Meghan Markle faced allegations of misleading about her heritage to secure a free holiday and photo shoot. Her enthusiasm was evident in 2015 as she arrived in Malta, eager to explore her roots.
"The trip was mostly about trying to understand where I come from and my identity," she explained after a three-day tour. "There’s something so lovely about fitting in a piece of the puzzle. It felt like home."
Unlike her recent visit to Nigeria, where she expressed gratitude for the warm welcome, this journey was to Malta. The then-Suits actress was delving into her ancestry, believing her great-grandmother hailed from this Mediterranean island. Meghan expressed her joy at feeling at home in Malta, recounting, "Before I came, people were telling me, 'When you go to Malta, everyone will look like you,' and I started to say, 'My gosh, I do sort of blend in,' and it’s the loveliest feeling. The Maltese people have been so kind."
During her visit, Meghan stayed at Casa Ellul, a luxury boutique hotel. Her tour, organized by the Malta Tourism Authority, included a vineyard visit and a photo shoot in traditional costume. Genealogists find Meghan’s ancestry complex due to a lack of documents and varying recollections. Her European ancestry on her father’s side is as intriguing as her African-American roots.
In 2015, Meghan was commissioned to write about her Malta trip for Elle magazine. However, she focused on her life in the US and experiences as a mixed-race woman. The trip was instead highlighted on her now-defunct lifestyle blog, The Tig, where she praised Malta's hospitality and cuisine. Meghan wrote, "When asked to go to Malta to discover not only the beautiful island but also the land from which my great-grandmother hailed, I said yes without hesitation. It’s Malta, a beautiful jewel of an island in the Mediterranean, a dream for someone who relishes culture and history set against the backdrop of the beautiful sea."
Few realized they were in the presence of a future royal during her visit. Maltese photographer Kurt Arrigo, who accompanied Meghan, recalls, "To be honest, I had no idea who she was when I met her. She was a bit guarded at first but relaxed over time. It was a pleasant time; she was easy to work with because she’d done modeling and photo shoots before."
Meghan stayed in suite number seven at Casa Ellul, a former palazzo with stunning views of Valletta. Co-owner Matthew Ellul remembers her as "a very nice lady, very outgoing. She was interested in food and wine. She had a fabulous time." Meghan’s tour included visits to Valletta, where she admired Caravaggio masterpieces in St. John’s Co-Cathedral and Casa Rocca Piccola, the ancestral home of the ninth Marquis de Piro. The Marquis, Nicholas, recalls, "She turned up and said, 'I think my great-grandmother was born in Malta.' She seemed very kind and said nice things, and that she was interested in modeling."
Meghan posed for photographs in traditional Maltese attire and enjoyed a cultural and gastronomical exploration, tasting local delicacies and wines. However, her belief that her great-grandmother was born in Malta was mistaken. Her great-great-grandmother, Mary Bird, was indeed born in Malta in the mid-19th century, but this connection ended when her family moved to Canada. Mary Bird's father, Thomas Bird, was a British soldier stationed on the island, and after his death, Mary remarried and moved to the United States.
Meghan's visit did not uncover new family insights. Kurt Arrigo noted, "She did mention that she had some sort of connection to Malta, but as far as I’m aware, she didn’t visit any archives. She followed a program suggested by the tourism authority." In addition to Valletta, Meghan toured Dingli and Mdina and indulged in traditional Maltese cuisine. Meghan later wrote on The Tig about her love for the island's food, describing herself as a "California girl foodie."
