Meghan’s explosive tell-all divides Palace
The Duchess of Sussex has revealed she wanted to kill herself when she was pregnant and alleged members of the royal family were racist in an explosive tell-all interview with Oprah Winfrey.
With Prince Harry by her side, Meghan said during the two-hour interview she was denied help and alleged that there was official concern about the skin colour of her unborn son, Archie, and a conspiracy to deny him a title because he was of mixed race.
When the duchess told the royal family’s human resources department that she was suicidal, she was told that if she sought medical help, it would harm the “institution”. “I just didn’t want to be alive anymore,’’ she said, revealing that prior to an official engagement she didn’t want to be left alone because she feared what she might do.
In the biggest royal tell-all since Harry’s mother, Princess Diana, detailed her crumbling marriage to Prince Charles, in 1995, the duke when pressed by Winfrey said he was ashamed of revealing his wife’s condition to other members of his family.
Meghan, 39, also told of royal “concerns” about “how dark” her son’s skin would be, saying Harry revealed to her official conversations over Archie’s appearance, as well as the security he would be entitled to, ahead of his birth on May 6, 2019.
The duchess refused to the name those people because “it would be very damaging”.
Meghan — whose father is white and mother African American— went on to suggest that because her baby would be mixed race, racism was behind the decision to deny Archie a royal title and personal security. “In those months when I was pregnant ... we have in tandem the conversation of ‘he won’t be given security, he’s not going to be given a title’ and also concerns and conversations about how dark his skin might be when he’s born,” Meghan said.
“That was relayed to me from Harry — those were conversations the family had with him.”
After the couple’s surprise decision in late 2019 to move to North America, the former television actress has been portrayed in some British newspapers as headstrong, calculating and spoiled, and the couple reckless and selfish for quitting royal life.
Harry, 36, revealed the deep divisions within his family, saying he felt “really let down” by how his father had handled the situation.
In his rearguard role late in the interview, Harry said he had been trapped within the royal family and added that the Prince of Wales and his brother William were still trapped.
He blamed British tabloids for their aggressive criticism of his wife, saying it started shortly after their 2018 wedding and became worse after Meghan was so successful on the Australian tour.
He also revealed that in the
THE WEDDING
We remind ourselves it was our day, but aware it wasn’t our day but the day planned for the world.
ARCHIE
In those months I was pregnant ... (there were) concerns and conversations about how dark (Archie’s) skin might be when he’s born. That was relayed to me from Harry from conversations that family had with him.
KATE … WHO UPSET WHO?
A few days before the wedding (Kate) was upset about something pertaining to the flower girl dresses, and it made me cry, and it really hurt my feelings.
CONTEMPLATING SUICIDE
I was really ashamed to say it at time and admit to Harry especially, I’ve seen how much loss he’s suffered. But if I didn’t say it, I would do it. I didn’t want to be alive anymore, that was clear and real and (a) frightening and constant thought. I remember how (Harry) cradled me. I thought it would solve everything for everyone.
I went to the institution and I said “I need to go somewhere to get help”. I was told I could not, it would not be good for the institution.
SPEAKING OUT
That’s the sad irony of the last four years, I’ve advocated for women to use their voice, and I was silent (Oprah: ‘Were you silent, or were you silenced?’)
BEING A WORKING ROYAL
I didn’t fully understand what the job was. What is a working royal? We talked about the beginning of the courtship, but (there was) no way to understand the day to day.
THE QUEEN
The Queen for example has been wonderful to me. In our first engagement together on the train we had breakfast and she gave me a beautiful gift and I loved being in her company.
In the car between engagements she has a blanket across her knees for warmth and she pulled it across my knees as well. She reminds me of my grandmother.
BEING MARRIED TO HARRY
It’s greater than any fairytale.
HARRY ON …
QUESTIONS ABOUT THEIR CHILDREN’S SKIN
(There were questions) right from the beginning. “What will the children look like?” That conversation, I am never going to share. At the time it was awkward, I was a bit shocked.
WILLIAM
We have been through hell together. We are on different paths.
MARRYING MEGHAN
There were some real obvious signs, before we even got married, that this was going to be really hard.
LEAVING THE ROYAL FAMILY
My biggest worry was history repeating itself and what I was seeing was history repeating itself but far more dangerous because you add in race and social media. When I’m talking about history repeating itself, I’m talking about my mother.
I would not have been able to (leave without Meghan) because I felt trapped. I couldn’t see a way out. I was trapped and didn’t know I was trapped. Like the rest of my family are. My father and my brother are trapped.
THE ROYAL FAMILY BEING BLINDSIDED
I never blindsided my grandmother. I have too much respect for her … We told Prince Charles that we would announce our departure and put it all out on 7 January.
THE BRITISH PRESS
I am acutely aware how scared my family are that the tabloids will turn on them.
WHAT HIS MOTHER WOULD THINK OF THE TREATMENT OF MEGHAN AND HIMSELF
(She would be) very angry.
HIS FATHER
… he stopped taking my calls. He asked me for it all in writing. I will always love him but there is a lot of hurt that has happened. I feel really let down, because he has been through something similar, he knows what pain feels like, and Archie’s his grandson.
THE AUSTRALIA TOUR
It really all changed after our Australia tour. That brought back memories: to see how effortless it was for Meghan to come into the family and be able to connect with people.