The Duchess of Sussex has barely been out of the headlines since she married Prince Harry and officially became a member of British royalty in May last year, however the former actress has now admitted that she has been struggling behind the scenes.
Meghan, who became a mother for the first time in May this year, has opened up in her most honest interview to date about the “vulnerability” she felt at dealing with media and public scrutiny whilst she was pregnant.
Footage has been shared online from upcoming ITV documentary Harry & Meghan: An African Journey, which shows Meghan openly discussing her personal struggles, in her first solo interview since becoming a duchess.
Speaking to ITV journalist Tom Bradby, the mum-of-one says: “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…
“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. And, also thank you for asking, because not many people have asked if I’m OK. But it’s a very real thing to be going through behind the scenes.”
In the short clip, Meghan can be seen getting visibly emotional as Bradby then asks her: “Would it be fair to say, [you’re] not really OK, as in it’s really been a struggle??” To which the duchess replies: “Yes.”
The clip is the third to have been shared online this week ahead of the one-off documentary’s release, with the program set to air in the UK this Sunday. It has not yet been confirmed whether it will air in other countries, including Australia.
In another heartbreaking clip from the show, which was released on Thursday, Prince Harry also became emotional as he opened up about the “festering wound” caused by his mother Princess Diana’s tragic death in 1997.
After Bradby asked Harry if he feels “at peace” yet, Harry replied: “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 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. Everything that I do reminds me of her. But with the role, with the job and the pressures that come with that, I get reminded of the bad stuff unfortunately.”
Bradby goes on to discuss Harry’s fears that the Duchess of Sussex is now being subject to the “same pressures as his mother was”.
Harry & Meghan: An African Journey airs in the UK on ITV on Sunday October 20.