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Who is Mishal Husain? Everything you need to know about the BBC broadcaster handpicked by Prince Harry

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle announced their engagement on Monday

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Sharnaz Shahid
Deputy Online Editor
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It was one of the most historic interviews in royal history, with BBC broadcaster Mishal Husain at the helm. And it has been revealed that the 44-year-old was handpicked by Prince Harry and Meghan Markle to conduct their first joint TV interview following their engagement announcement.  It's not surprising that the mother-of-three was chosen; Mishal is well respected amongst her peers, and hailed for her "down to earth" presenting style. Shortly after her interview with Harry and Meghan aired, royal fans and TV critics praised the reporter for conducting the intimate chat with "refreshing candour". Here at HELLO! Online, we have rounded up everything you need to know about the Radio 4 Today presenter.

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mishal husain

Mishal Husain was picked to interview Prince Harry and Meghan Markle

Mishal was born in Northampton, to Pakistani parents in 1973. When she was two, Mishal and her family moved to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), before relocating to Saudi Arabia where her father practiced as a doctor. Mishal returned to the UK when she was 12 and was privately educated at Cobham Hall, in Kent. She studied law at Cambridge University and gained a Master's degree from the European University Institute in Florence, Italy. Her first job in journalism was at Bloomberg Television in London in 1996, and then two years later she moved to the BBC.

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Prince Harry and Meghan Markle spoke about their romance

Mishal later became the channel's first ever Washington correspondent from September 2002, overseeing the Iraq war. She has previously presented the BBC's Breakfast programme, World News, Weekend News, Newsnight, News At Six and News At Ten. Some of her biggest coverages include the 2012 London Olympics, and the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. In 2013, Mishal also became the first Muslim presenter of Radio 4's Today programme.

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Today presenter John Humphrys recently voiced his disappointment following the publication of the BBC's top on-screen earners list – calling special attention to Mishal's lower slaray, which he described as "strange".  He said on Radio 4: "I am not happy with that… I think they all do a brilliant job. But Sarah [Montague] for instance is not on the list which seems to me to be very strange indeed and… Mishal who earns a lot less than me, and so do the others who earn a lot less than me, and I don't think that is right."

Stay tuned for all the news and details on Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s engagement here!

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