She rose to fame as an actress, humanitarian advocate, and now as Prince Harry’s fiancee.

But, long before this, Meghan Markle was simply one of many young ladies at Northwestern University in Chicago, as this sorority photo demonstrates.

She majored in theater and international affairs and was a Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority member.

The sorority, obviously overjoyed with their alumna’s upcoming royal status, posted a composite portrait from Meghan’s time as a Kappa during the 2000-2001 academic year.

It was hard to imagine at the time that she would go on to become not just a successful actress but also a future duchess.

During her stay at the University of Illinois, Markle was a regular college student. She was immersed in Greek life and spent her spring vacations backpacking around Europe, but Markle was also a “theater nerd,” double-majoring in theater and international relations.

According to the Chicago Tribune, she told Marie Claire in 2013, “I knew I wanted to do acting, but I hated the idea of being this cliche—a girl from LA who decides to be an actress.”

“I wanted more than that, and I had always loved politics, so I ended up changing my major completely, and double-majoring in theater and international relations.”

CREDIT: COURTESY NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY

Meghan Markle was formerly regarded as a fun-loving sorority member who joined her fellow students in using fake ID to buy alcohol at prominent boozers.

Meghan, now 36, enjoyed a good night out, according to one former student, much like her fiancé Prince Harry, 33, whose love of partying has been widely chronicled.

They told the Sunday Mirror: “Meghan had a fake ID during her time at university and told us about it when she visited the campus in 2014.” The former student added that they would visit The Keg, a popular student bar that has since been shut down over underage drinking.

“She seems like the perfect modern princess now, but she lived university life like most teenagers and was really popular on campus. Everyone talks about her going here.”

And, despite the fact that the shot was taken over 15 years ago, Meghan appears virtually exactly the same as she does now! (Except for the enormous royal engagement ring!)

Prince Harry’s American fiancée Meghan Markle poses with her sorority at Northwestern University in 2003 (Image: MEGA)

The charming shot, taken in 2003, shows the then-scholar with female friends, with the brunette beauty competing for the camera’s attention.

The bride-to-be has a mischievous sparkle in her eye, which implies her student days were great preparation to keep up with the playboy prince, similar to the perfectly-preened photograph that accompanied her recent marriage announcement.

Harvey Young, one of Markle’s college instructors who taught her in his Studies in Black Performance class, spoke to The Sun Times about his experience with her in class and had nothing but great things to say about her.

He described her as enthusiastic and self-assured, calling her “very promising” and said she had “tons of potential” for a career in theater. Obviously, he was correct; after all, Markle has spent seven seasons on Suits, as well as appearances in films such as Remember Me and Horrible Bosses.

In addition to her love of theater, Markle’s interest in activism was sparked during her time at Northwestern.

“In my memories of Meghan at Northwestern, she was very clear about the need to think about the experiences of people who are not only biracial but of people of color,” Young said. “She was mindful of the need for gender equality and the importance of championing for women’s rights.”

Melania Hidalgo, a current KKG member, told the Sunday Mirror that Meghan was the recruiting chair during her time in the sorority.

She said: “We’re intelligent hot messes. The thing we all have in common is that we’re all very driven, ambitious and passionate.

“She was in charge of bringing in new girls – you have to be a very friendly and outgoing person for that role.”