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    1. Celebrity
    2. Royals

    Katharine McPhee Shares an Adorable Throwback Picture of Meghan Markle's Youth Theater Days

    This is as close to "awkward" as Meghan Markle will ever get.

    By Kayleigh Roberts
    Published 2 February 2019 In News

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    Today in "Famous People Who Knew Meghan Markle Before She Was Royalty" we have Katharine McPhee, the American Idol alum and actress took to Instagram this week to share photographic evidence that she and the Duchess of Sussex were friends when they were kids.

    Here's the story: Apparently, way back in the day, before Meghan was a duchess and before Katharine was starring on network TV shows and in Broadway productions (heck, even back before Meghan was a case model on Deal or No Deal and before Katharine was competing for America's hearts and votes on Idol) the accomplished women were just two theater kids, performing in musicals and dreaming of the stardom they were both destined to eventually attain.

    And Katharine McPhee has the receipts to prove it. In a particularly delightful Instagram post, the actress, who is currently starring in a production of Waitress in London's West End, shared a photo of herself and Meghan back in their theater kid former life. 

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    In the caption she wrote along with the ridiculously adorable throwback picture, McPhee explained:

    A post shared by Katharine McPhee Foster (@katharinefoster)

    A photo posted by on

    In the photo, both Meghan and Katharine wear a generous application of bright red lipstick and enough blush to make their cheeks look rosy from even the very last row in the audience. Meghan wears a black and white dress that looks vaguely reminiscent of a French maid costume and Katharine wears a pixie-like green ensemble, complete with fake leaf adornments.

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    And this, friends, is probably as close to "awkward" as Meghan Markle has ever looked. So there's that.

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    Marie Claire Newsletter

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    Meghan Markle
    Kayleigh Roberts
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    Contributing Editor at Marie Claire

    Kayleigh Roberts is a freelance writer and editor with over 10 years of professional experience covering entertainment of all genres, from new movie and TV releases to nostalgia, and celebrity news. Her byline has appeared in Marie Claire, Cosmopolitan, ELLE, Harper’s Bazaar, The Atlantic, Allure, Entertainment Weekly, MTV, Bustle, Refinery29, Girls’ Life Magazine, Just Jared, and Tiger Beat, among other publications. She's a graduate of the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University.

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