Meghan Markle lookalikes cope with lost work post-Megxit

Amid all the kerfuffle over Megxit, spare a thought for the Meghan Markle lookalikes whose work may dry up now that the former actress and her husband, Prince Harry, are severing ties with the British royal family.

They include Sarah Mhlanga, the UK’s foremost Markle doppelgänger, who says she enjoys playing the 38-year-old “because she’s so smiley,” but adds that she is taking the dramatic change to her situation in stride.

“I give them [the Sussexes] my every blessing,” says the mother of two. “I don’t mind if the calls to be Meghan decrease.”

She claims the trio of Meghan, Harry and their 8-month-old baby Archie are “making the right decision” by turning their backs on the institution of the monarchy and moving to North America.

“Meghan is a mother now and her son is her first priority,” Mhlanga tells Jam Press. “Lots of her friends and family will be in the US and she needs them around her, whilst she is raising her son.

“She needs to feel loved and supported. I respect them both for making the best decision for the family.

“Happy Mum, happy son.”

Mhlanga, 36, of Manchester, England, who describes herself as an actress, says she gets mistaken for the duchess wherever she goes.

She has completed numerous paid gigs as a Meghan impersonator, and has been asked to model bridal gowns, walk the runway and pose at events next to Prince Harry lookalikes.

But now that the woman she depicts is lowering her profile, she is confident she can diversify.

“Meghan is not the only character I play,” explains Mhlanga. “Recently, I’ve played a Roman empress, a girl at the races, a councilor [local politician] and a secretary. So my work ranges, and I enjoy playing different characters.”

Linda Martinez, 31, another lookalike, echoes Mhlanga’s assertion that the California native is justified in staging a Megxit.

“I think they [Meghan and Harry] have all the right to decide what the best is for their family, as long as they are happy,” Martinez tells the Sun. “They deserve to enjoy their life, to have their space and to feel safe.

“To me, she [Meghan] is a super strong, independent, resilient, feminist. An empowered woman who has used her platform to support others. That is what I admire about her.”

Martinez, of Mexico City, first became a fan of the duchess when she appeared as her alter-ego Rachel Zane from the TV series “Suits.” Her admiration for the star only increased when she began dating Harry in 2016, before marrying him in 2018.

“I wanted to be like her as a human being, she’s an empowered woman and has the most incredible style,” adds the carbon copy of Meghan.

Meanwhile, a third look-a-like, Akeisha Land, 39, reveals what life is like for her in an interview with the Daily Mail.

The mom-of-two from Missouri regularly gets stopped by strangers at the grocery store and church who mistake her for Meghan, especially now that the duchess is living on the same continent.

“I get compared to her quite often, and not just online,” says the Instagram influencer. “I’ll have random people coming up and saying: ‘Has anyone ever told you that you look like …’ I always giggle before they even finish saying who, because I know exactly who they are going to say, because I’ve heard it so much.”

Despite the fact that Meghan’s U-turn on royal life will likely mean her meeting fewer people and attending fewer public events, hope springs eternal for Land, who laughs that she could possibly earn some extra cash as a professional impersonator.

“I always joke and say I need to have someone reach out to her people to let them know I’m always up for filling in for her as her doppelgänger,” Land says, “if she doesn’t want to go to any of the events she’s invited to!”