Meghan Markle and Prince Harry Informed the Royal Family About Her Miscarriage
Meghan Markle revealed in a new, deeply personal op-ed for The New York Times that she suffered a miscarriage over the summer.
"It was a July morning that began as ordinarily as any other day: Make breakfast. Feed the dogs. Take vitamins. Find that missing sock. Pick up the rogue crayon that rolled under the table. Throw my hair in a ponytail before getting my son from his crib," wrote the Duchess of Sussex, who shares 1-year-old son Archie with husband Prince Harry. "After changing his diaper, I felt a sharp cramp. I dropped to the floor with him in my arms, humming a lullaby to keep us both calm, the cheerful tune a stark contrast to my sense that something was not right. I knew, as I clutched my firstborn child, that I was losing my second."
"Hours later, I lay in a hospital bed, holding my husband's hand. I felt the clamminess of his palm and kissed his knuckles, wet from both our tears," she continued. "Staring at the cold white walls, my eyes glazed over. I tried to imagine how we'd heal."
Prior to the story being published, Prince Harry did discuss Meghan's miscarriage with his family, ET has learned. The Duke and Duchess also knew at the time of their loss that their story was something they wanted to eventually share publicly. It seems now was the right time.
It was "a deeply personal matter which we would not comment on," a Buckingham Palace source said.
Additionally, sources told Vanity Fair that Harry's family has been very supportive throughout the experience. The outlet reports that Meghan wanted to write the piece in hopes of encouraging others to talk about miscarriage.
"They decided that they wanted to talk about this and that this was the right time to do so," a friend close to the couple told royal expert Katie Nicholl. "There’s a tone of hopefulness and optimism at the end of the article which I think shows where they are today. They are doing well."
As ET reported earlier on Wednesday, Meghan also wrote in her op-ed that through their own experience with loss, she and Harry learned how common miscarriages are, which prompted the former Suits star to speak out.
"Losing a child means carrying an almost unbearable grief, experienced by many but talked about by few. In the pain of our loss, my husband and I discovered that in a room of 100 women, 10 to 20 of them will have suffered from miscarriage," she wrote. "Yet despite the staggering commonality of this pain, the conversation remains taboo, riddled with (unwarranted) shame, and perpetuating a cycle of solitary mourning."
"Some have bravely shared their stories; they have opened the door, knowing that when one person speaks truth, it gives license for all of us to do the same," she added. "We have learned that when people ask how any of us are doing, and when they really listen to the answer, with an open heart and mind, the load of grief often becomes lighter -- for all of us. In being invited to share our pain, together we take the first steps toward healing."
Hear more in the video below.
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