Meghan Markle and Prince Harry recently gave their first joint interview since 2021, and they praised their most recent effort. The Duchess of Sussex spoke openly about why she opted to reveal her own struggle with suicidal thoughts, a topic that is both vital to her advocacy work and extremely personal to her. Meghan Markle and Harry spoke with Jane Pauley of CBS Sunday Morning on Sunday about their new initiative, which seeks to educate people about the dangers that social media poses to children.
During the discussion, the pair spoke about their work with parents whose children had tragically perished as a result of the negative impacts of cyberbullying. Meghan underlined the need to be open about such issues, recalling her 2021 interview with Oprah Winfrey, in which she first discussed her struggles with mental health.
“There is a through-line, I think, when you’ve been through any level of pain or trauma,” Meghan told me. “I believe that being able to be completely honest about it is an important part of our recovery journey, and it certainly is mine. And I haven’t even scratched the surface of my experience, but I do know that I would never want someone else to feel that way, to make such plans, or to be disbelieved.”
During her Oprah interview, Meghan, who was carrying Princess Lilibet at the time, discussed an awful incident she had when she went to the institution for help. “I went to the facility and explained that I needed to go somewhere to seek help. “I said, ‘I’ve never felt like this before, and I need to go somewhere,'” she recounted. “And I was told that I couldn’t, that it wouldn’t be good for the institution.”
In the CBS interview, Meghan emphasized the necessity of sharing her experience, regardless of the difficulty it may create. “So, if me voicing what I have overcome will save someone, or encourage someone in their life to really just check in on them, and not assume that the appearance is good and everything’s OK, then that’s worth it,” according to her. “I’ll take a hit for that.”
The couple’s new project, The Parents’ Network, is part of their Archewell Foundation and attempts to raise awareness about the risks that social media poses to children and teenagers. Harry and Meghan believe that this pilot initiative is an important first step toward considerable improvement. “I think you have to start somewhere,” Meghan replied.
“I believe that everybody witnessing this or who has the ability to make a difference should look at it through the lens of what if it were my daughter or son. My kid or daughter, who return home, who are happy, who I adore, then one day, just under my roof, our entire lives change due to something absolutely beyond our control. Look at it from the perspective of a parent; there is no other way to approach it except to attempt to find a solution.”
Prince Archie, who is five years old, and Princess Lilibet, who is three, are Harry and Meghan’s children from their May 2018 marriage. During the conversation, they talked about their “amazing” children and how parenting influences their careers. “Our kids are young; they’re three and five,” Meghan explained. “They are fantastic. But as a mom, all you want to do is keep them safe.
As we observe what’s going on in the online realm, we realize there’s a lot of work to be done, and we’re just glad to be a part of a positive change.” Harry agreed with Meghan’s concerns about the responsibilities of modern, digital parenting. “We’ve gotten to the point where practically every parent needs to be a first responder, and even the best first responders in the world wouldn’t be able to recognize the indicators of a prospective suicide.
That is the most horrifying aspect of it,” he remarked. Harry and Meghan continue to advocate for safer online environments by relying on their personal experiences and commitment to their children’s futures through their work with The Parents’ Network and other initiatives.