Meghan Markle just sat down for her first major cover interview of 2022, and the former royal graced the ‘Fall Fashion’ issue cover of New York Magazine‘s The Cut. The retired Suits actress, 41, opened up about her current relationship with the royal family, finally feeling able to speak more about her experiences, and what the strained relationship between the Sussexes and husband Prince Harry‘s family could mean looking forward. With this profile arriving just a few days after the debut of Markle’s long-awaited Spotify podcast Archetypes, the piece went viral on Twitter soon after being published.
While the new story does not contain nearly as many bombshells or shocking royal revelations as the spring 2021 Oprah Winfrey interview did, there are still several notable takeaways. Firstly, the Duchess spoke about her and her family’s move from the UK to their current house in Montecito, CA, and the life they are leading there.
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Markle explained that she and Harry would have relocated to any Commonwealth country to continue working as non-taxpayer funded working royals and make their own money. “Anything to just … because just by existing, we were upsetting the dynamic of the hierarchy. So we go, ‘Okay, fine, let’s get out of here. Happy to,’ ” she said, noting that what the couple were asking for wasn’t “reinventing the wheel” as other royals then had the arrangement they wanted.
“That, for whatever reason, is not something that we were allowed to do, even though several other members of the family do that exact thing.” When asked why she thought this was the case, Markle initially repeated the question back to the writer Allison P. Davis, then replied, “I don’t know.” Segueing from the topic of home to feeling free and relaxed, Markle gave more details on her podcast, the plans for future guests, and why she wanted to launch it. “It’s so real,” she told The Cut, “I feel different. I feel clearer. It’s like I’m finding — not finding my voice. I’ve had my voice for a long time, but being able to use it.”
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Markle seemed more than happy to gush over the freedom she and Harry, 37, feel today both professionally and personally. On the topic of raising son Archie, 3, and daughter Lilibet, 1, Markle added, “When the media has shaped the story around you, it’s really nice to be able to tell your own story.”
The Bench author also acknowledged that while she is no longer a working senior royal, her princess status is still meaningful to many who look up to her, and this is not something she takes lightly. “It’s important to be thoughtful about it because—even with the Oprah interview, I was conscious of the fact that there are little girls that I meet and they’re just like, ‘Oh my God, it’s a real-life princess,’” she said.
Markle stressed that her goal in being a role model is to urge young onlookers to strive for more than just marrying into status, “I just look at all of them and think, You have the power within you to create a life greater than any fairy tale you’ve ever read,” Markle said, “I don’t mean that in terms of ‘You could marry a prince one day.’ I mean you can find love. You can find happiness. You can be up against what could feel like the greatest obstacle and then you can find happiness again.”
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As for her strained relationship with Harry’s family members (presumably his father Charles, brother William, sister-in-law Kate Middleton), Markle said she is willing to put behind much of what transpired. She emphasized the importance of forgiveness to her, “I think forgiveness is really important. It takes a lot more energy to not forgive,” she said. “But it takes a lot of effort to forgive. I’ve really made an active effort, especially knowing that I can say anything.” She went quiet, then added, “I have a lot to say until I don’t. Do you like that? Sometimes, as they say, the silent part is still part of the song.”
Regarding toxic tabloid culture, Markle said that while her own estranged father has contributed to the British press’s incessant attacks on her personal life, she did not want Harry’s relationship with Charles to ever be affected in the same way. “Harry said to me, ‘I lost my dad in this process.’ It doesn’t have to be the same for them as it was for me, but that’s his decision.”
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She also mentioned the lengths she went to when attempting to fit in with the family, “I was an actress,” she started. “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.’ And I’ll show up early, and I’ll probably bake something for the crew.” Markle then said that “her desire to ask lots of questions and to never be involved with something she couldn’t totally have her hands on seemed to violate an unspoken social norm,” as Davis wrote.
While Markle reiterated that she can “use” her voice now, she also revealed that she never signed any documents that will ever prevent her from talking about her time as a royal. “I can talk about my whole experience and make a choice not to,” she said, explaining she hasn’t yet because she’s “still healing.”
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While looking forward to the future, Markle also spoke more about her upcoming Netflix documentary centered around her and Harry’s romance. Davis wrote that Markle started by differentiating between a historical documentary and a reality docuseries, then saying, “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 also quoted from the end of her 2018 wedding speech where she said she was comforted by the “resounding knowing 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,” she finished.
When the interviewer asked Markle if she and Harry were filming a documentary strictly about their love story, Markle replied, “What’s so funny is I’m not trying to be cagey. I don’t read any press. So I don’t know what’s confirmed. I will tell you [director] Liz Garbus is incredible.” She then said she plans to let her publicist and the streaming service decide what else can be shared.
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For those of us who often read up on Sussex news via social media, Markle also hinted that she just might be planning to rejoin Instagram herself. “I’m getting back … on Instagram,” she said to Davis, before backtracking and explaining it might not be as soon as fans would like. Before marrying Harry, the then-lifestyle blogger amassed over 3 million IG followers.
While Davis writes that “she’d loved sharing her life with people,” Markle told the publication that “she loved Harry more,” and understood she had to give up her social media accounts. “It was a big adjustment — a huge adjustment to go from that kind of autonomy to a different life,” Markle said, as many fans on Twitter continue to “await” her “rejoining of IG” with anticipation.
