Duchess Meghan shares she had a miscarriage in July, writes about loss, need for healing
Duchess Meghan has revealed that she suffered a miscarriage in July.
In an opinion piece in the New York Times titled "The Losses We Share," she gave an intimate account of her experience, describing how tragedy struck on a "morning that began as ordinarily as any other day."
"Make breakfast. Feed the dogs. Take vitamins... Throw my hair in a ponytail before getting my son from his crib. After changing his diaper, I felt a sharp cramp," she wrote in the piece published Wednesday. "I dropped to the floor with him in my arms, humming a lullaby to keep us both calm, the cheerful tune a stark contrast to my sense that something was not right. I knew, as I clutched my firstborn child, that I was losing my second."
She continued, "Hours later, I lay in a hospital bed, holding my husband’s hand. I felt the clamminess of his palm and kissed his knuckles, wet from both our tears. Staring at the cold white walls, my eyes glazed over. I tried to imagine how we’d heal."
The Duchess of Sussex, formerly Meghan Markle, and husband Prince Harry have an 18-month-old son, Archie.
The duchess, 39, said she was sharing her story to help break the silence around an all-too-common tragedy.
"Losing a child means carrying an almost unbearable grief, experienced by many but talked about by few," she wrote. "Yet despite the staggering commonality of this pain, the conversation remains taboo, riddled with (unwarranted) shame, and perpetuating a cycle of solitary mourning."
She continued, “In being invited to share our pain, together we take the first steps toward healing.”
Meghan also spoke to the pain and loss experienced by so many in 2020, mentioning the coronavirus pandemic, the deaths of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd as well as division in politics.
"That polarization, coupled with the social isolation required to fight this pandemic, has left us feeling more alone than ever," she said.
She also encouraged others to take this Thanksgiving as an opportunity to check in with our loved ones.
"As we plan for a holiday unlike any before — many of us separated from our loved ones, alone, sick, scared, divided and perhaps struggling to find something, anything, to be grateful for — let us commit to asking others, 'Are you OK?' " she said.
Meghan, an American actress and star of TV legal drama “Suits,” married Harry, a grandson of Queen Elizabeth II, in a lavish ceremony at Windsor Castle in May 2018. Their son was born the following year.
Early this year, the couple announced they were stepping back from their royal duties and moving to North America, citing what they said was the unbearable intrusions and racist attitudes of the British media. They recently bought a house in Santa Barbara, California.
Contributing: The Associated Press
Lawyers: Senior royals advised Duchess Meghan to write to her father
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Meghan Markle had miscarriage in July, shares loss in revealing op-ed
