When Meghan Markle married Prince Harry and officially became the Duchess of Sussex, she was already a well-known figure as a successful actress.
However, she later admitted that she was unprepared for the intense scrutiny that comes with being part of the Royal Family.
Meghan has been open about her struggles with mental health issues and suicidal thoughts during her time as a working royal.
This realisation prompted the Duke and Duchess of Sussex to acknowledge that being full-time, taxpayer-funded representatives of the crown was not suitable for their young family.
Although they initially hoped to continue their royal duties on a part-time basis, the late Queen Elizabeth deemed this arrangement unworkable, leading them to fully separate from the House of Windsor.
Since that decision, tensions have persisted between the Sussexes and some senior royals. Meghan and Harry’s openness about the challenges they faced within the monarchy, as well as allegations directed at Queen Camilla and Prince William, have reportedly fueled these tensions.
Nevertheless, in a comprehensive interview, Meghan emphasized the significance of “forgiveness” and shared that she has made “an active effort” to extend this to her royal in-laws.
During her conversation with The Cut magazine in 2022, while promoting her podcast Archetypes, Meghan was asked whether forgiveness was still attainable despite the turmoil with the Windsors and her own family over the years.
The Duchess replied “I think forgiveness is really important. It takes a lot more energy to not forgive…But it takes a lot of effort to forgive. I’ve really made an active effort, especially knowing that I can say anything”.
She also said that there were no practical blockages getting in the way of her voicing her opinions about her experiences: “It’s interesting, I’ve never had to sign anything that restricts me from talking…I can talk about my whole experience and make a choice not to,” and later in the interview noted, “I have a lot to say until I don’t. Do you like that? Sometimes, as they say, the silent part is still part of the song.”
In another part of the interview, Meghan disclosed that she had packed up her UK residence, Frogmore Cottage, during her visit for the late Queen’s Platinum Jubilee—a weekend of festivities that also marked Princess Lilibet’s first birthday.
