Who were Meghan Markle's spouses and when did she marry them?

1. The first marriage: a short Hollywood marriage that predates royal life

Meghan Markle’s first husband was Trevor Engelson, a film and television producer; the marriage began in 2011 and ended in 2013, a fact summarized in biographical reporting and encyclopedic profiles ^[1]. Contemporary profiles and later retrospectives cite that Markle “had briefly been married (2011–13) to producer Trevor Engelson” before her relationship with Prince Harry ^[1]. Available sources do not provide the precise date or city of the 2011 wedding in the documents you supplied.

2. From Suits to St. George’s: the marriage that changed everything

Meghan Markle’s second marriage—to Prince Harry—was formalized in a high‑profile wedding at Windsor Castle on 19 May 2018; encyclopedic and timeline pieces in the provided set report the engagement announced in November 2017 and the wedding in May 2018 ^{[1] [2]}. That ceremony conferred on her the title duchess of Sussex and marked her transition from an actress known for Suits to a member of the royal family ^{[1] [2]}.

3. How sources frame the two unions—contrast and continuity

The sources draw a sharp contrast between Meghan’s private Hollywood‑era marriage to Engelson and her marriage to Harry, which became an international event with royal protocol, baptism and confirmation into the Church of England, and sustained global media attention ^{[1] [2]}. Britannica and timeline features emphasize the brevity and pre‑royal timing of the Engelson marriage and then document the public‑facing milestones around the Harry wedding, such as the engagement announcement and Windsor ceremony ^{[1] [2]}.

4. What the public record emphasizes—and what it omits

Reporting supplied here focuses on the years of the first marriage (2011–13) and the exact date of the Harry wedding (19 May 2018) but does not, in these excerpts, provide granular legal details—civil marriage license dates, venue for the Engelson wedding, or full divorce documentation for the first marriage ^{[1] [2]}. For those specifics, the available sources do not mention those records; further primary‑document searches would be required.

5. Context: why these marriages remain newsworthy

The first marriage matters in biography because it establishes Markle’s life and career before royal connections; the Windsor wedding matters because it altered her role, public expectations and media scrutiny ^{[1] [2]}. Subsequent reporting in 2024–25—about Netflix projects, lifestyle brands and family estrangements—continues to reference both her pre‑royal life and her marriage to Harry when mapping her public narrative ^{[3] [4]}.

6. Competing framings and implicit agendas in coverage

Different outlets emphasize different angles: encyclopedia‑style sources and timelines present neutral chronology and dates ^{[1] [2]}; tabloid and opinion pieces frequently frame family disputes, brand moves and personal life through a sensational lens, which can amplify conflict or suggest motives without documentary corroboration ^{[4] [5]}. Readers should note that some outlets in the sample highlight estrangement and health updates about Markle’s father, while others focus on Meghan’s media projects—each choice reflects editorial priorities ^{[4] [3]}.

Limitations: this report relies only on the supplied sources. Available sources here confirm the years 2011–2013 for Meghan’s marriage to Trevor Engelson and the 19 May 2018 wedding to Prince Harry ^{[1] [2]}. Precise civil‑ceremony dates, legal filings, or additional marriage‑document details are not mentioned in the provided reporting.