was when her name started appearing on newspapers' front pages last October. Born in 1981 in Los Angeles, the actress portrays a lawyer in the hit TV show "Suits." News coverage on Prince Harry's girlfriend was hard-hitting, however, including comment pieces with "racial undertones" and "outright sexism and racism" online, said Harry's office.
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PRINCE HARRY TO MARRY MEGHAN MARKLE
First marriage with producer
Part of the criticism comes from her former marriage with film producer Trevor Engelson, from 2010 to 2013. Markle also had her own lifestyle blog, thetig.com, which she recently shut down. On it, she had proudly declared her independence: "I've never wanted to be a lady who lunches — I've always wanted to be a woman who works," Markle once wrote.
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PRINCE HARRY TO MARRY MEGHAN MARKLE
Humanitarian work
Like the prince, Markle does humanitarian work. She's an ambassador for the Canadian charity "World Vision Canada," which works for children in developing countries, and she also campaigns for women's rights with the UN. The actress has a degree in communications.
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PRINCE HARRY TO MARRY MEGHAN MARKLE
With Queen Elizabeth's blessing
"The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh are delighted for the couple and wish them every happiness," Buckingham Palace said in a statement. Like all royals in direct line of succession, Harry and Meghan's union had to be approved by the Queen. This blessing demonstrates how much monarchy has changed: Not so long ago, a royal marrying someone who was divorced would have been inconceivable.
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PRINCE HARRY TO MARRY MEGHAN MARKLE
Watched by billions
Prince Harry's wedding with Meghan Markle is bound to attract the world's attention. Some 2.4 billion people watched the wedding ceremony for Harry's elder brother William and his wife Kate Middleton in 2011.
nf/pj/eg (with dpa)
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