Meghan Markle 'Envisioned' Giving Speeches ‘With a Baby on My Hip,' but Royal Motherhood Didn't Go as Planned
Meghan Markle has shared how motherhood journey hasn't been what she'd initially 'envisioned'
The Duchess of Sussex shares son Prince Archie, 6, and daughter Princess Lilibet, 3, with her husband, Prince Harry
In a new podcast episode, she talked about how "external" factors kept her from the life she'd pictured with her two kidsFor Meghan Markle, motherhood didn't pan out the way she'd originally imagined.
The Duchess of Sussex, 43, shares son Prince Archie, 6, and daughter Princess Lilibet, 3, with her husband, Prince Harry. During the May 20 episode of her Lemonada Media podcast, Confessions of a Female Founder, she reflected on the expectations she had for motherhood within the royal family before welcoming her children.
"I will say, for myself, especially when they are baby babies and before I was a mom, I've always wanted to be a mom," she revealed. "I was like, 'Oh gosh I'm going to give a speech with a baby on my hip.' I had a whole vision.'
However, things didn't go according to the Suits star's plan.
'Granted, I had a lot of external things happening by the time I had both pregnancies and both babies,' she shared. 'But it was not the way I envisioned it."
Meghan and Harry, 40, welcomed Archie while they were still senior members of the royal family. They brought their son with them on a royal tour of Africa in 2019, introducing him to Bishop Desmond Tutu during a public appearance.
But several months later, the couple announced their intention to "step back" as working royals and relocate their family to California. Amid the public scrutiny, the Sussexes kept their son out of the spotlight.
In 2021, they welcomed daughter Lilibet and were continuing to settle into life in their new home in Montecito, opting to keep photos of both kids to a minimum and not having them attend public events.
Despite the shift in Meghan's plans, she said that one constant remains a priority for her.
'For me, it's so important my kids see me as a working mom,' the As ever founder noted on her podcast.
Can't get enough of PEOPLE's Royals coverage? to get the latest updates on Kate Middleton, Meghan Markle and more!
For his part, Harry has spent much of fatherhood concerned for his family's safety. The son of King Charles and the late Princess Diana recently lost his appeal to reinstate his state-funded security in the United Kingdom.
"Look at the risk, look at the threat, look at the impact that if anything was to happen to me, my wife, or my father's grandchildren. If anything was to happen to them, look where the responsibility lies," Harry told the BBC earlier this month.
Harry stated that the original security decision was made 'to keep us under the roof,' implying that it was done to keep Harry and Meghan as senior members of the royal family.
Harry's mother, Princess Diana, was left without police protection after choosing to decline it following her divorce from the future King. In 1997 she died in a Paris car crash while being pursued by paparazzi and guarded only by private security.
"I don't want history to repeat itself," the Duke of Sussex said. "I think there's a lot of other people out there, the majority, that also don't want history to repeat itself. Through the disclosure process, I've discovered that some people want history to repeat itself, which is pretty dark."
Read the original article on People
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Pregnant Meghan Markle Drops Low in 'Baby Mama Dance' Hospital Video with Prince Harry to Induce Labor with Princess Lilibet
Meghan Markle celebrated her daughter Princess Lilibet's fourth birthday by sharing a throwback photo of the viral dance trend she did with Prince Harry to induce labor with Lilibet In the video, Meghan held her baby bump as she shook her hips, raised her hands in the air and spun around "When spicy food, all that walking, and acupuncture didn't work - there was only one thing left to do!" Meghan joked on Instagram Meghan Markle shared a glimpse into a candid moment while going into labor with her daughter, Princess Lilibet, in honor of her fourth birthday on Wednesday, June 4. In the clip, filmed in a hospital labor and delivery room, Meghan, 43, dances in a black dress while cradling her baby bump while Starrkeisha's "The Baby Momma Dance" songplays in the background — the same song that fueled a viral social media dance trend at the time. Seconds later, Prince Harry, 40, enters the frame and begins to dance with his wife. Meghan shakes her hips in the clip, puts her arms in the air and spins while Harry shows off his own moves, even dropping it "down low" with Meghan as the lyrics command. "Four years ago today, this also happened. Both of our children were a week past their due dates… so when spicy food, all that walking, and acupuncture didn't work - there was only one thing left to do! 😂," Meghan wrote in the caption on Instagram. While the couple looked joyful in their lighthearted video, Harry revealed harrowing details behind his daughter's birth at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital in California in his 2023 memoir, Spare. The Duke of Sussex wanted to be the first person Lilibet saw when she was born, so he "went and stood beside the doctor," he wrote in his book. "We both crouched. As if about to pray. The doctor called out: The head is crowning. Crowning, I thought. Incredible." He continued, "The skin was blue. I worried the baby wasn't getting enough air. Is she choking? I looked at Meg. One more push, my love! We're so close." Harry recalled how the doctor helped guide his hands during the birth, writing that he heard "a scream, then a moment of pure liquid silence." "There was only this intense present, and then the doctor turned to me and shouted: Now!" Harry wrote. "Gently, but firmly, as I'd seen in films, I pulled our precious daughter from that world into this." Can't get enough of PEOPLE's Royals coverage? Sign up for our free Royals newsletter to get the latest updates on Kate Middleton, Meghan Markle and more! Before sharing the behind-the-scenes video of her labor with Lilibet, Meghan kicked off her daughter's birthday by posting some never-before-seen photos of Prince Harry and their daughter on Instagram on June 4. Meghan celebrated "the sweetest bond" between Harry and Lilibet, whom she called "Daddy's little girl and favorite adventurer." In the first photo shared by Meghan, Harry held his newborn daughter in a sweet black-and-white shot. The second image in Meghan's post showed Harry holding hands with his daughter as the two walked barefoot down a sandy road. Read the original article on People
New York Post
3 hours ago
- New York Post
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle feared King Charles delayed their children's passports over royal titles: report
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle feared that King Charles had delayed the issuing of Archie and Lilibet's passports over the use of their HRH titles, according to a report. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex waited nearly six months for their children's official documents to be issued — and believed that their application had been 'blocked' by the monarch, The Guardian reports. In their submitted applications, the couple listed Archie and Lilibet's last names as Sussex — which the family had started using in place of their previous surname, Mountbatten-Windsor. 5 Prince Harry and Meghan Markle feared that King Charles had delayed the issuing of Archie and Lilibet's passports over the use of their HRH titles, according to a report. Mirrorpix / MEGA 'There was clear reluctance to issue passports for the kids,' a source close to the Sussexes told the outlet. The insider claimed Charles, 76, 'hadn't wanted Archie and Lili to carry the titles, most of all the HRH, and the British passports, once created, would be the first and perhaps the only legal proof of their names.' Meanwhile, it was recently reported that Harry sought out his uncle Earl Spencer's counsel about taking his late mother's last name during a recent trip to the UK. The source added that the Invictus Games founder had asked for his uncle's advice out of 'sheer exasperation.' A spokesperson for the duke told The Post, 'We do not comment on private issues pertaining to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's children.' 5 The Duke and Duchess of Sussex waited nearly six months for their children's official documents to be issued. Alexi Lubomirski / Duke and Duch The Post understands that Harry's meeting with Earl Spencer about the family name did go ahead, however, recent reports alleging that Spencer had warned that the legal process would be overly complex are 'wholly inaccurate.' Buckingham Palace released a statement over Harry and the 'Suits' alum's HRH titles after the couple announced their departure from royal life in 2020. 'The Sussexes will not use their HRH titles as they are no longer working members of the royal family,' the palace said at the time. While no laws were put in place to prevent the duo from referring to themselves as His Royal Highness and Her Royal Highness, the pair did tell the late Queen Elizabeth II they would adhere to the agreement. 5 The Sussexes reportedly believed that their application had been 'blocked' by the monarch. meghan/Instagram As grandchildren of the king, Archie and Lilibet would have retained their HRH titles had they remained within the royal fold. However, after their parents stepped down as senior members of the royal family, the legitimacy of their titles was called into question. Still, palace officials have strongly denied that the king had anything to do with Archie and Lilibet's passport application process. Although the standard processing time for a British passport is around three weeks, the Sussexes reportedly faced a three-month delay due to unspecified 'technical issues.' 5 Palace officials have strongly denied that the king had anything to do with Archie and Lilibet's passport application process. POOL/AFP via Getty Images In response, they reportedly submitted a new application through the urgent 24-hour fast-track service — but their planned meeting was abruptly called off at the eleventh hour, allegedly due to a 'systems failure.' Archie and Lilibet's passports were ultimately granted shortly after Harry and Markle's legal team issued a strongly worded letter indicating they would file a data subject access request. 'Harry was at a point where British passports for his children with their updated Sussex surnames (since the death of Elizabeth II) were being blocked with a string of excuses over the course of five months,' a source told the outlet. 'Out of sheer exasperation he went to his uncle to effectively say, 'My family are supposed to have the same name and they're stopping that from happening because the kids are legally HRH, so if push comes to shove, if this blows up and they won't let the kids be called Sussex, then can we use Spencer as a surname?'' Unsurprisingly, the move likely would not have been well received by King Charles and Prince William, both of whom have long taken pride in the Mountbatten-Windsor name. As it stands, members of the monarchy who are descendants of the late Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip can take up the Mountbatten-Windsor last name. The family name combines the Windsor name with Philip's adopted surname of Mountbatten. 5 Harry, 40, reportedly wants his children to keep their HRH titles until they are old enough to decide which path they want to follow. Meghan/ Instagram It's been reported that the 'Spare' author, 40, wants his children to retain their HRH titles, allowing them the freedom to decide in the future whether to return to royal duties or continue building their lives in the US. Last month, frustrated Brits demanded that Harry and Markle be stripped of their royal titles, telling The Post in exasperation, 'Enough is enough.'
Yahoo
7 hours ago
- Yahoo
Queen Camilla ‘stays out' of King Charles' ongoing rift with Prince Harry
Queen Camilla is choosing to maintain her distance from the ongoing drama between her husband, King Charles, and his estranged youngest son, Prince Harry. Palace sources say the queen, 77, 'stays out of it' as the feud between the two camps grows increasingly bitter. Insiders say that the Duke of Sussex's explosive BBC interview last month poured fuel on the fire — shattering what little trust remained between him and his cancer-stricken father. 'The king and William don't trust Harry and Meghan with any kind of confidential conversation,' royal biographer Sally Bedell Smith told People, adding that 'the underlying issue is trust.' 'It wasn't meant to be an attack, but it would be seen as one. It makes Charles reaching out even harder,' royal author Valentine Low told the outlet. Meanwhile, 'Charles: The Heart of a King' author Catherine Mayer told the outlet, 'If you have that level of breach in a family, and you are estranged, you run that risk every day of having something unfathomable to deal with.' The Post has reached out to Buckingham Palace for comment. Camilla, for her part, removed herself from the feud years ago since she was heavily criticized in Harry's protocol-shattering memoir, 'Spare.' The Invictus Games founder's feelings for Camilla were laid bare in the book, in which he sensationally branded her 'dangerous' and 'the villain.' The father of two also claimed that his stepmother leaked stories about the royal family to the media to maintain her image and boost her popularity. Now, insiders allege that the monarch, 76, lacks supportive voices of reason who would encourage him to make the first step toward reconciliation with Harry. What's more, sources added that Harry's estranged brother and future king, Prince William, has no interest in mending bridges. 'There is not a good angel in his ear to say, 'Be a good dad and make the first move,'' Low told the outlet. Last month, a royal commentator said that the duke needed to keep a 'dignified silence' if he ever wanted a chance at a reconciliation with his estranged family members. Joe Little, the managing editor of Majesty magazine, has since weighed in on the discourse, calling the 'Spare' author's comments about his estranged father's health 'quite alarming.' 'From what Harry is saying, despite admitting that he has not spoken to his father for some time, I thought it sent out a bit of a mixed message, really,' Little said. 'Is Harry suggesting that the King isn't as well as we are led to believe?'
