Mum to Meghan Markle and friend to the stars: As she turns 68, how Doria Ragland rubs shoulders with top celebs – and is a ‘rock’ for her daughter and son-in-law Prince Harry

She is often seen with her daughter Meghan Markle and son-in-law Prince Harry.

Earlier this year, Doria Ragland, who turns 68 today, posed with another famous and influential woman: Beyoncé’s mother, Tina Knowles.

Doria attended a celebrity event hosted by Meghan and Harry in Los Angeles.

Wearing a classic cream cardigan, she stood with her arm around Tina, who looked glamorous in a sleek black jacket and chunky belt.

This isn’t the first time Doria has rubbed shoulders with celebrities. Last year, she was also photographed with power mom Kris Jenner and her A-list daughter Kim Kardashian at a charity event.

Doria wore a striking paisley dress in gorgeous shades of yellow, orange and pink as she attended the fifth annual This Is About Humanity party.

The yoga teacher has a close bond with her daughter and is said to have an apartment at the couple’s Montecito home.

Doria even stayed with the couple at Frogmore Cottage for over a month when her grandson Archie was born, according to Harry’s book Spare.

She was also described as a “rock” for Meghan and Harry during the difficult months as they stepped down as working royals and moved to California.

A former confidant of Doria’s told the Mail on Sunday: ‘She is like the Queen: she never complains and never explains anything.’

This became clear when she was the only member of Meghan’s family to attend her daughter’s wedding in May 2018 and said nothing about the tensions within the family, even though other family members had spoken out about it.

Doria was born on September 2, 1956, in Ohio, the daughter of Jeanette, a nurse, and Alvin, an antique dealer. She grew up in Los Angeles, after her family moved there when she was a baby.

Doria attended Fairfax High School in Hollywood at a time when racial tensions were running high.

Her friend Jennifer Caldwell said: ‘She was part of an all-black student group that protested regularly.

‘She had a beautiful Afro haircut that she was so proud of and she was always in fashion. She was always laughing, super smart and social.

‘Doria was very aware of her own identity and confident in her body and where she was going. She wanted to make something of her life.’

She met Meghan’s father when she was working as a secretary at ABC Studios. Thomas Markle was working as a lighting director at the time.

The couple married in a Buddhist ceremony in 1979 and Meghan was born two years later.

The Duchess once wrote about how her mother would take her around in a pram and how she was mistaken for a nanny because of her skin colour.

At some point, Thomas’ two children from his previous marriage also joined the family and Doria took on the role of stepmother.

However, Doria and Thomas divorced after just two years. At age 11, Meghan moved in with her father, but her parents remained friends and she spent her weekends with both of them.

Doria is a certified yoga teacher and also holds a Masters in Social Work from the University of Southern California. She previously owned her own tailor shop.

She is also a devoted grandmother to Harry and Meghan’s children, Archie, five, and Lilibet, three.

A former confidante previously said: ‘She’s laid back and people notice her nose ring and dreadlocks, which are cool – but make no mistake, she has a core of steel. Underestimate her at your peril.

‘Meghan has always trusted her completely, but she has become a rock for Harry, who also lost his mother at such a young age.

‘Doria has great warmth. She is a brilliant cook and very motherly, but she is not someone who seeks attention, and to Harry her discretion and silence mean the world.’

In 2022, she spoke out about her daughter’s mental health issues in Harry and Meghan’s Netflix docuseries.

She wiped away tears as she said she found it difficult to hear that her daughter was struggling with mental health issues while living in the UK.