Meghan Markle's path to politics? Biography reveals how she befriended Canadian PM's wife Sophie Trudeau to glean how she went from TV star to 'beloved First Lady' and is in 'regular' contact with Michelle Obama and Jacinda Ardern

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Meghan Markle has a bevy of pals in political circles including New Zealand prime minister Jacinda Ardern, the Obamas and Canadian First Lady Sophie Trudeau, according to their bombshell new biography Finding Freedom.

The controversial book written by Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand was released yesterday and raised eyebrows for its gushing praise and intimate knowledge of the Duke, 35, and Duchess of Sussex, 39 - who have secretly bought a private family home in Santa Barbara after ditching Tyler Perry's 12-bedroom Beverly Hills mansion.

It claimed Meghan reportedly befriended Sophie, after being introduced to her by Jessica Mulroney in the early days of her relationship with Prince Harry, to glean how she went from a TV star to 'beloved First Lady'.

The biography also states the Duchess is in regular email contact with Jacinda Ardern, who sent flowers to Frogmore Cottage following the birth of Archie, now 15 months. 

Meghan Markle has a bevy of pals in political circles including New Zealand prime minister Jacinda Ardern - pictured with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex during their 16-day autumn tour of Australia, Fiji, Tonga and New Zealand in October 2018

Meghan met Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau at the One Young World summit in Ottawa in 2016. Pictured together in a throwback snap from the event shared to the Sussex Royal Instagram page in October 2019

Meghan and Sophie were pictured in a series of photobooth images taken at the Canadian Arts & Fashion Awards (CAFA) at Soho House in Toronto - where Meghan lived while filming Suits

Mr Obama meets Meghan Markle at The White House in 2016. Harry and Meghan have become close friends with the former US president and his lawyer wife and turned to them for help

The revelations add fuel to the reports that the Duchess is considering carving out a career in politics since quitting the Royal Family in March. 

Both Meghan and Harry have become increasingly outspoken in recent months, particularly since the harrowing death of George Floyd and other African-Americans at the hands of police officers, which sparked national conversations about racism.

Meghan delivered an address to graduating students at her old school, Immaculate Heart High School in Los Angeles, declaring 'black lives matter'. 

In June, a close friend of the Duchess told DailyMail.com that Meghan wants to use her voice for change and hasn't ruled out a career in politics. They added that her instinct to leave the United Kingdom and move to California 'all makes sense to her now' because she believes she was 'destined' to help fight systemic racism in the United States.

Finding Freedom revealed Meghan dreamed of becoming the president of the United States as child - something she reportedly shared with Piers Morgan over a drink in London prior to meeting Prince Harry.

Meghan also hit it off with New Zealand prime minister Jacinda Ardern (pictured together) during her and Harry's autumn tour of Australia, Fiji, Tonga and New Zealand in October 2018, according to the book

The New Zealand PM was reportedly impressed by the then four months pregnant duchess showing no signs of faltering during the trip

Meghan and Harry are basing their new working model on the Obamas 

Meghan was in the audience at London's Southbank Centre when Michelle Obama delivered a speech to promote her memoir in 2018

Harry has been friends with Barack and Michelle Obama for years, bonding over humanitarian and military issues, as well as his inspirational Invictus Games for injured military personnel and veterans. They even took part in a video skit with the Queen to publicise it, which is referenced in Finding Freedom.

The book claimed Meghan was in the audience at London's Southbank Centre when Michelle Obama delivered a speech on December 3 in 2018 to promote her memoir Becoming. 

The following year Meghan interviewed Michelle for her special edition of British Vogue magazine while pregnant with baby Archie.

Introducing it, Meghan wrote: 'Over a casual lunch of chicken tacos and my ever-burgeoning bump, I asked Michelle if she would help me with this secret project.'

She then revealed that their exchange took place over email. It was mostly about motherhood, which Michelle said she was 'excited' for Meghan to experience.

'I’m so excited for you and Harry to experience that, Meghan. Savour it all,' she wrote when asked about her favorite sound which she said was the sounds her daughters made when they slept as newborns.

'She graciously said yes (because she’s Michelle, she’s gracious), and then very promptly sent answers (because she’s Michelle, she’s prompt),' she continued.

Meghan then revealed that had she known she would write back in such form, she would have called her, taken notes of not just what Mrs. Obama had to say but record what she had to say too, and shared it.  

Harry and Meghan have become close friends with the former US president and his lawyer wife and turned to them for help after making the decision to step back from royal duty.

At the time, sources confirmed the couple had discussed their plans with the former US president and his wife and wanted to mimic the way they had managed to build a successful, but dignified, life for themselves after the White House.

Harry has been friends with Barack and Michelle Obama for years, bonding over humanitarian and military issues, as well as his inspirational Invictus Games for injured military personnel and veterans

Prince Harry and Barrack Obama share a joke at the Invictus Games in Toronto in 2017

A source said: ‘They have found huge commercial success without actually looking like they are getting their hands dirty, to put it bluntly, and retaining their popularity.

‘In fact it is fair to say that their star has soared since leaving the White House, particularly Michelle’s, and this is something Meghan admires very, very much.’ 

In January, it was reported that Barack and Michelle had advised them on their plans for a new life outside the Royal Family. 

After stepping down as senior members of the Firm in March, the couple signed with New York-based Harry Walker Agency in June, which represents the Obamas and the Clintons. 

PR expert Mark Borkowski told The Sun the pair will 'clean up'. They plan to be available for talks on social issues including racial justice, gender equality, the environment and mental health, according to the LA Times. 

Finding Freedom co-author Omid Scobie also claimed the couple have big plans for the next few years, and are basing their working model on the Obamas.

He said their plans were 'not too dissimilar' from what the former president created after leaving the White House and setting up Higher Ground production company.

He pointed to the Obama's multiyear production deal with Netflix to produce films and documentaries covering topics like race, class and civil rights. 

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She also spoke of her love of politics in an interview with Marie Claire while starring in legal drama Suits.

The Duchess told the publication she'd always wanted to perform but didn't want to be a 'cliche 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 [university] major completely, and double-majoring in theatre and international relations,' she said. 

According to Finding Freedom, when she began dating Harry in 2016, Meghan was urged to take advice from Sophie Trudeau by her friend Jessica Mulroney, who deemed the two women 'now had a lot in common'. 

Meghan had previously met her husband Justin Trudeau at the One Young World summit in Ottawa that year, with the pair pictured deep in conversation.

'Sophie had given up a career in television, where she had been working as a correspondent on CTV's eTalk, to take on a more formal role alongside her husband as he hit the campaign trail,' the authors claim. 

'The pair became fast email friends, Meghan was interested to hear how Sophie had successfully made the move from an entertainment news correspondent to much-beloved First Lady, all while skillfully dodging controversy.'

A close friend of Trudeau and a former cabinet member told Scobie and Durand: 'Sophie would have made it clear that every single aspect of Meghan’s past would be dug up, so the most important thing was to be honest with Harry—tell him everything.

'Sophie's a smart woman and the perfect brain for Meghan to pick. She knows how difficult something like this is. Few people can relate or truly sympathise. For those of us that knew about their friendship, it was amazing to see the change in Meghan that followed.'

Earlier that year Meghan and Sophie were pictured in a series of photobooth images with Jessica taken at the Canadian Arts & Fashion Awards (CAFA) at Soho House in Toronto - where Meghan lived while filming Suits.

Meghan and Jessica are understood to have grown apart in recent months after TV presenter Jessica became embroiled in a social media row with black influencer Sasha Exeter in June. 

Back in January there was speculation that Justin Trudeau may have given a cryptic Twitter clue about Meghan and Harry's departure from the Royal Family.

When news emerged that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex had turned their back on Royal tradition and flown to Canada for Christmas, he was one of the first to welcome them on social media, writing: 'You're among friends, and always welcome here.'

Diplomatic sources claimed Mr Trudeau and his wife Sophie were consulted about the decision late last year, before members of the Royal Family and even the Queen. 

Prince Harry and Mr Trudeau have always looked to enjoy each other’s company at events such as Commonwealth commemorations. The two have also encountered each other on multiple occasions through Harry’s Invictus Games for disabled servicemen.

Meghan also hit it off with New Zealand prime minister Jacinda Ardern during her and Harry's autumn tour of Australia, Fiji, Tonga and New Zealand in October 2018, according to the book.

Both Meghan and Harry have become increasingly outspoken in recent months, particularly since the harrowing death of George Floyd and other African-Americans at the hands of police officers, which sparked national conversations about racism. Pictured while on a video call to young leaders within the Queen's Commonwealth Trust in response to Black Lives Matter

The PM was reportedly impressed by the then four months pregnant duchess showing no signs of faltering during the trip. 

'Pregnancy is an often-tiring time,' said Ardern, who spent three days with the duke and duchess during the tour. 

'But the way she gave everything her all was incredible. She's an amazing woman and I'm so glad to have gotten to know her.' 

According to the authors, the couple have 'stayed in regular contact ever since, exchanging emails and even meeting up again at Kensington Palace on January 21, 2019'. 

They added that Meghan 'regularly wears the earrings Ardern gifted her in New Zealand' - a pair of simple gold studs with a feather engraving on each by the kiwi musician and jewellery designer Boh Runga.

The book also states that after Archie's birth, gifts 'poured into Frogmore' - including a flower arrangement from the New Zealand PM.

Meghan has also found an ally in Hillary Clinton, who has been a staunch advocate of the duchess since day one, with both women reportedly having 'a lot of admiration for each other' according to a source.

The duchess even invited the former US Secretary of State to Frogmore Cottage in November while on a six-week sabbatical from royal duties. According to sources, the two women hugged during what was described as something of a 'fan girl' meeting.

Prince Harry and six-month-old Archie were there and Mrs Clinton, 72, even got to have a cuddle of the royal baby and told Meghan about Chelsea's new baby son, Jasper, her third grand-child.  

Meghan has also found an ally in Hillary Clinton, pictured, who has been a staunch advocate of the duchess since day one, with both women reportedly having 'a lot of admiration for each other' according to a source

In an Instagram post, the former US Secretary of State said she was 'so inspired' by how Meghan Markle was representing the US in the UK, following her Smart Works initiative

At the age of 11, Meghan wrote to then-First Lady Hillary, when her husband Bill was in the White House, to demand a 'sexist' dishwashing liquid advert which claimed a woman's place is in the kitchen should be taken off air, after being encouraged to do so by her father.

It is not clear whether she ever got a reply but the budding activist did successfully manage to get the voice over that 'women all over America are fighting greasy pots and pans' replaced with the more palatable 'people'.

Apparently the letter was discussed between Meghan and Hillary when they met for the first time in Windsor.

Their meeting was also shortly after Harry and Meghan's ITV documentary which followed their visit to Africa in September aired. In response to Meghan opening up about finding it difficult joining the Royal Family, Mrs Clinton told the BBC: 'Oh my God, I want to hug her. I feel as a mother I just want to put my arms around her.'

Early last year the Sussexes also hired Sara Latham, a PR guru and ex-Clinton administration official who worked on her 2016 bid for the presidency and as chief of staff to the campaign's chairman John Podesta. 

Sara also had experience in British government, having worked as special advisor to Tony Blair's Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport between 2005 and 2006.