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Meghan Markle Names Her Mom As One Of 10 Women Who Changed Her Life

The two are very close.

Even though she's been spending a lot of time with boyfriend Prince Harry, Meghan Markle still has family on her mind.

The "Suits" star wrote an essay for Glamour published on Tuesday, titled "The 10 Women Who Changed My Life," and in it, she details how her mom, Doria Ragland, inspires her to be a better person.

Actress Meghan Markle attends the Instagram Dinner held at the MARS Discovery District on May 31, 2016 in Toronto, Canada. (Photo by George Pimentel/WireImage)
George Pimentel via Getty Images
Actress Meghan Markle attends the Instagram Dinner held at the MARS Discovery District on May 31, 2016 in Toronto, Canada. (Photo by George Pimentel/WireImage)

"My mom's a yoga instructor, but she does social work, as well, and she works specifically with the geriatric community," she wrote.

"For me to watch this level of life-long sensitivity to nurturing and caregiving, but at the same time my mom has always been a free spirit. She's got dread locks and a nose ring. She just ran the LA Marathon. We can just have so much fun together, and yet, I'll still find so much solace in her support. That duality coexists the same way it would in a best friend."

Meghan Markle and her mom, Doria Ragland.
Meghan Markle/Instagram
Meghan Markle and her mom, Doria Ragland.

Markle and Ragland are close — so close that Markle reportedly took her mom to London at the end of July to show her the sights of Prince Harry's hometown.

"Doria, of course, spent time with Harry and Meghan together," a source told E! News.

Last year, the 36-year-old actress paid tribute to her mom on Instagram, posting a photo of Ragland in a graduation cap and gown.

"Always proud of this beautiful woman," she wrote on Mother's Day. "This was when she graduated from USC with a masters in social work. Honoring my mom, Doria, and all the amazing mamas in our lives."

Happy Mother's Day to my hot mama #doria

A post shared by Meghan Markle (@meghanmarkle) on

Markle also paid tribute to other incredible women who have influenced her, including novelist Toni Morrison, women's health entrepreneur Suhani Jalota, singer Joni Mitchell, former U.S. secretary of state Madeleine Albright, and primatologist Dian Fossey.

Writing about Fossey, Markle described a trip she'd made to Rwanda in 2015.

"I made it my mission to see the mountain gorillas [protected by the Fossey Fund]. If it weren't for her, these animals could be extinct," she noted.

If it weren't for her, these animals could be extinct.

On Suhani, whom Markle met at Glamour's 2016 College Women of the Year awards luncheon, she wrote, "I'm incredibly moved by someone who is so eager to help change the lives of others, especially women." Suhani currently works selling menstrual products to women in Indian slums, providing employment and education where there was once none.

Earlier this month, Markle celebrated her birthday with Prince Harry, and the two are reportedly on a romantic safari holiday in South Africa.

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