Long before becoming a global icon, Meghan Markle was a compassionate and grounded little girl, according to her cousin, who recently opened up about the Duchess of Sussex’s childhood. In an exclusive interview, Meghan’s relative shared touching stories that reveal a nurturing and mature side of the future duchess, even as a young child…😱👇

Long before becoming a global icon, Meghan Markle was a compassionate and grounded little girl, according to her cousin, who recently opened up about the Duchess of Sussex’s childhood. In an exclusive interview, Meghan’s relative shared touching stories that reveal a nurturing and mature side of the future duchess, even as a young child.

We certainly know the Meghan Markle of today—or at least we think we do—but what was she like as a little girl, long before the fame and the royal wedding? Her cousin Shawn Johnson said, per The Mirror, that she “looked after everyone” and had to navigate challenges, adding that she was “really mature for her age.”

Meghan grew up in the View Park-Windsor Hills area of Los Angeles, The Mirror reports, and spent much of her childhood with her mother, Doria Ragland, after Ragland and Meghan’s father, Thomas Markle, divorced when Meghan was six years old. Meghan moved in with her father at the age of nine while her mother further pursued her career, The Mirror reports.

Johnson said Meghan was “kind” and told The Daily Mail that “She was infectious with just the way she was and really mature for her age. She was always really looking after us and making sure that we’re all doing fine.”