Prince Harry has admitted he “hates” himself over how he handled Meghan Markle’s suicidal thoughts.
During episode four of Netflix’s Harry & Meghan, the Duke of Sussex recalled the moment his wife told him she wanted to take her own life.
He said: “I was devastated. I knew she was struggling. We were both struggling, but I never thought it would get to that stage and the fact that it got to that stage, I felt angry and ashamed.”
“I didn’t deal with it particularly well. I dealt with it as ‘Institutional Harry’ as opposed to ‘Husband Harry.’ And what took over my feelings was my royal role.”
“I had been trained to worry more about, ‘What are people going to think if we don’t go to this event? We’re going to be late.’ And looking back on it now, I hate myself for it.”
“What she needed from me was so much more than I was able to give.”
Meghan first revealed her suicidal thoughts during the couple’s sit-down interview with Oprah Winfrey in March 2021.
The former Suits star said at the time: “I was ashamed to say it at the time and ashamed to have to admit it to Harry. But I knew that if I didn’t say it — then I would do it. I just didn’t want to be alive anymore.”
In Harry & Meghan, the Duchess claimed the palace did not respond when she asked for help.
Meghan said: “I wanted to go somewhere to give help, but I wasn’t allowed to. They were concerned about how that would look for the institution.”
Harry added: “They knew how bad it was. They thought why couldn’t she just deal with it as if to say, ‘well, you know, everybody else has dealt with it. Why can’t she deal with it?’ But this was different. It was really different.”
“But actually if you strip all that away and say, ‘OK fine, it was exactly the same.’ So do we still believe that she should have just sucked it up like other members of the family? Or does one think that maybe it’s about time that we stop?”
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