Prince Harry Regrets His Reaction to Meghan Markle's Suicidal Thoughts

Prince Harry regrets the reaction he had when his wife Meghan Markle was experiencing suicidal thoughts. In Episode 4 of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's Netflix docuseries Harry & Meghan, released Thursday, Harry admits he didn't know how much his bride was being affected by her struggles in the royal family until she shared with him the depth of her emotional turmoil. 

"I was devastated," the royal shared. "I knew that she was struggling. We were both struggling, but I never thought that it would get to that stage." Harry felt "angry and ashamed" that things had gone so far wrong, admitting, "I didn't deal with it particularly well. I dealt with it as 'institutional Harry' as opposed to 'husband Harry.' And what took over my feelings was my royal role."

"I'd been trained to worry more about what are people gonna think if we don't go to this event, we're gonna be late," he added. "Looking back on it now, I hate myself for it. What she needed from me was so much more than I was able to give." Markle first opened up about her suicidal thoughts during the couple's sit-down interview with Oprah Winfrey in March 2021, and in her Netflix docuseries, she reiterated her claim that the palace would not respond when she asked for help. 

"I wanted to go somewhere to get help, but I wasn't allowed to," said Markle. "They were concerned about how that would look for the institution." Harry added, "They knew how bad it was. They thought why couldn't she just deal with it as if to say, 'Well, you know, everybody else has dealt with it. Why can't she deal with it?' But this was different. It was really different."

He continued, "But actually if you strip all that away and say, 'OK fine, it was exactly the same.' So do we still believe that she should have just sucked it up like other members of the family? Or does one think that maybe it's about time that we stop?"

If you or someone you know is in crisis, please call or text 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. The previous Lifeline phone number (1-800-273-8255) will always remain available.