Hollywood Native Meghan Markle To Wed Prince Harry

Hollywood, CA — Los Angeles-born actress Meghan Markle will marry Prince Harry, the British Royal Family announced Monday. Prince Harry, who's fifth in line to the throne, will become the first British royal to marry a biracial American.

Meghan Markle, 36, stars as Rachel Zane in the USA drama "Suits" and volunteers for feminist causes and as a global ambassador for World Vision Canada. Markle and the 33-year-old prince are expected to marry in the spring. Their marriage would make Markle the closest an American has been to the British throne.

"Our daughter has always been a kind and loving person," her parents said in a statement. "To see her union with Harry, who shares the same qualities, is a source of great joy for us as parents. We wish them a lifetime of happiness and are very excited for their future together."

Markle, a divorcee whose mother is black and father is white, describes herself as biracial. Intense media scrutiny of the royal couple prompted Harry to denounce the "racial undertones" of the British media's coverage last year.

As an actress, Markle has been open about her struggle finding work because of her biracial appearance.

"Being 'ethnically ambiguous,' as I was pegged in the industry, meant I could audition for virtually any role," she wrote article for Elle UK in 2015. "Sadly, it didn't matter: 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 the ethnic chameleon who couldn't book a job."

Markle grew up in the Hollywood area attending Hollywood Little Red Schoolhouse and Immaculate Heart High School. She graduated from Northwestern University in Illinois in 2003 and married in 2011, divorcing two years later. Her parents, Doria Ragland, a yoga instructor and social worker; and Thomas Markle, a cinematographer, said they were "incredibly happy" for the couple,The New York Times reported.

In addition to the television legal drama "Suits," she has appeared in the science- fiction series "Fringe." She is also known for her charitable work -- she is a global ambassador for World Vision Canada -- and has worked for gender equality and women's empowerment.

Watch: Prince Harry Engaged To Actress Meghan Markle

City News Service contributed to this report. LONDON, ENGLAND - NOVEMBER 27: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle during an official photocall to announce the engagement of Prince Harry and actress Meghan Markle at The Sunken Gardens at Kensington Palace on November 27, 2017 in London, England. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have been a couple officially since November 2016 and are due to marry in Spring 2018. (Photo by Chris Jackson/Getty Images)