Meghan Markle's Family Connection to Dodgers Player Resurfaces Following Surprise World Series Appearance Meredith KileOctober 30, 2025 at 12:50 AM 0 Joe Scarnici/MLB Photos/Getty Meghan Markle and Prince Harry attend the World Series game on Oct.
- - Meghan Markle's Family Connection to Dodgers Player Resurfaces Following Surprise World Series Appearance
Meredith KileOctober 30, 2025 at 12:50 AM
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Joe Scarnici/MLB Photos/Getty
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry attend the World Series game on Oct. 28, 2025 -
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry made a surprise appearance at the World Series in Los Angeles
The pair were decked out in Dodgers hats, clearly rooting for the home team
Meghan is distantly related to one of the players, All-Star shortstop Mookie Betts
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry were rooting for the home team — and a relative — as they attended the World Series.
Meghan documented the "date night" at the ballpark on Oct. 28 in a video on her Instagram Stories. She showed Harry rooting on the Los Angeles Dodgers, who lost to the Toronto Blue Jays to even the series 2-2.
The couple also chowed down on some stadium food, with Meghan covering a laugh as she was filmed eating a signature "Dodger Dog."
While her loyalties were with the Dodgers during the outing, Meghan has a strong connection to both cities playing in the 2025 World Series. Los Angeles is her hometown, but she also spent years living in Toronto while filming Suits.
She also had another reason to root for the Dodgers over the Blue Jays: a family connection. The Duchess of Sussex is distantly related to the Dodgers' all-star shortstop, Mookie Betts.
Meghan even took a moment in her Instagram Stories to point out Mookie's Golden Glove award during her and Harry's behind-the-scenes tour of Dodger Stadium.
Meghan Markle/Instagram
Meghan Markle at the World Series on Oct. 28, 2025
The family connection was uncovered by amateur genealogist Jim McNiff and reported by the Boston Globe back in 2018, as Meghan was preparing for her royal wedding to Prince Harry and Mookie was playing for the Red Sox.
Meghan, 44, and Mookie, 33, whose real name is Markus Lynn Betts, actually may share two connections. They are distantly related through the marriage of Meghan's great-great aunt, Katie Betts, to Mookie's great-great uncle, Richard Betts, a second marriage for both.
The second link, however, forced McNiff to do a little more digging.
He perused the 1870 Federal Census of Madison County, Ala., and found several adults and children with the surname Betts, two of whom were 17-year-old Joseph Betts and 14-year-old Jacob Betts, who lived just a few houses apart. While it's not officially known if Joseph and Jacob were related, records match to indicate that they were both descended from enslaved people owned by Elisha Betts, a tobacco plantation owner from Virginia.
Joseph Betts is the great-great-grandfather of Mookie Betts, and Jacob Betts is the great-great-great-grandfather of Meghan.
Meghan Markle/Instagram
Mookie Betts award, as seen on Meghan Markle's Instagram Stories
Meghan didn't comment on the connection at the time, however, she has publicly stated that her mother, Doria Ragland, descended from enslaved people.
Mookie told the Globe that he had "no idea" about their connection prior to McNiff's findings. "That's not something you expect to hear, but it's interesting.''
"I know from family stories that our relatives were from Virginia and settled in Alabama," he said. "There were Betts all over that area."
The following year, in 2019, Meghan and Mookie got to meet when the Red Sox traveled to London to play an overseas series against the New York Yankees. She and Harry met the team in their locker room, and the distant cousins got to share a hug for the first time.
Alex Trautwig/MLB/Getty
Meghan Markle greets distant rcousin Mookie Betters in the Red Sox clubhouse during the London series on June 29, 2019
Mookie is well on his way to a Hall of Fame coronation of his own. Whether or not his Dodgers win their second consecutive World Series this year, the right-handed shortstop, second baseman and outfielder is already poised to go down as one of the greatest of his generation.
He's an eight-time All-Star and already has three World Series rings: one with the Red Sox and two with the Dodgers. In 2018, he became the first player in MLB history to win the MVP, Silver Slugger, Gold Glove, batting title and World Series all in the same season.
Mary DeCicco/MLB Photos via Getty
Mookie Betts on Oct. 14, 2025
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Like Meghan, Mookie is also a proud parent of two. He and his high school sweetheart, Brianna Hammonds, married in December 2021, and share a 6-year-old daughter, Kynlee, and a 2-year-old son, Kaj.
Ronald Martinez/Getty
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry at the World Series on Oct. 28, 2025
Meanwhile, Meghan and Harry are parents to Prince Archie, 6, and Princess Lilibet, 4.
on People
Source: "AOL Entertainment"
Source: Entertainment
Published: October 29, 2025 at 09:36PM on Source: ASHER MAG
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