Meghan Markle opens up about 'struggle' of being a new mom: 'Not many people have asked if I'm OK'
The Duchess of Sussex is speaking out about the pressures she’s faced being both pregnant and a mother in the spotlight, admitting it has been “a struggle.”
As part of a one-hour documentary with journalist Tom Bradby on the U.K. network ITV, filmed during the recent tour of South Africa that she embarked on earlier this month with Prince Harry and baby Archie, Meghan Markle reveals that she’s having a difficult time with the negative press she received during her pregnancy and after the birth of her son.
In a video clip from the documentary, which airs Sunday, she’s candid when asked about the impact of the pressures of the public eye on her health.
“Any woman, especially when they are pregnant, you’re really vulnerable, and so that was made really challenging, and then when you have a newborn, you know… And especially as a woman, it’s a lot. So you add this on top of just trying to be a new mom or trying to be a newlywed ....”
The duchess thanked Bradby for checking in with her.
“Also thank you for asking, because not many people have asked if I’m OK. But it’s a very real thing to be going through behind the scenes.”
Bradby then asked the duchess if she’s “not really OK, as in, it’s really been a struggle?” to which she replies: “Yes.”
Markle’s life has changed considerably in the past two years since marrying into the royal family. As a result, she’s featured in hundreds, if not thousands, of articles a week — both online and in print — and receives more media attention than almost any other person in the world.
The attention prompted Prince Harry to release an emotional statement addressing the treatment of his wife by certain media outlets in the British press.
In the Oct. 1 statement, the royal also compared Markle’s treatment by the press to that of Princess Diana, who died in 1997 in a Paris car crash. “My deepest fear is history repeating itself,” he wrote. “I’ve seen what happens when someone I love is commoditized 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.”
Prince Harry also opened up about to Bradby in the documentary, calling his mother’s death a “wound that festers.”
"I think [of] being part of this family, in this role, in this job every single time I see a camera, every single time I hear a click, every single time I see a flash," he told Bradby of Princess Diana’s notoriety. "It takes me straight back, so in that respect, it’s the worst reminder of her life as opposed to the best."
Harry & Meghan: An African Journey, hosted by Robin Roberts, will air on ABC on Wednesday, Oct. 23 at 10 p.m. ET.
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