Image Source: Getty / George Pimentel [1]
When Meghan Markle walks down the aisle to marry Prince Harry, she'll do so in front of a number of close friends and family members, including her BFF Jessica Mulroney [2]. Though we haven't seen the two together very much, Jessica is a big part of Meghan's life, and her three children will join Prince George and Princess Charlotte as pageboys and flower girls [3] on the day. So, who is this glamorous brunette (who sort of bears a resemblance to Meghan)? Here are five things you need to know about Jessica.
She's a Canadian fashion stylist with political ties.
Jessica is a 37-year-old former bridal PR agent and wardrobe stylist from Canada. She gained notoriety in November 2015 when she styled outfits for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's wife, Sophie Grégoire Trudeau [5]. Her ties to Canadian politics run even deeper than that; Jessica's husband, Benedict "Ben" Mulroney, is the son of former Prime Minister Brian Mulroney, who has had a longtime feud [6] with his political opponent and Justin's father, Pierre Trudeau.
She's a mum of three.
Jessica and her husband, Canadian TV host Ben, got married in October 2008. They have three kids: 7-year-old twin sons Brian and John and 4-year-old daughter Ivy. All three little ones will have roles in Meghan and Harry's wedding.
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She and Meghan have been close for years, thanks to their Canada connections.
Meghan relocated to Toronto while filming her USA series Suits, and she and Jessica became close. They bonded over a shared love of fashion, yoga, and travel and often documented their holidays via Instagram and Meghan's bygone lifestyle blog, The Tig [9]. Jessica has continued to dress Meghan throughout her new life as a royal, including her visit to a charity fair in Nottingham [10] with Prince Harry.
She helped Meghan with many of her wedding plans.
Jessica is said to have been Meghan's "secret wedding planner" leading up to her big day [11]. "They are on the phone daily discussing every element of the wedding, from the dress to the flowers to the canapés and the photography," Vanity Fair reported. "Meghan is very dependent on Jessica and Jessica has been totally indispensable. She's helped Meghan and Harry with so much already." Jessica's fashion prowess also came in handy, as she is rumoured to have helped Meghan choose a wedding dress [12] and was on hand for most of her fittings.
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She's also gotten close to Harry!
When Harry and Meghan were first dating [15] and trying to avoid the press, Jessica and Ben would have the couple over for dinners in Toronto [16]. "Harry's become close with their children Brian, John and Ivy," E! News reported in 2017, adding that "Ivy especially is a big fan. She, of course, has no idea that he's a prince though — he's just auntie Meghan's special friend Harry, who sometimes comes over with fun presents!" In her book Harry: Life, Loss, and Love [17], author Katie Nicholl also described that Meghan "really fell for Harry" when seeing him with the Mulroneys and their kids. "He got to know the Mulroneys quite well, and they liked Harry from the beginning," she noted.