Meghan Markle already had her own connections to the UK before she began her relationship with Prince Harry.
Despite the star being an American actress, it seems she was more closely connected to Harry than she may have known.
In particular, the former Suits star was friends with six people in particular that had a connection with the royal family.
Meghan had previously claimed to not have looked up her husband on social media, but perhaps she didn't need to due to who she befriended.
Harry and Meghan's romance began in 2016 and have since moved across the pond but before this she already had links with Pippa Middleton and Prince Harry's Eton friends.
Millie Mackintosh
Millie Mackintosh is a household name due to being part of the original Made In Chelsea line-up, but it seems she has more of a royal connection than we thought.
Meghan and Millie were seen hanging out together in 2016, but it seems their friendship was short lived.
Millie appeared on the reality show alongside Spencer Matthews, who is Pippa Middleton's brother-in-law.
Despite their previous friendship, Millie was not on the guestlist to Harry and Meghan's wedding in 2018.
Violet von Westenholz
Meghan befriended Violet von Westenholz in around 2016, who has very strong royal connections.
Her father, former Olympic skier Baron Piers von Westenholz is a close personal friend of King Charles.
This is as well as her mother Jane von Westenholz being a long time friend of the Queen Consort.
Back in 2018, Violet spoke to the Daily Telegraph when she refused to deny if she was responsible for introducing Meghan and Harry.
She said: "I might leave that for other people to say [who it is]. It’s a great story and I am sure they are going to be very happy together. I am just happy they are really happy. They are great together."
Isabel May
It is thought that Soho House director Markus Anderson introduced Meghan to Isabel May.
Isabel joined PR agency Freuds in 2001, with one of her clients being Soho House.
She is thought to have been working at Burberry when they employed David and Victoria Beckham's sons Romeo and Brooklyn.
This is before she started working at David's company DB Ventures as their Chief Marketing Officer.
Due to having a close relationship with the Beckham's Isabel is thought to be the one who may have set Meghan and Harry up on their first date in 2016.
Isabel was seated in the second row on the bride’s side at Meghan and Harry's 2018 wedding.
She was sat in front of Serena Williams, Oprah Winfrey and the Clooneys.
Vanity Fair reported in 2019 that Isabel had been asked by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex to be Archie's godmother.
Alexander Gilkes and Misha Nonoo
Misha Nonoo used to make regular appearances on Meghan's social media.
The pair are said to have met in 2014 while attending an Art Basel event in Miami.
When their friendship began Misha was still married to Alexander Gilkes who went to Eton college at the same time as Prince Harry and Prince William.
Alexander has even more royal connections as he created his own auctioneer firm Paddle8 in New York which employed Princess Eugenie for two years in 2013.
Misha is thought to have introduced Meghan and Eugenie to each other before Meghan even knew Harry.
Alexander's younger brother Charlie also dated Pippa Middleton for a years and was invited on board the Middleton family's boat for the river pageant during the Queen's Diamond Jubilee celebrations in 2012.
Hikari Yokoyama
In her now redundant blog The Tig, Meghan featured an interview with art curator and interiors expert Hikari Yokoyama in 2014.
Hikari also helped set up Paddle8.
Hikari is also friends with Ellie Goulding, who the Duke of Sussex reportedly dated in 2016.
The singer is said to have been set up with her husband Caspar Jopling through Princess Eugenie, who used to work with Hikari's husband Jay Jopling at Paddle8.
