Meghan, Britain's Duchess of Sussex, has revealed that she had a miscarriage in July this year. "I knew, as I clutched my firstborn child, that I was losing my second," she wrote in a powerful piece titled "The Losses We Share" for the New York Times.
Meghan and Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, had their first child, Archie, in May 2019.
In her essay - highly extraordinary coming from a high-profile British royal - Meghan spoke about the experience in detail. Writing of the "unbearable grief" of miscarrying a child, she recalled "Sitting in a hospital bed, watching my husband's heart break as he tried to hold the shattered pieces of mine."
"In the pain of our loss, my husband and I discovered that in a room of 100 women, 10 to 20 of them will have suffered from miscarriage," wrote Meghan, adding that the topic still remained taboo and riddled with unwarranted pain.
Her revelation has led to an outpouring of love and support on social media. Twitter has been flooded with messages of solidarity since the piece was published earlier today.
I'm sending all the love in the world to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, after Meghan opened up so bravely about suffering from the miscarriage of her second child earlier this year. This little family of 3 holds my heart and it's shattered for them???? pic.twitter.com/8uemrsOzk6
— Myra (@SussexPrincess) November 25, 2020
My heart has absolutely broken this morning reading Meghan Markle's statement. Such brave, powerful words - anyone who sees her as anything other than an ordinary woman in pain after unimaginable trauma is a psycho
— ???? (@marta_kaczmarek) November 25, 2020
Several women came forward to thank her for speaking about the painful experience.
When I had a miscarriage, I remember scouring the internet for articles by women who had been through the same thing. Because reading that you're not alone is helpful and it's comforting. So thank you to Meghan Markle for writing about something so difficult
— Anita Singh (@anitathetweeter) November 25, 2020
Any trolling or hateful messages were swiftly and soundly criticised by her supporters, who urged others to show compassion.
Anyone who *still* feels the need to spew vitriol Meghan Markle's way, maybe consider that she's not the problem. You are. Just - sit with that possibility and yourself for a little while.
— Danielle Binks (@danielle_binks) November 25, 2020
How on earth is Meghan Markle now getting hate for having a miscarriage Jesus christ
— Bethany (@bethanymca_) November 25, 2020
Meghan's personal piece comes as she and her husband wage an increasingly public war with some media outlets over their right to privacy.
She claims Associated Newspapers breached her privacy, her data protection rights and copyright by publishing extracts of correspondence with her estranged father, Thomas, before she married Harry.
Harry and Meghan shocked the British establishment when they announced they were retiring from royal life.
Their withdrawal in March came after reports she was deeply unhappy with life inside the royal family and fed up with media intrusion. Meghan has also spoken about the trolling she faced as a member of the British royal family and the "damaging" effect it had on her mental and emotional health.
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