Belfast Telegraph

Meghan feeling ‘vulnerable’ as new mum under media spotlight

- BY JILL RICHARDS The documentar­y Harry & Meghan: An African Journey, will air on UTV tomorrow at 9pm

Duchess of Sussex has told of the struggles of becoming a mother while living under the spotlight.

Meghan, who gave birth to son Archie in May, shared her feelings of vulnerabil­ity during her pregnancy and as a new mother amid intense media scrutiny.

Speaking to ITV’s Tom Bradby during her and Harry’s recent tour of southern Africa, the duchess added that “not many people have asked if I’m okay”.

“Look, any woman — especially when they are pregnant — you’re really vulnerable and so that was made really challengin­g, and then when you have a new born, you know?” the duchess said, when asked how she was coping.

“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 it’s, well...

“And also, 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.”

Asked if it would be fair to say it had “really been a struggle”, Meghan replied: “Yes.”

The interview is part of a documentar­y detailing the duke and duchess’s 10-day tour last month, in which Harry also opens up about his grief surroundin­g his mother’s death.

Harry said that he felt significan­t pressure being a member of the royal family in the spotlight, and was particular­ly stressed by the memories of his mother’s relationsh­ip with the press.

He said: “I think probably 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.

“Being here now, 22 years later, trying to finish what she started, will be incredibly emotional, but everything that I do reminds me of her. “But as I said, with the role, with the job, and the sort of pressures that come with that, I get reminded of the bad stuff, unfortunat­ely.”

As the tour ended, the duke and duchess both brought separate legal actions against parts of the press, with Meghan suTHE ing the Mail on Sunday over a breach of privacy when it published a private letter between her and her estranged father.

Harry later filed his own proceeding­s at the High Court in relation to the alleged illegal intercepti­on of voicemail messages by Sun, News of the World and Daily Mirror journalist­s.

 ?? ITV ?? The Duchess of Sussex (also below) speaks to Tom
Bradby in Johannesbu­rg
ITV The Duchess of Sussex (also below) speaks to Tom Bradby in Johannesbu­rg
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