Meghan Markle knew royal life would never be easy, but she had no idea the media scrutiny she has faced over the last two years would be as bad as it’s been. In a new interview with ITV, Markle has opened up unlike she ever has before, and it’s giving her fans a very clear look into how hard it all has been.
The former actress and her husband, Prince Harry, are the topic of a new documentary called Harry & Meghan: An African Journey. In the documentary, Markle was asked how she’s been dealing with the “lack of privacy and ruthless tabloid rumors as a new parent.” She told the ITV reporter that she taking “each day as it comes.”
“I never thought that this would be easy, but I thought it would be fair. And that’s the part that’s really hard to reconcile.”
Markle said that she would completely understand stories being written about her if they were true, but the majority of what’s been published about Markle and her family has been false. Markle admitted that if she were being scrutinized for something she actually did, she would own up to it.
“If I do something wrong I’d be the first one to go, ‘Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry. I would never do that,’ but when people are saying things that are just untrue and they’re being told they’re untrue but they’re allowed to still say them, I don’t know anybody in the world who would feel that that’s OK. And that’s different than just scrutiny. That’s, what would you call that? That’s a different beast. It’s really a different beast.”
The documentary comes several days after Harry revealed that he and Markle are suing a British tabloid for spreading false news and publishing a private and personal letter written by the Duchess of Sussex.
Prince Harry Compares Media’s Treatment of Meghan Markle to the Way They Treated His Mom, Princess Diana
In the documentary, Harry tells Journalist Tom Bradby, “Look, part of this job and part of any job, like everybody, means putting on a brave face and turning a cheek to a lot of the stuff. But again, for me and for my wife, of course, there’s a lot of stuff that hurts — especially when the majority of it is untrue.”
Harry continues: “But all we need to do is focus on being real, focus on being the people we are and standing up for what we believe in. I will not be bullied into carrying a game that killed my mum.”
“It’s a wound that festers,” Harry says, referring to his mother’s tragic death at the hands of picture-hungry paparazzi. “I think 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, it takes me straight back . In that respect, it’s the worst reminder of her life as opposed to the best.”
The prince also said in his statement that he has been “a silent witness to her private suffering for too long. To stand back and do nothing would be contrary to everything we believe in.” And Markle agreed with that in her own interview.
“It’s hard. I don’t think anybody could understand that. In all fairness I had no idea, which probably sounds difficult to understand and hear. But when I first met my now-husband, my friends were really happy because I was so happy but my British friends said to me, ‘I’m sure he’s great but you shouldn’t do it because the British tabloids will destroy your life.'”
But what makes Harry and Markle different from others who have been in a similar situation is that they don’t just want to just survive this media firestorm over them, they want to thrive through the hate.
Markle continued, “I have said for a long time to H, that’s what I call him, ‘It’s not enough to just survive something. That’s not the point of life. You have to thrive. You have got to feel happy.’ I really tried to adopt this British sensibility of a ‘stiff upper life.’ I really tried, but I think that what that does internally is probably really damaging.”
She went on to say that any first-time mother would have a hard time with being criticized, let alone on an international level. “Any woman, especially when they’re 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.” Markle then got emotional when she admitted that not many people have asked her how she’s been since their son, Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor‘s birth on May 6.
Markle said while she’s not OK with how intense the struggle has been for them, she is thankful to have “the best” husband and son by her side. And Harry stressed that he “will not be bullied into carrying a game that killed my mom.” Sources have also stated that Prince William is “worried” for his brother and sister-in-law.
Last week, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex attended the WellChild Awards. Harry spoke publicly at the event, getting emotional when he thought back to last year’s event when only he and Markle knew they were expecting their first child together.
According to Yahoo! News, the couple also spoke privately to other families in attendance. One mom, Eve, said that during their meeting, Harry reassured Markle that she looks great five-months postpartum.
“They were very lovely. When she sat down I said, ‘Oh, you look amazing and you’ve just had a baby.’ He looked at her and went, ‘See, I told you!’ In a way that we would… it did feel like they were very down to earth.”
Harry Also Reveals That, Yes, Archie Has His Dad’s Trademark Red Hair
At the same event, Harry also confirmed that Archie has inherited his famous red hair. As People reports, the prince said you can see the redness in his eyebrows. How cute?
The full documentary with Harry and Meghan is set to air in the United States on Wednesday, October 23, on ABC.
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