March 7, 2021 at 8 pm eastern time (7 pm central time), was the time the world had been waiting for. The long-anticipated interview with the no longer senior members of the England Royal family. This interview rocked the monarchy to its core. Here’s a little summary for those who didn’t get a chance to watch it. Meghan Markle is the Duchess of Sussex and is the only American member of the British royal family and is a former American Actress. She is married to Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, who is sixth in line to the throne. They married back in 2018, and since then have been surrounded by controversy. They have been swirled in conspiracies since the British media has established a “Wicked Witch of the West” character with Meghan. They portray her as the villain of the story, similar to the attention that Princess Diana, Prince Harry’s deceased mother, received in the early ’90s when she was in the royal family. Ever since they have been together, the paparazzi nonstop bothered them, to the point where the media was strongly affecting Megan’s mental health. Due to this fact, the couple believed it was best for their young family to move away from the craziness, and step down as senior members.
When this news broke, everyone believed that it was Meghan’s fault, that everyone had to go “Meghan’s way”. When the interview aired, Meghan told everything that the media believed to be true, from a different perspective. She stated how she felt depressed from all the negative media attention brought her self-esteem down. Along with some other astonishing revelations that were exposed during the interview, (which is an article for another day), what was one of the most surprising was the mental health aspect of the interview. This was arguably one of the first times ever a royal family member has expressed their struggle with mental illness. Princess Diana briefly spoke about her own mental health, but not to the extent that, Meghan spoke about it.
This interview showed light on a stigmatized illness that nearly 1 in 5 Americans suffers from. The pressures that she had to deal with, even though everyone thought she was living the perfect life. It shows that you can marry your prince charming and have a beautiful family, and everything can seem perfect, but everyone goes through their own obstacles. Meghan’s interview did that to show that it’s okay to own up to your struggles and to search for help and to do what’s best for your well-being. They have since moved to California, away from the media craze, and are focusing on their family and their new business ventures.
If your or someone you care about is suffering from mental illness, please use or even share these resources if you have time.
National Suicide Prevention Hotline:
800-273-8255
Veterans Crisis Line:
1-800-273-8255
Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helpline (1-800-662-HELP (4357)
OK2Talk Helpline Teen Helpline:
1 (800) 273-TALK.
Crisis Text LineText SIGNS:
to 741741 for 24/7, anonymous, free crisis counseling