Meghan Markle: ‘I was the world’s most-trolled person’

Meghan Markle has raised eyebrows in Britain by claiming she was the ‘most trolled person in the entire world’, and announcing 2019 as ‘almost unsurvivable’.

Meghan Markle gave a glimpse inside her and Prince Harry's California mansion. Picture: NBC

Meghan Markle has raised eyebrows in Britain by claiming she was the ‘”most trolled person in the entire world’’, and announcing 2019 as “almost unsurvivable’’.

The Duchess of Sussex, sitting alongside Prince Harry in their $11 million Santa Barbara mansion as part of a podcast for World mental health day, described having people say things that aren’t true was “so damaging’’.

“That’s so big you can’t even think of what that feels like,’’ she said.

Back in 2019, the duchess was pregnant with son Archie and was busy using taxpayers money to renovate the couple’s Frogmore Cottage home, gifted to them by the Queen. There was an ostentatious trans-Atlantic baby shower and the clearing of a section of spectators at Wimbledon so that the Duchess could watch her friend Serena Williams play without being bothered.

When she gave birth in May 2019, the Sussexes were accused of deliberately misleading the public by announcing the duchess was in labour when she had in fact already given birth. Then the couple refused to divulge Archie’s godparents. The couple was also criticised for preaching about the environment while taking private jets for holidays. By the end of 2019, the couple had decided to quit the royal family, announcing in early January 2020 to relocate permanently to North America for privacy.

Meghan said in the podcast: “I’m told that in 2019, I was the most trolled person in the entire world, male or female. Now for eight months of that, I wasn’t even visible. I was on maternity leave or with a baby.

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry in Tembisa township, Johannesburg in 2019.

“But what was able to be manufactured and churned out, it’s almost unsurvivable.

“That’s so big you can’t even think of what that feels like.

“I don’t care if you’re 15 or you’re 25, if people are saying things about you that aren’t true, what that does to your mental and emotional health is so damaging.”

Meghan, 39, also elaborated on her remark during a royal tour of South Africa later that same year where she was criticised for turning the focus from poor African townships to herself, saying :“not many people have asked if I’m ok”.

She said she had no idea her comment would receive such interest from people around the world.

She said she was breastfeeding and said that was like running a marathon. “So between every official engagement, I was running back to make sure our son was fed. That was a lot.

“At the very end the journalist asked me ‘well, are you OK?’ and I didn’t realise that my answer would receive such an interest from around the world, because I said ‘well thanks, people haven’t really asked me if I’m OK’.

“I didn’t think about that answer, I just answered honestly, because I was in a moment of vulnerability because I was tired, because there was no presentation, it was just ‘here’s where I am, I’m a mum who is with a four-and-half-month-old baby and we are tired.”

Meghan Markle reads a book to son Archie on the occasion of his first birthday. Picture: Instagram.

“But I think it speaks to the fact that the reason it resonated with people is because everyone wants to be asked if they’re OK.”

Meghan added: “Everyone asks about the baby and I think that’s par for the course and really sweet. Across the world, there was this ripple of ‘yes ask me if I’m ok’.

“A year later, I would say yes I am doing well and the past few months have been layered for everyone. We certainly can’t complain, we are fortunate.”

She said she writes in a journal while Prince Harry, 36, who has previously spoken about his mental health battles dealing with the death of his mother, Princess Diana, said he meditates daily to build resilience.

Meanwhile, staff at Frogmore Cottage have been asked to prepare the house for a visit to the UK by Harry, but no mention of Meghan, in the coming weeks.