Meet Jessica Mulroney, Meghan Markle's best friend and mum of three of the bridesmaids and page boys

Bethan Holt
Updated
Meghan Markle and Jessica Mulroney in May 2016 - WireImage
Meghan Markle and Jessica Mulroney in May 2016 - WireImage

Meghan Markle's closest friend and, arguably Canada’s best-connected fashion power player, arrived in London earlier this week ahead of the Royal bride's big day today.

It was announced earlier this week that Mulroney's children, Ivy, John and Brian, will be taking part in the ceremony at St George's Chapel as a bridesmaid and pageboys – cementing the stylist's family at the centre of one of the biggest events of the year.

You may not have heard of Mulroney before, but her influence has already helped to propel a lucky clutch of Canadian fashion designers to global fame thanks to her role as stylist to Sophie Gregoire-Trudeau, the wife of Canada’s charismatic prime minister, Justin Trudeau.

From left to right: Doria Radlan, Markle's mother, Meghan Markle, Jessica Mulroney, Markus Anderson - Credit: Wireimage
Doria Ragland, Meghan Markle, Jessica Mulroney, Markus Anderson at Invictus Games in October 2017 Credit: Wireimage

Although the 36 year-old, who built her career in PR and fashion design, has denied any formal involvement in Markle’s wardrobe choices, she is meticulously equipped to offer style advice to her friend as she manages the transition from TV actress and blogger to girlfriend, and perhaps fiancee, of a Prince.

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Toronto residents Markle and Mulroney are first said to have bonded over their shared love of yoga- the latter regularly posts videos of her impressive routines on Instagram- and last summer, in the first throes of Markle’s relationship with Prince Harry, they holidayed together in Italy where the subject of how she might adapt to a future in the royal family will surely have been a topic of poolside conversation.

I get so many messages from you asking how I got my stomach back after kids. Well it's not easy and is incredibly frustrating at times (especially after two c-sections) but if you put in the work... you CAN get there. I work on my core every single day. Here are three simple exercises that my trainer @paularyff put together that you can do at home. Take ten minutes, do it on your carpet if you can't get to the gym. I love hearing from you and want to see all of you get the bodies you want back! Let's do it together! X jess #abs #workouttime #adidaswomen

A post shared by Jessica Mulroney (@jessicamulroney) on Sep 11, 2017 at 8:15am PDT

Through her work with Gregoire-Trudeau, Mulroney has come to know the global sartorial impact which a stylish woman on the world stage can wield. “She needed a few things to wear and was so busy. I was in Toronto so I sent her some options,” Mulroney told The Telegraph in 2016of the first time she helped out, ahead of the Prime Minister’s swearing-in ceremony. “She wore a coat by Canadian designer Sentaler and people went crazy for it. We had created this media frenzy, like you see with anything Kate wears. Then we realised we had a responsibility to create more moments like that to give homegrown designers an international platform.”

The Sentaler coat which Mulroney selected for Sophie Gregoire-Trudeau appearence at her husband swearing-in ceremony - Credit: Rex
The Sentaler coat which Mulroney selected for Sophie Gregoire-Trudeau appearence at her husband swearing-in ceremony Credit: Rex

Since then, Gregoire-Trudeau and Mulroney have collaborated on outfits for everything from TV appearences to White House visits, sparking a sales boom for the labels they choose. “It’s a fun process, like girlfriends when they get dressed to go out. I do the research and speak to a lot of the designers.”  It’s little wonder then that Mulroney and her husband, Ben- the son of Canada’s former PM Brian Mulroney- have been labelled ‘Toronto’s “most polished power couple”.

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That Markle and Prince Harry invited Mulroney to join them at the Invictus Games last year is proof of how instrumental she has now become to their tight circle; Markus Anderson, the mutual friend who set them up, was the only other acquaintance to appear alongside them as they made their first tentative steps in the limelight together.

The Trudeaus and the Cambridges in Victoria last year - Credit: PA
The Trudeaus and the Cambridges in Victoria last year Credit: PA

In the autumn of 2016, Mulroney had another brush with the British royals when she styled Gregoire-Trudeau for the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s tour to Canada.  “We were contacted by Kensington Palace a few days ago and informed about what colours the Duchess is wearing,” she told The Telegraph the day before the tour began. But she showed a breezy approach to protocol, speculating that  “they’re both so young and beautiful that even if they both wore the same colour, I don’t think it would be a bad thing.”

It is rumoured that Meghan Markle has turned to designers Ralph and Russo for her wedding dress - but whoever she has turned to, it will surely be with the guidance of Mulroney. Whether it’s deciding which designer to enlist to create a certain special dress or identifying new labels to help Markle hone a distinctively modern regal look, Mulroney is sure to be indispensable confidante.

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