Meghan Markle reveals she suffered tragic miscarriage over the summer
25 November 2020, 09:17 | Updated: 25 November 2020, 09:32
The Duchess of Sussex said the loss of their baby caused her and Prince Harry "unbearable grief".
Meghan Markle, 39, has revealed she suffered a miscarriage over the summer.
The Duchess of Sussex opened up about the tragic loss in an essay for the New York Times.
Prince Harry's wife wrote: "Losing a child means carrying an almost unbearable grief, experienced by many but talked about by few."
In the essay, Meghan said she felt a "sharp cramp" while caring for baby Archie and she knew "something was not right".
She wrote: "After changing his [Archie's] diaper, I felt a sharp cramp. I dropped to the floor with him in my arms, humming a lullaby to keep us both calm, the cheerful tune a stark contrast to my sense that something was not right.
"I knew, as I clutched my firstborn child, that I was losing my second. Hours later, I lay in a hospital bed, holding my husband’s hand.
"I felt the clamminess of his palm and kissed his knuckles, wet from both our tears. Staring at the cold white walls, my eyes glazed over. I tried to imagine how we’d heal."
The Duchess of Sussex said she was speaking out about her tragic loss as she still feels it is still a "taboo" subject, which can lead to a "cycle of solitary mourning" for so many.
She wrote: "In the pain of our loss, my husband and I discovered that in a room of 100 women, 10 to 20 of them will have suffered from miscarriage.
"Yet despite the staggering commonality of this pain, the conversation remains taboo, riddled with (unwarranted) shame, and perpetuating a cycle of solitary mourning."
Meghan continued: "Sitting in a hospital bed, watching my husband’s heart break as he tried to hold the shattered pieces of mine, I realized that the only way to begin to heal is to first ask, 'Are you OK?'"
She went on to talk about the importance of being honest and open about pain and that through this "we can take the first steps towards healing."
For support on this subject visit the Miscarriage Association who offer telephone and online support and information services free of charge to individuals, whoever and wherever they are.
