Meghan Markle opened up to Oprah Winfrey about her mental health struggles while working as a royal. The Duchess of Sussex even thought about suicide after she was refused treatment. One of her friends claimed that the U.K. Monarchy knew about it.
According to Janina Gavanka, actress of The Morning Show and long-time friend of Meghan, she thought of two things after reading the Buckingham Palace’s statement. She said, “On one side, I thought I am so thankful that they are finally acknowledging the experience. But on the other side, I know the family and the staff were well aware of the extent of it and through their recollections may vary, ours don’t, because we lived through it with them. And there are many emails and texts to support that.”
Janina added, “I don’t know who [specifically] knew. I know that the family and the staff knew.”
Based on her interview, Meghan explained, “I was really ashamed to say it at the time and ashamed to have to admit it to Harry, especially, because I know how much loss he’s suffered. But I knew that if I didn’t say it, that I would do it…I just didn’t want to be alive any more. And that was a very clear and real and frightening constant thought. And I remember—I remember how he just cradled me….I went to the institution, and I said that I needed to go somewhere to get help. I said that, ‘I’ve never felt this way before, and I need to go somewhere.’ And I was told that I couldn’t, that it wouldn’t be good for the institution.”
She continued, “I went to human resources, and I said, ‘I just really—I need help. Because in my old job, there was a union, and they would protect me. And I remember this conversation like it was yesterday, because they said, ‘My heart goes out to you, because I see how bad it is, but there’s nothing we can do to protect you because you’re not a paid employee of the institution.'”
Meghan added, “This wasn’t a choice. This was emails and begging for help, saying very specifically, ‘I am concerned for my mental welfare.’ And people going, ‘Oh, yes, yes, it’s disproportionately terrible what we see out there to anyone else.’ But nothing was ever done, so we had to find a solution…I thought it would have solved everything for everyone, right?”
Oprah asked if she thought of harming herself and the duchess answered, “Yes. This was very, very clear.” She also told Oprah that she wanted to check into a health facility but she couldn’t just do that.
