Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, fought back tears after being asked how she’s handling the pressures of royal life and media scrutiny.
In a clip from an upcoming ITV documentary about her recent tour of Africa with Prince Harry, Markle told the interviewer the endless scrutiny has been difficult.
Related Story: Trump Denies Calling Meghan Markle ‘Nasty’ Despite Recording of Him Saying It
She said the situation has been especially “challenging” since she gave birth to son Archie Mountbatten-Windsor in May.
[Watch the video below]
“Look, any woman, especially when they are pregnant, you’re really vulnerable, and so that was made really challenging,” she told host Tom Bradby.
“Then when you have a newborn… 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…” Markle added as her voice trailed off.
“Thank you for asking, because not many people have asked if I’m okay,” she said. “But it’s a very real thing to be going through behind the scenes.”
World Exclusive; Meghan tells me of the intense pressures of a life in the spotlight and the toll it has taken on her behind the scenes. pic.twitter.com/tpmeomj5UV
— tom bradby (@tombradby) October 18, 2019
Bradby followed up by asking the former Suits actress: “Would it be fair to say [you’re] not really okay? It’s really been a struggle?”
“Yes,” she responded as her eyes filled with tears. ITV was granted an interview with the duke and duchess when they traveled to Africa last month.
Markle’s comments come amid her legal battle against the Mail on Sunday. She filed a lawsuit earlier this month against the British tabloid for publishing a private letter she wrote to her estranged father Thomas Markle.
Prince Harry said in a statement at the time that tabloid coverage of the duchess has been”ruthless.”
“Unfortunately, my wife has become one of the latest victims of a British tabloid press that wages campaigns against individuals with no thought to the consequences — a ruthless campaign that has escalated over the past year, throughout her pregnancy and while raising our newborn son,” he said in a statement.
Harry & Meghan: An African Journey airs in the U.S. on Wednesday, Oct. 23 at 10 p.m. on ABC.
