The Duchess of Sussex, who joined the Royal Family by marrying Prince Harry in May last year, said she has tried to shrug off the criticism and social media attention by adopting the “stiff upper lip” – an exercise of self-restraint in the expression of emotions said to be typical of Britons. However, speaking to Tom Bradby in a documentary filmed during the Sussexes’ tour to Africa, Meghan has revealed she feared she cannot keep on putting on a brave face. 

She told Mr Bradby: “I have said for a long time to H – that how I call him – it’s not enough to just survive something, right?  

“Like, that’s not the point of life, you’ve got to thrive, you have got to feel happy.

“I really tried to adopt this British sensibility of the stiff upper lip, I tried, I have really tried, but I think that, what that does internally, is probably really damaging.” 

Meghan and Harry appeared in a bombshell documentary called Harry & Meghan: An African Journey filmed during their 10-day tour to Africa, which lasted between September 23 and October 2.

The documentary explored the causes close to the Sussexes’ hearts and what they did in Africa – but also delved into how Meghan and Harry are struggling with media pressures.

Meghan confessed to Mr Bradby it has been hard for her to cope with the attention from the media while pregnant and, later, a new mum.

Asked by Mr Bradby, who has filmed three documentaries with Prince Harry, about the “impact on your physical and mental health of all the pressure that you clearly feel under”, she said: “I would say – look, any woman, especially when they are pregnant, you are really vulnerable and so that was made really challenging.

And then when you have a newborn, you know?

“And especially as a woman it’s really, it’s really a lot.

“So you add this on top of just trying to be a new mum or trying to be a newlywed it’s…”

Meghan admitted “not many people” had checked how she was truly coping.

She continued: “Well, I guess, and also thank you for asking, but not many people have asked if I’m okay, but it’s a very real thing to be faint behind the scenes.” 

And, when asked whether it “has really been a struggle”, Meghan simply answered “yes”.

The Duchess also revealed she had been warned about the media scrutiny in the UK, with her British friends going as far as telling her not to marry Harry.

She said: “When I first met my now-husband, my friends were really happy because I was so happy, but my British friends said to me, ‘I’m sure he’s great, but you shouldn’t do it, because the British tabloids will destroy your life.’ 

“And I very naively said ‘I’m American, we don’t have that there. What are you talking about?’

“That doesn’t make any sense. I’m not in tabloids.’

“I didn’t get it. So it’s been complicated.”     

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