Meghan Markle has opened up about the Queen's death for the first time in a new interview, admitting it was a "complicated time" for the family, while also sharing Prince Harry's emotional remark about his grandmother's death.
Speaking for a cover story in the latest edition of Variety magazine, she also reflected on the time she spent with the Monarch, who died on September 8, and revealed how the royal family are coping with the loss.
She said: "There’s been such an outpouring of love and support. I’m really grateful that I was able to be with my husband to support him, especially during that time.
"What’s so beautiful is to look at the legacy that his grandmother was able to leave on so many fronts. Certainly, in terms of female leadership, she is the most shining example of what that looks like.
"I feel deep gratitude to have been able to spend time with her and get to know her. It’s been a complicated time, but my husband, ever the optimist, said, ‘Now she’s reunited with her husband.’
“I’ve reflected on that first official engagement that I had with her, how special that felt. I feel fortunate. And I continue to be proud to have had a nice warmth with the matriarch of the family.”
Meghan and her husband Prince Harry were in Europe when the Queen passed on other engagements, which allowed the Duke to travel Balmoral to be with his family following her death.
The couple remained in the UK until the funeral, joining the new Prince and Princess of Wales to view floral tributes in Windsor. It was the first time the two couples were seen together since their fall out and Meghan and Harry's bombshell Oprah interview.
Speaking on how the royal family is dealing with the Queen's death, Meghan told Variety said: “In big moments in life, you get a lot of perspective. It makes you wonder what you want to focus your energy on. Right now, we feel energized and excited about all of the things we’ve been building toward. We’re also focused on our foundation. So much of the work we do includes the philanthropic space.”
Meghan also used the interview to discuss a series of other big topics, including her controversial sit down with Oprah Winfrey in which she said she had suicidal thoughts during her time in the royal family and claimed her sister-in-law Kate made her cry.
Asked about the days after it aired, she said: "Even before the interview, I hadn’t been out because I was so pregnant. The one thing I really remember was Gloria Steinem’s birthday, a few days after it aired.
"I really wanted to celebrate her at what I thought was just going to be a small and intimate birthday lunch.
"I envisioned it being us eating sandwiches in this cottage she was staying at. Instead, it was an extravaganza — by the way, as she deserves. But I hadn’t really seen people in a long time, and the interview had come out maybe a week before.
"Walking into a room alone is never easy for me, and I remember feeling a bit uncomfortable. But before I could let my uncertainty linger, Pamela Adlon came up to me and greeted me with such warmth and kindness.
"She toured me around the room, and at every turn, more generosity and love was felt. Maybe it’s just a testament to the kind of company Glo keeps, but I also think these women were extraordinary to ensure I felt so welcomed.
"It’s like they knew exactly what I needed to feel in that moment. It meant, and still means, so very much to me. The power of sisterhood and female support can never be underestimated.”
Meghan also shared insights into the life in the US, which she shares with Harry and their children Archie and Lilibet.
She explains that they both work from home in a shared office, describing them as "commuters" who need to drive for two hours for meetings in LA.
Do you think Meghan is right to speak about the Queen's passing in a magazine interview? Have your say in the comment section below.
She said: "We share an office. We work from home, as most people started to do during lockdown. It allows us to have significant time with our kids at this really special moment in their lives. We’ll never get this time back. I make breakfast, and we get the kids set for the day.
"We do a lot of joint calls and Zooms, but also try to divide what we can focus our energies on so we can accomplish even more. My husband is on a 24-hour time zone, where half of your life is waking up as the other half is going to sleep. It’s kind of the reverse of what I went through living in the U.K.
"He’s very good at responding on text. Me, I try to be as fast as possible on email. I’ve always said, if it takes less than five minutes, do it now."
She also revealed she loved chocolate chip cookies "the size of her toddles' head" to get her through a day of back-to-back meetings, and said Harry's favourite takeaway is In-N-Out, adding: "There’s one at the halfway point between L.A. and our neck of the woods. It’s really fun to go through the drive-thru and surprise them. They know our order."
In the chat, Meghan also confirmed she has no plans to return to acting, before adding that she "never says never"
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