In the latest episode of her Archetypes podcast, Meghan Markle has spoken of how at her "worst point" she reached out to a contact of Prince Harry's for "help" with her mental health.
The podcast episode, the fifth in the 12-episode series, focused on the label of "crazy" and included in-depth discussions with actresses Constance Wu, Deepika Padukone and Jenny Slate about mental health and the stigmas surrounding it.
Meghan has previously spoken about struggling with mental health issues during her time as a working member of the royal family, following her marriage to Harry in 2018.
Speaking to Padukone about the actress' experience in finding a psychiatrist, Meghan revealed that she had contacted someone her husband had found a referral for during her own mental health journey.
"You found the courage to get the help that you needed and the help that works for you," the duchess said.
"I mean, I think at my worst point being finally connected to someone that, you know, my husband had found a referral for me to call, and I called this woman, she didn't know I was even calling her," Meghan explained. "And she was checking out at the grocery store. I could hear the little beep, beep… and I was like 'Hi,' I'm introducing myself and you can hear her going, 'sorry…who is this?"
The duchess recounted how she had asked for help and said the woman could hear the dire state that she was in.
"I think it's for all of us to be really honest about what it is that you need and not be afraid to make peace with that and ask for it," Meghan continued.
During her 2021 interview with Oprah Winfrey, the duchess said she had asked to check into a mental health hospital during her time as a working royal after tabloid criticism left her experiencing suicidal thoughts.
Winfrey asked: "Did you ever think about going to a hospital? Or is that possible, that you can check yourself in some place?"
Meghan responded: "No, that's what I was asking to do."
The duchess also revealed during the interview that she had sent senior palace staff emails saying she was concerned about her mental welfare but that "nothing was ever done."
During their discussion, Meghan also told Winfrey that she had reached out to a close friend of Princess Diana's for advice during her time in Britain. It is possible this is the person that she referred to in the Archetypes episode.
"I didn't know who to even turn to in that," she said of her experience with suicidal thoughts at the beginning of 2019 while expecting her son, Archie.
"And one of the people that I reached out to, who's continued to be a friend and confidant, was one of my husband's mom's best friends, one of Diana's best friends. Because it's, like, who else could understand what's...what it's actually like on the inside?"
Following the interview's broadcast, Julia Samuel who was close to Diana and is a psychotherapist, was speculated to have been the friend referred to.
Samuel was one of the small number of guests invited to the unveiling of the statue of the princess at Kensington Palace in 2021 to mark what would have been her 60th birthday.
If you have thoughts of suicide, confidential help is available for free at the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. Call 1-800-273-8255. The line is available 24 hours every day. Or dial 988 for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.
Do you have a question about King Charles III, William and Kate, Meghan and Harry or their family that you would like our experienced royal correspondents to answer? Email royals@newsweek.com. We'd love to hear from you.
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About the writer
James Crawford-Smith is a Newsweek Royal Reporter, based in London, U.K. His focus is reporting on the British royal family ... Read more
