| Family of The Duchess of Sussex | |
|---|---|
.svg) The arms attributed to the Merckel family in Alsace, blazoned in English Azure a feather bendwise between two fleurs de lys Or. Thomas Markle's forefather was Heinrich Martin Merckel, who emigrated to the United States from the Alsatian town of Lampertsloch | |
| Earlier spellings | Merckel |
| Place of origin | United States |
| Members | The Duchess of Sussex Thomas Markle Sr. Doria Ragland |
| Connected families | House of Windsor (British royal family) |
Members of the Markle and Ragland families have been related by marriage to the British royal family since the wedding of Meghan Markle and Prince Harry in May 2018, when she became the Duchess of Sussex. The couple have two children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet of Sussex. The Markle (formerly spelt Merckel) family is of German descent and originates in Alsace on the modern French–German border, and Meghan's paternal ancestors moved to the United States in the 17th century; among her father's other ancestors are American settlers of English, Dutch, and Irish descent. The Ragland family is of African American descent.