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This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at TCNJ chapter.

Meghan Markle is no stranger to criticism from the tabloids. Since the inception of her relationship with Prince Harry she has been put under a microscope and scrutinized more than praised. What the tabloids’ lens have failed to capture are the struggles she faced with her own mental health. 

The now famous, “Oprah with Meghan and Harry,” interview revealed an inside view of how the couple is now and what ultimately led them to step away from the Royal family. Through this interview Markle was able to speak on her own behalf, something that she hadn’t been able to do before. Her openness in speaking on her own struggles with depression and suicidal thoughts has opened the eyes of the public to view a different reality. Once labeled “American Princess,” she has become a representation for prioritizing yourself and your own mental health over anything else. 

In the interview Markle claims that she went to many people and was unable to receive any assistance for what she was dealing with. She was not even allowed to leave to seek help from medical professionals outside of the palace. 

“You can’t just do that, I couldn’t just call an Uber to the Palace,” Markle stated in the Oprah interview. 

It is something that many other people have also faced when seeking help for their own mental health. Despite all the resources available to those struggling with their mental health it is many times challenging to access it or admit the need for help. This can largely be associated with society’s role in instilling a notion that asking for help is showing a sign of weakness. 

The Royal family has since put out statements following the interview claiming to not know the full extent of Markle’s mental health claims. Despite the subject being labeled as, “shocking,” to many viewers this isn’t the first time a member of the Royal family has spoken openly on mental illness. 

In a 1995 interview with the BBC, Princess Diana of Whales spoke on her struggles with bulimia. She alluded to it as a symptom of her unhappy marriage to Prince Charles. Just like Markle, the Princess of Wales faced the same criticism once she spoke on the “taboo,” subject. The harshest responses to her struggles came from Prince Charles, who labeled her bulimia as a problem she was faking. 

princess diana
Photo by John Mathew Smith from Flickr
Markle at this time continues to face criticism as people believe she shouldn’t be allowed to complain about the life she willingly chose. She chose to marry a man that she loves, but she did not choose to be put into an environment that would refuse to give her assistance and harm her overall mental health. What she did do was realize her worth as a person, left a situation and title to prioritize her mental health. This openness on the matter has made her a role model in many people’s eyes because she chose to be authentic and not conceal a struggle many face. The message to the media should be clear now: their words do have an effect on people and they only capture an extent of who a person is. 

Source information for interview: 

BBC Interview with Princess Diana: 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/special/politics97/diana/panorama.html

https://www.oprahdaily.com/entertainment/a34386217/princess-diana-bulimia-eating-disorder/

 

Diana is a senior at the College of New Jersey. She is majoring in Journalism Professional Writing and Communications (specialization: Radio, Television, & Film) with a minor in Spanish. She has written for HerCampus as well as The Signal (the school's newspaper). After taking a photojournalism class this semester she has developed a love for photography and wants to continues this hobby. Her other hobbies include sewing and designing clothes.
Sameen is currently a Campus Correspondent for HCTCNJ. She is a junior majoring in Biopsychology and is on a pre-med track. When not studying, she can be found curled up with a good book or trying her hand at a new hobby (e.g. playing the guitar, coding, learning a new language).