Duchess opens up about postpartum challenges and unmet expectations during royal life
Meghan Markle has offered a rare and emotional insight into her early experiences of motherhood, revealing the weight of public scrutiny and personal pressure she faced while raising her children in the royal spotlight.
In the latest episode of her Confessions of a Female Founder podcast, released on May 20, the Duchess of Sussex spoke with Kitsch founder Cassandra Thurswell, sharing her own struggles as a new mother amid mounting responsibilities and external pressures.
“Before I was a mom, I was, ‘Oh gosh, I'm going to give a speech with a baby on my hip.’ I had a whole vision,” Meghan recalled.
“You fast forward — granted I had a lot of external things happening at the time I had both pregnancies and both babies — but it was not the way I envisioned it.”
While Meghan didn’t reference the royal family directly, her remarks subtly echoed the challenges she and Prince Harry faced before stepping back from their roles in 2020. Her reflections also align with previous revelations, including the couple's high-profile interview with Oprah Winfrey and ongoing legal and security battles in the UK.
Thurswell, who opened up about severe postpartum anxiety, found common ground with the Duchess, sparking a conversation that highlighted the often unseen struggles behind polished public appearances.
Meghan, now mother to Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, has recently been more open about her private life, including a sentimental anniversary post featuring rare family photos and moments with their children.
The podcast episode adds a deeply personal dimension to her public image, offering listeners a glimpse of the emotional reality behind the royal headlines — and a reminder that motherhood, even under the world’s gaze, comes with its own universal set of challenges.
