Meghan Markle Details Her Miscarriage After Abortion Ruling: 'What Happens With Our Bodies Is So Deeply Personal'
June 29 2022, Published 1:11 p.m. ET
Like many women, Meghan Markle is furious that Roe vs. Wade was overturned in late June. Now, the former actress, 40, is speaking out about what it was like for her to lose a baby before she welcomed daughter Lilibet Diana, 1. (She also shares son Archie, 3, with Prince Harry.)
"I think about how fortunate I felt to be able to have both of my children," the Duchess said while speaking with Gloria Steinem and journalist Jessica Yellin in a Vogue feature. "I know what it feels like to have a connection to what is growing inside of your body. What happens with our bodies is so deeply personal, which can also lead to silence and stigma, even though so many of us deal with personal health crises."
She continued, "I know what miscarrying feels like, which I've talked about publicly. The more that we normalize conversation about the things that affect our lives and bodies, the more people are going to understand how necessary it is to have protections in place."
Meghan previously spoke out about her miscarriage, saying that the July morning started like "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," she recalled. "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."
"Losing a child means carrying an almost unbearable grief, experienced by many but talked about by few," she noted.
The mom-of-two wants others to know it's important to have these types of conversations, and she is adamant on helping others during this difficult time.
"Nobody should be forced to make a decision they do not want to make, or is unsafe, or puts their own life in jeopardy," she said. "Frankly, whether it's a woman being put in an unthinkable situation, a woman not ready to start a family, or even a couple who deserve to plan their family in a way that makes the most sense for them, it's about having a choice."
When she heard the decision was overturned, she and Prince Harry had the same "guttural" reaction.
"Men need to be vocal in this moment and beyond because these are decisions that affect relationships, families, and communities at large," she said. "They may target women, but the consequences impact all of us. My husband and I talked about that a lot over the past few days. He's a feminist too."
For more on the royal family's trials and tribulations, tune into the new podcast "The Firm: Blood, Lies and Royal Succession." Listen below!