Contemplate the Twisting River of Fate While Gazing Upon These Photos of Meghan Markle at a Gifting Suite

Just when I think I’m getting accustomed to the idea that an American actress is marrying Prince Harry, something reminds me that the Windsors have gone full mid-2000s basic cable movie. Today it’s these nearly decade-old images of Meghan Markle from a gifting suite.

The Daily Mail ran some recently republished photos from January 2012 of the soon-to-be Duchess of TBD, posing casually in a short suit and sparkly chunky jewelry. It’s unclear what the gifting suite was actually for. But these freebie cornucopias for marketing purposes are a hallmark of Hollywood generally and mid-level celebrity specifically, and so naturally, some brief digging on Getty revealed additional images (which have appeared in HuffPo and New York Observer histories of her style). Here is Markle in 2009, at the DPA pre-Emmy Gift Lounge.

Computer, enhance:

And, too, here she is in 2010 at the “Some Kind-a Gorgeous Style and Beauty Lounge” for Benefit at the Chateau Marmont. Please note that she is carrying the same bag in both sets of pictures—she wasn’t on Suits yet!—and also I am pretty sure I tried on those same sandals at a suburban DSW the very same year:

Considering her options, or perhaps eying that Ring Pop in the foreground.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again because I’m still not over it: Markle is literally a Hallmark movie character escaped into real life.