Meghan Markle holds back tears as she opens up about dealing with negative press while pregnant in new documentary
18 October 2019, 16:30
The Duchess of Sussex looked emotional as she spoke openly about her struggles through pregnancy.
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are the subjects of a new ITV documentary, airing this weekend, about their recent Royal Tour of Africa.
Leading up to the release of the one-off programme, ITV have released footage of the Duchess of Sussex emotionally and candidly opening up about dealing with negative press while pregnant with baby Archie.
In the short clip, ITV’s Tom Bradby spoke to the Duchess about Harry’s protective behaviour, and the impact the negative press had on her – and still has on her.
In the video, he says to Meghan: “He’s [Prince Harry] obviously very concerned about protecting you, and protecting you from what he felt his mother went through.
“It’s obviously an area one has to tiptoe into very gently. But I don’t know what the impact on your physical and mental health of all the pressure that you clearly feel under?”
The Duchess, who welcomed baby Archie in May 2018, appeared to be holding back tears as she replied, telling the journalist: “I would say, look any woman, especially when they’re pregnant, you’re really vulnerable.
“So that was made really challenging. And then when you have a newborn, you know?
“And especially as a woman, it’s really, it’s a lot, so you add this on top of just trying to be a new mum or trying to be a newlywed it’s um – yeah, well I guess, and also thank you asking because no many people have asked if I’m ok, but it’s a very real thing to be going through behind the scenes.”
Tom continued to ask Meghan: “And the answer is, would it be fair to say, not really ok? As in, it’s really been a struggle?”, to which she simply replied: “Yes.”
This revealing clip comes after another interview, this one with Prince Harry, saw the Duke of Sussex confess that the press are the “worst reminder” of his mother.
Speaking to ITV, he said that her death is still a “festering wound”, and that every time he sees a camera, a click or a flash, he is “taken straight back”.
He told them: “Being here 22 years later, trying to finish what she started, will be incredibly emotional.
“But everything I do reminds me of her. But as I said, with the role, with the job and the sort of pressures that come with that, I get reminded of the bad stuff, unfortunately.”
The Royal Tour, which spanned a massive ten days, was branded a huge success, but was left on a sour note after the Duke released a statement defending Meghan against the press.
In it, he said: “I’ve seen what happens when someone I love is commoditised to the point that they are no longer treated or seen as a real person. I lost my mother and now I watch my wife falling victim to the same powerful forces.”
