Meghan Markle contemplated suicide as a working Royal family member
Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle, made a scary admission during the tell-all interview with Oprah Winfrey on Sunday. The pressure of being under microscopic lens all the time drove Markle to suicidal thoughts, she revealed. "I just didn't want to be alive anymore," she said addressing the "character assassination" she faced. When she discussed the possibility of inpatient care, a senior member rebuffed her requests.
Markle, who was ridiculed by the British press since her marriage with Prince Harry in 2018, admitted that the pressure got to her. "I was really ashamed to have to say it at the time and ashamed to have to admit it to Harry especially, but I knew that if I didn't say that, I would do it," she said. Thankfully, Harry stood by her.
"I remember how [Harry] just cradled me. I went to the institution. And I said that I'd never felt this way before. I need to go somewhere. And I was told that I couldn't, because it wouldn't be good for the institution," Markle revealed.
Harry also talked about the culture of "silent suffering" in the Royal family. "I was trapped but I didn't know I was trapped," he said, adding that if not for Markle he wouldn't have been able to see the problem. "I went to a very dark place as well, but I wanted to be there for her," Harry said.
On the topic of Queen Elizabeth II, Harry's grandmother, Markle said that she had always been welcoming, wonderful, and warm. Markle also denied any confrontation with Duchess of Cambridge Kate Middleton, the wife of Harry's elder brother Prince William. Reports said that she made Kate cry over dresses of flower girls. "Everyone in the institution knew it wasn't true. The reverse happened," Markle claimed.
For the unversed, last year, rumors surfaced that Middleton and Markle had a disagreement on whether the flower girls must wear tights. "Kate, following protocol, felt that they should. Meghan didn't want them to. The photographs suggest that Meghan won," British tabloid Tatler had reported.
Markle told how the press tore her apart. Though she didn't read the negative reports, her friends informed her about what was being said. "I just didn't see a solution. I would sit up at night, and didn't understand how all of this is being churned out. I realized that it was all happening just because I was breathing," she said.
Markle called out the Royal family on other things too, including 'perpetuating falsehoods' about her and Harry. "I don't know how they could expect that after all this time, we would still just be silent if there is an active role that the firm is playing in perpetuating falsehoods about us," the Duchess of Sussex told Winfrey during the interview.
The Duchess of Sussex was accused of bullying staff members during her time as a working Royal. Dismissing the allegations, the Sussexes released a statement saying, "The Duchess is saddened by this latest attack on her character, particularly as someone who has been the target of bullying herself." Buckingham Palace had announced a probe into the bullying allegations against Markle.
In case you need help or know someone who does, you can reach out to AASRA for suicide prevention counseling. Their number is 022 2754 6669 (24 hours). You can also contact the Hyderabad-based Roshni NGO at +914066202000 or COOJ at +918322252525. Sneha India Foundation, which works 24X7, can be contacted at +914424640050. Vandrevala Foundation has trained counselors, and their number is 18602662345.
