Meghan Markle admits feeling ‘vulnerable’ during pregnancy amid media scrutiny

‘Not many people have asked if I’m okay’

The Duchess of Sussex has opened up about feeling “vulnerable” during her pregnancy in a clip from the upcoming documentary about her and the Duke of Sussex’s recent royal tour of southern Africa.

For the Harry and Meghan: An African Journey documentary, due to air on ITV on Sunday 20 October at 9pm, the duchess spoke to journalist Tom Bradby about the impact media scrutiny had on her wellbeing prior to and immediately following the birth of Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor.

Mr Bradby said to Meghan that Prince Harry feels a duty to protect her “from what he felt his mother went through”, stating: “I don’t know what the impact [was] on your physical and mental health of all the pressure that you clearly feel under.”

Looking visibly emotional, the duchess said that coping with the pressure was “challenging” at times.

“Any woman, especially when they’re pregnant, you’re really vulnerable – so that was made really challenging,” Meghan said.

“And when you have a newborn... and especially as a woman it’s a lot. So you add this on top of just trying to be a new mum or trying to be a newlywed.”

The duchess then expressed her gratitude towards Mr Bradby for asking about how she is feeling.

“Thank you for asking because not many people have asked if I’m okay, but it’s a very real thing to be going through behind the scenes,” the royal said.

When Mr Bradby then asked her whether she is “not really okay” and that it had been a “struggle”, she responded: “Yes.”

In the royal tour documentary, Prince Harry also spoke about the pressure he feels as a member of the royal family, especially given the relationship his mother, the late Diana, Princess of Wales, had with the press.

While discussing his mother’s death, the royal said it is a “wound that festers”.

“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, so in that respect it’s the worst reminder of her life, as opposed to the best,” he said.

As Meghan and Prince Harry’s royal tour came to an end, it was announced the royal couple had taken legal action against the Mail on Sunday after the newspaper allegedly unlawfully published a private letter written by the duchess.

Law firm Schillings, representing the duchess, said she had filed a High Court claim against the paper and its parent company Associated Newspapers over the alleged misuse of private information, infringement of copyright and breach of the Data Protection Act 2018.

Shortly afterwards, Prince Harry also launched two separate legal proceedings against the owners of the Daily Mirror and The Sun, over alleged phone hacking.