Meghan Markle has said she found life within the British Royal Family so difficult that at times she “didn’t want to be alive any more”.
In a deeply personal TV interview with Oprah Winfrey, the Duchess of Sussex said that she did not get help when she asked for it.
She also said a low point was when Prince Harry was asked by an unnamed family member “how dark” their son Archie’s skin might be.
Harry also revealed that his father, Prince Charles, stopped taking his calls when he wanted to step back.
The highly-anticipated interview with Oprah, which Meghan and Harry were not paid for, aired overnight in the US.
During the two-hour CBS special, to be screened in the UK on ITV at 21:00 GMT on March 8 and on ITV Hub, Courtesy of Harpo Productions/CBS, the couple covered a range of topics, including racism, mental health, their relationship with the media and Royal Family dynamics.
The couple announced their second child, which is due in the summer, is a girl.
They also revealed that they exchanged vows in a ceremony led by the Archbishop of Canterbury in their “backyard” three days before they were legally married at their public wedding in May 2018.
Prince Harry said his brother and father were “trapped within the system” of the Royal Family
He said his family cut him off financially at the beginning of last year.
However, Harry said he loved his brother “to bits” and wanted to heal his relationship with both him and his father.
Meghan revealed that she phoned the Queen after Prince Philip went into hospital last month.
The couple moved to California after formally stepping down from royal duties in March 2020, and it was announced last month that they would not be returning as working members of the Royal Family.
Meghan Markle said that she started to feel lonely when limits were placed on what she could do, revealing that at one point she did not leave the house for months.
At one point the Duchess of Sussex thought she “could not feel lonelier”, she told Oprah Winfrey.
Asked by Oprah if she was thinking of self-harm and having suicidal thoughts at some stage, Meghan Markle, 39, replied: “Yes. This was very, very clear. Very clear and very scary. I didn’t know who to turn to in that.”
The duchess said that she felt “haunted” by a photograph from an official event she attended with Prince Harry at the Royal Albert Hall while she was pregnant.
She said that she attended the event with Harry that night because she felt she could not be “left alone” and recalled Harry gripping her hand tightly while in attendance at the Royal Albert Hall.
Oprah also asked Meghan why she thought the Royal Family did not make her son Archie a prince – which Meghan said she wanted so that he would get police protection.
The couple’s children do not automatically become princes or princesses because of a rule that has been in place since 1917 – unless the Queen steps in.
She said the remarks about skin color were made to Prince Harry and he relayed them to her.
Asked by Oprah whether there were concerns that her child would be “too brown” and that would be a problem, Meghan said: “If that is the assumption you are making, that is a pretty safe one.”
When pressed, the duchess refused to reveal who the individual was, saying: “I think that would be very damaging to them.”
Prince Harry also refused to give further details, saying: “That conversation, I am never going to share.”
“At the time it was awkward, I was a bit shocked,” he added.
Prince Harry, 36, said that none of his relatives spoke out in support of Meghan following the racism he said his wife faced from the media.
“No-one from my family ever said anything over those three years. That hurts,” Harry said.
During the interview, the Royal Family were also accused of failing to protect the duke and duchess, with Meghan saying the situation “started to really worsen” after the couple married in May 2018.
Meghan was referencing rumors that she had made Kate Middleton cry during a disagreement about flower girl dresses – a story that prompted a flurry of tabloid stories.
She said the opposite happened. She added that Kate later apologized, bringing flowers and a note to make amends.
Joining Meghan and Oprah for the second half of the interview, Prince Harry talked about his relationship with the rest of his family.
He said his relationship with his grandmother, the Queen, was “really good” and that the two of them speak often.
However, his relationship with his father, Prince Charles, has suffered.
Prince Harry said that he feels “really let down” by his father. He added that he will always love him, but “there’s a lot of hurt that’s happened”.
He described his father and his brother as “trapped within the system” of the Royal Family.
“They don’t get to leave,” he added.
Of Prince William, he said they were on “different paths”.
Prince Harry also revealed that his family had cut him off financially at the beginning of last year, after the couple announced their intention to step back as senior royals.
The prince said deals with Netflix and Spotify were “never part of the plan” but they needed them to pay for security staff.
In a teaser clip of Oprah Winfrey’s interview with Meghan Markle and Prince Harry, the Duchess of Sussex had been asked how she felt about the palace hearing her “speak your truth today”.
She has said Buckingham Palace could not expect her and Prince Harry to be silent if it was “perpetuating falsehoods about us”.
Meghan also said: “If that comes with risk of losing things, I mean… there is a lot that has been lost already.”
Buckingham Palace is investigating claims Meghan Markle bullied royal staff.
The allegations of bullying leveled at Meghan were published after the interview with Oprah was recorded.
The interview with Oprah, which will air in the US on March 7 and in the UK on March 8, is expected to detail Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s short period as working royals together before they stepped down for a life in the US.
In the 30-second teaser clip released by CBS, Oprah Winfrey asks Meghan: “How do you feel about the palace hearing you speak your truth today?”
The duchess replies: “I don’t know how they could expect that, after all of this time, we would still just be silent if there is an active role that The Firm is playing in perpetuating falsehoods about us.”
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle quit their roles as senior working royals in March 2020, and now live in California.
A report in the Times on March 3 claimed the duchess faced a complaint made in October 2018, while the duke and duchess were living at Kensington Palace after their marriage in May of that year.
A leaked email sent from a staff member, which was published by the newspaper, alleges that Meghan Markle drove two personal assistants out of the household. The report claims the duchess undermined the confidence of a third member of staff.
In a statement later, Buckingham Palace – which is responsible for the hiring of royal staff – said it was “clearly very concerned about allegations in the Times” and its HR team would look into the circumstances outlined in the article.
The statement said: “The Royal Household has had a Dignity at Work policy in place for a number of years and does not and will not tolerate bullying or harassment in the workplace.”
Past and present royal employees are to be invited to speak in confidence about their experiences of working for Meghan Markle as part of the investigation.
The bullying allegations are denied by Meghan and Prince Harry.
A statement issued by Meghan Markle’s spokesman in response to the newspaper’s story said: “The duchess is saddened by this latest attack on her character, particularly as someone who has been the target of bullying herself and is deeply committed to supporting those who have experienced pain and trauma.
“She is determined to continue her work building compassion around the world and will keep striving to set an example for doing what is right and doing what is good.”
Meghan and Prince Harry’s TV interview with Oprah will be aired on CBS in the US on the evening of Sunday, March 7.
CBS has said Meghan will be interviewed about “stepping into life as a royal, marriage, motherhood” and “how she is handling life under intense public pressure”.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are expecting their second child, a spokesperson for the couple has said.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are preparing to welcome a brother or sister for their son Archie Mountbatten-Windsor, who turned one last May.
A spokesperson for the couple said they were “overjoyed”.
A Buckingham Palace spokesman said Queen Elizabeth, Duke of Edinburgh, Prince of Wales and the rest of the Royal Family “are delighted and wish them well”.
Harry and Meghan shared a black and white picture of themselves under a tree, with the prince resting his hand on Meghan’s head as she cradles her bump.
Their second baby will be eighth in line to the throne.
Meghan Markle’s due date has not been revealed, but her bump appeared prominent in the photograph.
The news comes after Meghan said in November that she had suffered a miscarriage last July, writing in an article of feeling “an almost unbearable grief”.
A spokesperson for Harry and Meghan said: “We can confirm that Archie is going to be a big brother.
“The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are overjoyed to be expecting their second child.”
The Valentine’s Day announcement comes just five days after the royal family celebrated the arrival of Princess Eugenie’s first child – a baby boy.
Harry and Meghan’s second child will be the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh’s 10th or 11th great-grandchild depending on whether he or she arrives before or after Zara Tindall’s baby, which is also due in 2021.
They will follow the Prince of Wales, the Duke of Cambridge, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, Prince Louis, Harry, and Archie Mountbatten-Windsor in the line of succession.
However, they will not be entitled, at this stage, to be an HRH nor a prince or a princess due to rules set out more than 100 years ago by George V.
The baby is entitled to be a Lord or a Lady.
Harry and Meghan married in May 2018 in a ceremony at Windsor Castle and then a year later welcomed their first child, Archie, who was born on May 6, 2019.
They quit their roles as senior working royals in March 2020, and now live in California.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will no longer use their HRH
titles, receive public funds for royal duties or formally represent Queen
Elizabeth II from spring, the Queen and Buckingham Palace announced on January
18 after reaching a new arrangement.
Earlier this month, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex announced their intention
“to step back as ‘senior’ members of the Royal Family and work to become
financially independent”.
The couple’s announcement prompted intensive discussions between the prince
and other senior royals, led by the Queen.
In 2019, Prince Harry and Meghan spoke of the difficulties of royal life and
media scrutiny, with the duke saying he feared his wife would fall victim to
“the same powerful forces” that led to his mother’s death.
In her statement on January 18, the Queen said she was pleased that a
“constructive and supportive way forward for [her] grandson and his
family” had been found.
The Queen said she recognized the “challenges” they had
experienced “as a result of intense scrutiny over the last two
years”.
Buckingham Palace said the duke and duchess understood that under the new
arrangement, they were required to withdraw from royal duties, including
official military appointments, but would continue to “uphold the values
of Her Majesty”.
According to the statement, Prince Harry and Meghan intend to repay £2.4 million
of taxpayer money used for the refurbishment of Frogmore Cottage.
The house in Windsor, for which the couple will pay rent, will remain their
family home as they divide their time between the UK and Canada.
Prince Harry and Meghan will continue to maintain their private patronages
and associations – the duke currently holds 16 patronages, including the
Invictus Games Foundation, the Royal Marines and the Rugby Football League; and
the duchess four – the National Theatre, the Association of Commonwealth
Universities, London-based animal charity Mayhew, and women’s charity Smart
Works.
They will no longer use HRH, an abbreviation of His/Her Royal Highness,
which is part of the title of some members of the Royal Family.
Speaking briefly to reporters at a summit in Berlin, UK’s PM Boris Johnson
said he had been confident the Royal Family would find a way forward for Prince
Harry and Meghan, adding: “I think
the whole country will want to join in wishing them the very best for the
future.”
However in comments made for a forthcoming Channel 5 documentary, Meghan’s
father, Thomas Markle, accused the couple of “destroying” the Royal
Family which he called “one of the greatest long-living institutions
ever”.
“Every young girl wants to become
a princess and she got that and now she’s tossing that away,” he said.
“It looks like she’s tossing that
away for money.”
Some questions about Prince Harry and Meghan’s future status remain
unanswered, including what their tax and immigration status will be in the UK
and Canada.
It is not yet known whether Meghan Markle still intends to gain British
citizenship, which would entail her spending a certain amount of time in the
UK.
The Sussexes have already begun a transition phase of living in Canada and
the UK.
The duchess is in Canada, a Commonwealth country, with son Archie, where the
Sussexes were for six weeks over the festive period.
On January 14, Meghan Markle visited a charity in Vancouver which campaigns for teenage girls living in poverty.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will no longer use their HRH
titles, receive public funds for royal duties or formally represent Queen
Elizabeth II from spring, the Queen and Buckingham Palace announced on January
18 after reaching a new arrangement.
Earlier this month, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex announced their intention
“to step back as ‘senior’ members of the Royal Family and work to become
financially independent”.
The couple’s announcement prompted intensive discussions between the prince
and other senior royals, led by the Queen.
In 2019, Prince Harry and Meghan spoke of the difficulties of royal life and
media scrutiny, with the duke saying he feared his wife would fall victim to
“the same powerful forces” that led to his mother’s death.
In her statement on January 18, the Queen said she was pleased that a
“constructive and supportive way forward for [her] grandson and his
family” had been found.
The Queen said she recognized the “challenges” they had
experienced “as a result of intense scrutiny over the last two
years”.
Buckingham Palace said the duke and duchess understood that under the new
arrangement, they were required to withdraw from royal duties, including
official military appointments, but would continue to “uphold the values
of Her Majesty”.
According to the statement, Prince Harry and Meghan intend to repay £2.4 million
of taxpayer money used for the refurbishment of Frogmore Cottage.
The house in Windsor, for which the couple will pay rent, will remain their
family home as they divide their time between the UK and Canada.
Prince Harry and Meghan will continue to maintain their private patronages
and associations – the duke currently holds 16 patronages, including the
Invictus Games Foundation, the Royal Marines and the Rugby Football League; and
the duchess four – the National Theatre, the Association of Commonwealth
Universities, London-based animal charity Mayhew, and women’s charity Smart
Works.
They will no longer use HRH, an abbreviation of His/Her Royal Highness,
which is part of the title of some members of the Royal Family.
Speaking briefly to reporters at a summit in Berlin, UK’s PM Boris Johnson
said he had been confident the Royal Family would find a way forward for Prince
Harry and Meghan, adding: “I think
the whole country will want to join in wishing them the very best for the
future.”
However in comments made for a forthcoming Channel 5 documentary, Meghan’s
father, Thomas Markle, accused the couple of “destroying” the Royal
Family which he called “one of the greatest long-living institutions
ever”.
“Every young girl wants to become
a princess and she got that and now she’s tossing that away,” he said.
“It looks like she’s tossing that
away for money.”
Some questions about Prince Harry and Meghan’s future status remain
unanswered, including what their tax and immigration status will be in the UK
and Canada.
It is not yet known whether Meghan Markle still intends to gain British
citizenship, which would entail her spending a certain amount of time in the
UK.
The Sussexes have already begun a transition phase of living in Canada and
the UK.
The duchess is in Canada, a Commonwealth country, with son Archie, where the
Sussexes were for six weeks over the festive period.
On January 14, Meghan Markle visited a charity in Vancouver which campaigns
for teenage girls living in poverty.
Queen Elizabeth II has agreed a “period of
transition” in which Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will spend time in
Canada and the UK.
The Queen said she was “entirely supportive” of their desire for a
new role but “would have preferred” them to remain full-time working
royals.
She expected final decisions to be made in the coming days, she said.
Senior royals have been in talks about the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s role
after they said they wanted to “step back”.
In a statement, Queen Elizabeth said the talks at Sandringham, which also
involved the Prince Charles Wales and Prince William, had been “very
constructive”.
She said: “My family and I are
entirely supportive of Harry and Meghan’s desire to create a new life as a
young family.
“Although we would have preferred
them to remain full-time working members of the Royal Family, we respect and
understand their wish to live a more independent life as a family while
remaining a valued part of my family.”
The Queen said it had been agreed there would be “a period of
transition in which the Sussexes will spend time in Canada and the UK”
after Harry and Meghan “made clear that they do not want to be reliant on
public funds in their new lives”.
She said: “These are complex
matters for my family to resolve, and there is some more work to be done, but I
have asked for final decisions to be reached in the coming days.”
The urgent talks were convened after the Sussexes surprised the rest of the
Royal Family on January 8 with a statement expressing their desire to
“step back as ‘senior’ members of the Royal Family”.
Prince Harry and Meghan also said they wanted a “progressive new
role” within the institution, where they would be financially independent
and divide their time between the UK and North America.
Meanwhile, Canadian PM Justin Trudeau told Global News there had been
“no discussions” about the details of the royal couple’s move,
including on the issues of security and any potential impact on Canada’s
taxpayers.
Although no other family member was consulted about the timing of the
announcement, Prince Harry and Meghan said it came after “many months of
reflection and internal discussions”.
Both the Duke and Duchess of Sussex spoke of the difficulties of royal life
and media attention in recent months, with the duke saying he feared his wife
would fall victim to “the same powerful forces” that led to his
mother’s death.
The talks about their future took place as Prince Harry and Prince William
issued a joint statement denying “false claims” that their
relationship had been damaged by “bullying” on the part of the older
brother.
They said that the “inflammatory language” in the claims was “offensive” and “potentially harmful”, given their support for mental health causes.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have announced
they will step back as “senior” royals and work to become financially
independent.
In a statement, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex also
said they plan to split their time between the UK and North America.
According to the UK’s media outlets, no other royals – including Queen
Elizabeth II or Prince William – was consulted before the statement and
Buckingham Palace is “disappointed”.
Senior royals are understood to be “hurt” by the announcement.
In October 2019, Prince Harry and his wife publicly revealed their struggles
under the media spotlight.
In their unexpected statement on January 8, also posted on their Instagram
page, Prince Harry and Meghan said they made the decision “after many
months of reflection and internal discussions”.
“We intend to step back as
‘senior’ members of the Royal Family and work to become financially
independent, while continuing to fully support Her Majesty The Queen.”
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex said they plan
to balance their time between the UK and North America while “continuing
to honor our duty to the Queen, the Commonwealth, and our patronages”.
“This geographic balance will enable us to raise our
son with an appreciation for the royal tradition into which he was born, while
also providing our family with the space to focus on the next chapter,
including the launch of our new charitable entity.”
A Buckingham Palace spokeswoman said discussions with the royal couple on
their decision to step back were “at an early stage”, adding: “We understand their desire to take a
different approach, but these are complicated issues that will take time to
work through.”
Over Christmas, Prince Harry and Meghan took a six-week break from royal
duties to spend some time in Canada with their son, Archie, who was born in
May.
After returning to the UK on January 7, Prince Harry, 35, and Meghan, 38,
visited Canada’s High Commission in London to thank the country for hosting them
and said the warmth and hospitality they received was “unbelievable”.
During the visit, Meghan said it was an “incredible time” to enjoy
the “beauty of Canada”.
She said: “To see Archie go ‘ah’
when you walk by, and just see how stunning it is – so it meant a lot to
us.”
Former actress Meghan Markel lived and worked in Toronto during her time
starring in the popular American drama Suits,
and she has several Canadian friends.
Prince Harry’ move was compared by specialists to Edward VIII’s abdication
in 1936 in order to marry twice-divorced American Wallis Simpson.
The Duke of Sussex is sixth in line to the throne – behind Prince Charles,
Prince William and his three children.
In an ITV documentary in 2019, Meghan Markle admitted motherhood was a
“struggle” due to intense interest from newspapers.
Prince Harry also responded to reports of a rift between him and his brother
William, the Duke of Cambridge, by saying they were on “different
paths”.
In October, Meghan began legal action against the Mailon Sunday over a
claim that it unlawfully published one of her private letters.
Prince Harry also began legal action against the owners of the Sun, the defunct News of the World, and the Daily Mirror, in relation to alleged phone-hacking.
After the service, Meghan Markle joined members of the family in greeting the crowds.
According to specialists, if royal tradition from previous years was followed, the family will have exchanged presents on Christmas Eve and awoken to a stocking of small gifts and fruit at the end of their beds.
Queen Elizabeth and Prince Phillip also attended an early Holy Communion service at the church.
They will return home for a traditional turkey lunch, before watching the Queen’s speech together.
This year, the Queen will pay tribute to London and Manchester for the manner in which they dealt with this year’s terror attacks, as well as praising Prince Phillip for his support in the year of the couple’s 70th wedding anniversary.
Prince Harry’s future wife, Meghan Markle, will not be known as Princess Meghan when she ties the knot with him in May 2018.
By the standards of British royal protocol, the American actress lacks “royal blood”.
That means that she cannot call herself Princess Meghan.
The arcane rules mean that Meghan Markle will be compelled to follow the example of her future sister-in-law, Kate Middleton.
When Kate Middleton married Prince William in 2011, she automatically became Her Royal Highness, Princess William of Wales. The overwhelming likelihood is that Meghan Markle will in turn become HRH Princess Harry of Wales.
Kate Middleton was not of royal blood, and what applies to her will also apply in the case of Meghan Markle.
Royal blood meant that Queen Elizabeth’s late sister Margaret was entitled to call herself Princess Margaret. Likewise the Queen’s daughter is Princess Anne and her granddaughters are Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie.
Royal blood made them princesses in their own right.
Sarah Ferguson was never Princess Sarah and Sophie Rhys-Jones – the wife of Prince Edward – is not Princess Sophie.
The rules also meant that Lady Diana Spencer was never officially Princess Diana. She was the Princess of Wales and, after her divorce from Prince Charles, she was Diana, Princess of Wales.
From the point of view of Buckingham Palace, handy titles or “handles” are required for the members of the family who occupy prestigious but somewhat peripheral roles to the main business of monarchy.
Queen Elizabeth’s first cousins are, respectively, the Dukes of Gloucester and Kent, and when her disgraced uncle abandoned the throne to marry an American divorcee in 1936, he became the Duke of Windsor.
Such ducal titles are frequently bestowed upon marriage precisely because they give the new entrant to the family a grand-sounding title without making them princesses or princes in their own right.
In 1986, when Prince Andrew married Sarah Ferguson, the Queen made him Duke of York, thus she became the Duchess of York – a title she continues to hold despite her divorce.
Similarly, when Prince Edward married Sophie Rhys-Jones, he became the Earl of Wessex and his new wife the Countess of Wessex.
It could be that the Queen makes the same kind of move in the cases of Kate and Meghan, and dusts off a long-defunct royal dukedom – Sussex (the favorite for Harry and Meghan), Albany and Clarence are among the vacant ones.
However, as with many things connected to British royal protocol, there is always an exception to the rule – Queen Elizabeth’s husband Philip married into the royal family, and yet he is a prince.
When Philip married the then Princess Elizabeth in 1947, the then British King, George VI, created him “Duke of Edinburgh”.
He only became Prince Philip in February 1957 when the Queen “accorded him the style and title of a Prince of the United Kingdom”.
The Queen could also make both Kate and Meghan princesses in their own right – but such are the rigid traditions surrounding this issue that Britain’s first Princess Meghan is likely to be some time away.
Prince Harry has confirmed Suits star Meghan Markle is his girlfriend, in a statement from Kensington Palace attacking the media for subjecting the actress to a “wave of abuse and harassment”.
It said Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were “a few months into a relationship” and it was “not right” that the actress should be subjected to such treatment.
The statement said the prince rarely took formal action over “fictional stories”.
Image source Wikimedia
“But the past week has seen a line crossed,” it added.
In recent days a number of newspapers have carried front page stories about Meghan Markle, best known for playing Rachel Zane in Suits.
The statement issued by Prince Harry’s communications secretary said: “His girlfriend, Meghan Markle, has been subject to a wave of abuse and harassment.
“Some of this has been very public – the smear on the front page of a national newspaper; the racial undertones of comment pieces; and the outright sexism and racism of social media trolls and web article comments.
“Some of it has been hidden from the public – the nightly legal battles to keep defamatory stories out of papers; her mother having to struggle past photographers in order to get to her front door; the attempts of reporters and photographers to gain illegal entry to her home and the calls to police that followed; the substantial bribes offered by papers to her ex-boyfriend; the bombardment of nearly every friend, co-worker, and loved one in her life.”
Prince Harry, 32, has long had an uneasy relation with the press, having grown up aware of the impact that intense media intrusion had on the life of his late mother, Diana Princess of Wales.
The statement said Prince Harry was worried about Meghan Markle’s safety and that he “is deeply disappointed that he has not been able to protect her”.
It added: “It is not right that a few months into a relationship with him that Ms Markle should be subjected to such a storm.
“He knows commentators will say this is ‘the price she has to pay’ and that ‘this is all part of the game’. He strongly disagrees. This is not a game – it is her life and his.”
The statement ended with Prince Harry appealing for “those in the press who have been driving this story [to] pause and reflect before any further damage is done”.
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