Meghan Markle's Mom Breaks Down In Tears Recounting Her Daughter's Mental Health Struggles: 'That’s Not An Easy One To Hear'
Dec. 15 2022, Published 2:34 p.m. ET
Meghan Markle’s mother, Doria Ragland is getting candid about her daughter’s struggles with suicidal ideation, detailing the pain of not being able to adequately “protect” her child as she faced vitriol from the British tabloids after marrying Prince Harry.
During the latest installment of Netflix’s explosive new docuseries, Harry & Meghan, Ragland grew visibly emotional as she recounted the moment her daughter revealed “she had wanted to take her own life” due to the seemingly endless scrutiny from the U.K. media.
“That really broke my heart because I knew that it was bad,” Ragland shared during the episode, which hit the streaming giant on Thursday, December 15. "That’s not an easy one for a mom to hear.”
Part of this pain, the social worker explained, stemmed from the fact that neither she nor Harry had the power to fully stop the hate Meghan received in the press.
“[She was] just constantly be picked at by these vultures just picking away at her spirit,” Ragland explained. “[So much so she was] actually think[ing] of not wanting to be here.”
But Meghan’s mother wasn’t alone. Harry, too, revealed that he felt “devastated” watching his wife grapple with suicidal thoughts.
- Meghan Markle Reveals Sharing Suicidal Thoughts 'Wasn't An Easy Decision' To Make: 'I Don't Want Anyone To Feel Alone'
- Prince Harry Admits He 'Hated' Himself For How He Dealt With Meghan Markle's Suicidal Thoughts
- Prince Harry Says Meghan Markle Did Not Take Her Own Life Because She Didn't Want Him To Lose 'Another Woman' In His Life
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“I knew she was struggling — we both were struggling. I didn’t think it would get to that stage, but then it got to the stage, I felt angry and ashamed,” Harry shared.
Considering these intense emotions, the royal admitted he holds some regrets in how he approached supporting his spouse in her mental health struggles.
“I didn’t deal with it well,” he spilled, noting he ”dealt with it as institutional Harry, not husband Harry,”
PRINCE HARRY ADMITS HE 'HATED' HIMSELF FOR HOW HE DEALT WITH MEGHAN MARKLE'S SUICIDAL THOUGHTS
“What took over my feelings was my royal role,” he explained. “I had been trained to worry more about what people are going to think if we don’t go to this event, we’re going to be late. Looking back now, I hate myself for that. What she needed from me was so much more than I was able to give.”
If you or someone you know is in emotional distress or considering suicide, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).