You already know that three presidential candidates and four Olympians were among the most googled celebrity names of 2016, but can you guess the actress who was subject to the most online searches? Hint: It’s neither an Oscar contender nor a Shondaland resident.
The honor goes to Meghan Markle, 35, who just wrapped her sixth season as Rachel Zane on USA’s law drama, Suits. Markle has been the source of much curiosity since late October, when London publications reported that she is dating 32-year-old Prince Harry, currently fifth in line to inherit the British throne.
This week, the first photo of the couple was released. They were spotted Christmas tree shopping days prior. Markle has also been photographed sporting a 14-karat gold necklace bearing their initials.
For what it’s worth, in November, a former employee to Harry’s father, Prince Charles, told The Daily Mail, “Harry loves her and she loves him,” adding, “I don’t see any reason why Meghan couldn’t be The One.” Markle’s first marriage, to film producer and talent manager Trevor Engelson, ended in 2013 after two years.
A humanitarian and self-described foodie, Markle recently penned an Elle U.K. essay about growing up biracial and how the way she looked made casting directors unwilling to book her for early jobs. “I wasn’t Black enough for the Black roles and I wasn’t white enough for the white ones, leaving me somewhere in the middle as an ethnic chameleon,” she writes.
According to a request for privacy made through a statement released by Kensington Palace, Markle “has been subject to a wave of abuse and harassment,” including the “outright sexism and racism of social media trolls.” Prince Harry has reason to feel protective — intense media fascination is often credited with claiming his mother, Princess Diana, who died in 1997 after a paparazzi car chase.
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