All the Bombshells From Meghan Markle’s Rare Interview: Royal Family, Instagram and More

Meghan Markle is opening up about social media, her life with Prince Harry in Montecito, Calif. and more in her latest interview. See the biggest bombshells dropped by the Duchess of Sussex.

By Kisha Forde Aug 29, 2022 4:09 PMTags
Watch: Prince Harry & Meghan Markle Adopt a New Rescue Dog

Although Meghan Markle is moving ahead in the next chapter of her life, she's reflecting on the hurdles it took to get there.
 
In a rare interview with The Cut published Aug. 29, the Duchess of Sussex opened up about her life in California with husband Prince Harry and their two kids Archie, 3, and 14-month-old Lilibet, more than two years after they made their much-talked-about move from across the pond. Meghan also reflected on her relationship with social media, the couple's life-changing decision to take a step back from royal duties and their current projects in development under their company and non-profit organization, Archewell.
 
But before it all, "I​​ was an actress," she told the publication. "My entire job was, ‘Tell me where to stand. Tell me what to say. Tell me how to say it. Tell me what to wear, and I'll do it.'"

That is, until everything changed.

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Meghan Markle Supports Prince Harry at Polo Game in California

Read on for the biggest bombshells dropped in Meghan's latest interview:

Toby Melville /PA Wire

Why the Royal Rota Protocol for Photos Didn't Sit Right With Meghan Markle

 

As Meghan—who gave birth to the couple's first child, Archie, in May 2019—explained, "There's literally a structure by which if you want to release photos of your child, as a member of the family, you first have to give them to the Royal Rota," also known as the U.K. media pool. Through that process, photos would typically be published by the media and shared through the Kensington royal accounts before Meghan herself would be able to post them. And considering her strained relationship with the U.K. tabloids, the agreement didn't sit right with the Duchess of Sussex.
 
"Why would I give the very people that are calling my children the N-word a photo of my child before I can share it with the people that love my child?" she said. "You tell me how that makes sense and then I'll play that game."
 
Although the couple was allowed to join Kate Middleton and Prince William on a preexisting account, @KensingtonRoyal, the couple made their own personal Instagram account, @sussexroyal, in April 2019. Their Instagram account allowed them to announce their own news and share photos that didn't go directly to the Royal Rota. However, shortly after stepping down from their royal duties in early 2020, they closed their social media account, which still exists as an archive of their time with the Firm.

Does That Mean We'll See Meghan Markle Return to Instagram? She Says….

 

During the interview, Meghan teased her return to social media, sharing that she was soon "getting back on Instagram." But before you pull out your phone to look up her new handle, she later admitted that she isn't too sure that she would actually be back online after all. (In a 2020 sit-down with Fortune, Meghan explained that online bullying had become too much).

How Tyler Perry's Friendship Extended Far Beyond Offering Prince Harry and Meghan Markle a Home in California

 

While Tyler Perry was a crucial part in establishing Harry and Meghan's life in the U.S., she hadn't ever met the director in person before. She shared that he reached out to her after she married Harry and told her that he was praying for her "and that he understood what this meant," referring to their wedding, adding, "that he could only imagine what it was like."
 
Although it took her a "long time" before she reached out for support or advice, she explained that she confided in him once they made the move from Frogmore Cottage in England to Canada (which came amid the couple losing their security detail and facing a risk when paparazzi located their home up North). As Meghan put it, "Sometimes, you can tell your life story to a stranger on a plane as opposed to some of the people that are closest to you."

Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire

A Glimpse Inside Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s $14 Million Montecito Home

 

After stepping back from their royal duties and agreeing to make their own money, Meghan didn't think that their current home was a reality—just yet.

"We didn't have jobs, so we just were not going to come and see this house," she shared. "It wasn't possible. It's like when I was younger and you're window shopping —it's like, ‘I don't want to go and look at all the things that I can't afford. That doesn't feel good.'" But they did end up touring their estate and fell in love immediately. (As The Cut highlighted, their purchase came on the heels of their "reported $25 million Spotify deal and a reported $100 million Netflix deal.")

"One of the first things my husband saw when we walked around the house was those two palm trees," Meghan shared. "See how they're connected at the bottom? He goes, ‘My love, it's us.'  And now every day when Archie goes by us, he says, ‘Hi, Momma. Hi, Papa.'" 

Their home also serves at their work base since the pair run their foundation side by side out of their home office. As Harry shared, "Most people that I know and many of my family, they aren't able to work and live together. It's actually really weird because it'd seem like a lot of pressure. But it just feels natural and normal."

Does Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s Future Involve Reality TV?

 

Although Meghan and Harry have shut down rumors they would film a reality show, talk of a docuseries doesn't seem to be completely out of the question—though Meghan doesn't confirm if we can expect that exactly. "The piece of my life I haven't been able to share, that people haven't been able to see, is our love story," she shared, adding that she wants people to see "that, above all, love wins. I hope that is the sentiment that people feel when they see any of the content or the projects that we are working on."
 

Why Picking Up Archie From School In the U.S. Makes A Difference

 

As the Duchess noted, if the couple were in the U.K., the process of dropping off and picking up Archie at school would be completely different due to the royal photo call, with a "press pen of 40 people snapping pictures." A routine event that Meghan feels would have been increasingly invasive.
 
"Sorry, I have a problem with that," she said. "That doesn't make me obsessed with privacy. That makes me a strong and good parent protecting my child."

Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images

"Forgiveness" Is Still a Big Pillar in Meghan Markle's Life

 

When asked about the hope for her own relationship with her estranged father, Thomas Markle, and where she stands with her in-laws after leaving the royal family, Meghan shared, "I think forgiveness is really important. It takes a lot more energy to not forgive. But it takes a lot of effort to forgive. I've really made an active effort, especially knowing that I can say anything.
 
She added, "I have a lot to say until I don't. Sometimes, as they say, the silent part is still part of the song."

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