Meghan Markle has revealed how she tried and failed to adopt the ‘British sensibility of a stiff upper lip’.
In last night’s ITV documentary, Meghan described how she and Harry decided to push back against criticism after she realised the ‘damaging’ impact of burying emotions.
Meghan also revealed that she was once told to end her relationship with Harry by UK friends who warned that scrutiny by the British media would ‘destroy your life’.
In her first on-screen interview since becoming a mother, the American former actress insisted that she had ‘no idea’ about the level of attention she would face.
Appearing to hold back tears, Meghan admitted feeling ‘vulnerable’ during her pregnancy with Archie under the media spotlight.
Meghan revealed that she was once told to end her relationship with Harry by UK friends who warned that scrutiny by the British media would ‘destroy your life’
Asked about the pressure she felt, she said: ‘It’s hard…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 is great but you should not do it because the British tabloids will destroy your life”.
‘And I very naively…[said] ”What the hell are you talking about? That doesn’t make any sense, I’m not in tabloids”. I didn’t get it. It’s been complicated.’
Meghan, 38, told presenter Tom Bradby: ‘I’ve said for a long time to H – that’s what I call him – it is not enough to just survive something. That’s not the point of life.
‘You’ve got to thrive and feel happy. I really tried to adopt this British sensibility of a stiff upper lip. I tried, I really tried.
‘But I think what that does internally is probably really damaging.’
Appearing to hold back tears, Meghan admitted feeling ‘vulnerable’ during her pregnancy with Archie under the media spotlight
In an interview with ITV, The Duchess of Sussex said she has found the focus on her after her marriage and giving birth a struggle, adding: ‘Not many people have asked if I’m ok’
Meghan said that she accepted the need to be scrutinised – but suggested she had been the subject of ‘untrue’ comments.
Harry has claimed his wife has faced ‘relentless propaganda’.
It came as Meghan launched legal action against The Mail on Sunday for publishing a letter which she wrote to her estranged father.
In the ITV documentary, Prince Harry said: ‘My mum taught me a certain set of values that I will always try to uphold, despite the role and the job that sometimes that entails.
‘I will always protect my family and now I have a family to protect.
‘So everything that she went through, and what happened to her, is incredibly important every single day, and that is not me being paranoid, that is just me not wanting a repeat of the past.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex will take six weeks off from Royal duties for some ‘much-needed family time’, it was reported on Saturday night
‘If anybody else knew what I knew, be it a father or be it a husband, be it anyone, you would probably be doing exactly what I am doing as well.
‘Everything that she went through and what happened to her is still incredibly raw every single day. That is not me being paranoid, that is me not wanting a repeat of the past.’
In the documentary, Harry described the way he deals with the pressures of his life as being a matter of ‘constant management’, adding: ‘I thought I was out of the woods and then suddenly it all came back, and this is something that I have to manage.
‘Part of this job, and part of any job, like everybody, is putting on a brave face and turning a cheek to a lot of the stuff, but again, for me and again for my wife, of course there is a lot of stuff that hurts, especially when the majority of it is untrue.
‘But all we need to do is focus on being real, and focus on being the people that we are, and standing up for what we believe in.
During the royal tour, baby Archie was introduced to Nobel Peace Prize-winning anti-apartheid campaigner Archbishop Desmond Tutu during the tour, which Meghan described as a ‘really special’ moment
‘I will not be bullied into playing a game that killed my mum.’
The Duchess received an outpouring of support from Twitter users on Friday after a clip from tonight’s documentary was released in which she admitted she was ‘not really OK’.
Within an hour, #WeLoveYouMeghan became the top trending topic on the social media platform, with users offering positive messages in the wake of the Duchess’s recent media scrutiny.
And the outpouring of support was repeated tonight, with social media users flocking to praise both Harry and Meghan.
One user wrote: ‘Dunno how you can watch this and not feel a slither of sympathy. I couldn’t go through what Meghan’s been subjected to now, never mind throughout pregnancy & whilst becoming a new mom. Absolutely mind blowing.’
Another said: ‘I respect Meghan. She’s not asking you to adore her, to worship at her feet, but you treat justly and fairly. She’s willing to fight for that because surviving is not enough. Her husband is unwilling to be bullied to appease you and your entitlement.’