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Meghan Markle recently opened up about the intense media scrutiny she and Prince Harry faced when they were working members of the British royal family. As the American woman who married into the British royal family, Markle became a constant fixture on magazine covers, newspaper headlines, and everywhere in the media. The constant attention, often negative, was overwhelming for her.
In the first episode of her podcast Confessions of a Female Founder, Markle had an honest conversation with Whitney Wolfe Herd, the founder and CEO of Bumble. During the chat, Herd shared a moment when she was in Ireland and was shocked to see Markle’s face on “every single” magazine cover at a newsstand. Despite being in a completely different country, Markle’s image was everywhere. “I had this moment of, ‘Oh my…what? I’m in Ireland, and she’s back home in California with her kids doing school drop-off, and she’s on the front page of every single one of these?’” Herd recalled. Markle responded with a simple, “I know.”
The conversation then shifted to how both women had been targeted by media and online trolls, and how they’ve learned to protect themselves by forming emotional “shells.” Markle explained how there came a point in her life when she realized that she could no longer be intimidated by the constant criticism. Instead of hiding from it or feeling small, she chose to confront it head-on. “You’re going to have to decide whether you’re going to cower or if you’re going to conquer or rise above it,” she said.
After stepping back from their royal duties, Markle and Harry moved to California, where they now raise their two children, Archie and Lilibet. While they still retain their royal titles, they’ve distanced themselves from the royal family. Prince Harry recently visited the UK to be with his father, King Charles, after the latter’s cancer diagnosis became public. Harry is also in the UK at the moment, fighting for the right to have proper security when he and his family visit the country.
Meanwhile, Markle is making her own mark in the media with her podcast, which she launched on April 8, 2025, following the release of her Netflix series With Love, Meghan, last month. The couple’s journey continues to be filled with challenges, but they are carving out their own path far from the royal spotlight.