As 2017 draws to a close there is one person this year belongs to and as Meghan Markle reflects on her transformation from TV actress to the star of her very own Christmas fairy tale, HELLO! names her as our Woman of the Year. Not only has Meghan, 36, captured the heart of husband-to-be Prince Harry, but she has also won the approval of fans around the world as she prepares to join the royal family and take her humanitarian work to a whole new level.
She also appears to have won over the royal family – and in particular the Queen – who has broken with protocol and invited the bride-to-be for Christmas at Sandringham. It's the first time a non-married partner has attended the annual gathering, which includes present opening, Christmas lunch and their traditional walk to church in the morning.
HELLO! has crowned Meghan Markle, Woman of the Year
Harry and Meghan's engagement announcement in November was the culmination of a whirlwind year for the American beauty, which has seen her elevated from her role as an actress in US TV drama Suits to one of the most famous and photographed women in the world. She has met the Queen, spent her 36th birthday on an African safari holiday with her Prince and, finally, accepted his marriage proposal.
Author Andrew Morton, who wrote the ground-breaking book Diana: Her True Story and is currently penning an in-depth biography on Meghan, tells HELLO!: "Meghan is a flag bearer for a new generation of woman who can do it all. She is a great role model for aspirational women and she is going to make a huge impact on helping the royal family change in the way it is doing things.
"Meghan is just like Diana was in her thirties – she has presence, she's stylish and is happy to support positive causes – all with star appeal. I can't think of anyone who has come anywhere near her as the most talked about woman of the year."
