Meghan Markle was “really mature for her age” and spent much of her childhood taking care of her family members, her cousin has revealed in a recent interview.
There has been perennial interest in Meghan’s childhood and upbringing since her relationship with Prince Harry became public knowledge in 2016. Though raised knowing relations from both sides of her family, a number of media reports highlighted at the time that only her mother, Doria Ragland, was present at her royal wedding.
Much attention has been drawn to Meghan’s paternal Markle relations, including her father Thomas Markle and half-siblings Thomas Markle Jr. and Samantha Markle. Samantha is currently suing Meghan for libel over comments made in the duchess’ 2021 interview with Oprah Winfrey.
Now, a member of Meghan’s maternal family has come forward to provide some insight into the royal’s childhood relationships and background.
Newsweek approached representatives of Meghan Markle via email for comment.
Shawn Johnson, 43, is a cousin of Meghan’s and the son of her maternal uncle, Joseph Johnson, who died in 2021. The pair reportedly lost contact in their twenties. Speaking to the MailOnline, he said that the duchess was “loved” by her extended family and that they are “happy that her life turned out the way it did for her.”
“She was always really sweet. She was kind and she always had a star quality about her,” he said.
“She was infectious with just the way she was and really mature for her age. She was always really looking after us and making sure that we’re all doing fine.”
“Doria loved her a lot,” he added. “We could see that, and we all loved her and we’re happy that her life turned out the way it did for her.”
Painting a picture of a happy childhood, he remembers fondly visiting Meghan and his family in Los Angeles.
“We all had a pretty good childhood growing up,” he said, per MailOnline. “Meghan definitely helped make that childhood great—she was a big part of it. It was really nice just going out there for the holidays, hanging out with her…We just had that feeling she was going to do something amazing.”
For her part, Meghan has rarely spoken about her upbringing or her family members. In her 2022 Netflix docuseries, the duchess discussed for the first time in any real depth how her childhood shaped her, paying tribute to both her bond with her mother and also her paternal grandmother, Doris May Rita Sanders.
Since her split from the monarchy with Prince Harry in 2020, Meghan has faced criticism and calls to repair relations with her father, Thomas Markle, as he has suffered some health issues.
Together with Harry, the duchess’ focus appears to center around the couple’s family. Their first child, Prince Archie was born in London in 2019, and their second child, a baby daughter named Princess Lilibet in tribute to Queen Elizabeth II, was born in 2021 in California.
