Meghan Markle opens up about ‘mistakes’ in most candid interview yet
From royal duties to California motherhood, Meghan Markle reveals the untold story of her transformation and the price of “not being perfect”.
Meghan Markle has given a wide-ranging interview with Harper’s Bazaar in which she spoke candidly about life with Prince Harry and the “mistakes” she’s made along the way.
In the interview released by the fashion glossy on Thursday, the Duchess of Sussex said that she has learnt a lot in the seven years since she married into the British royal family, which has not been without its speed bumps.
“I think my boundaries became stronger once I came into the public eye in this very … I could think of any adjective to fill the blank. And it would probably work,” she said in the Harper’s Bazaar’s December 2025/January 2026 Art Issue.
“You find different ways to protect yourself, whether that’s self-preservation or it’s just growing up.”
Although Meghan was used to the spotlight when she married Prince Harry in 2018, the level of fame she experienced as a royal was intense.
So much so that she and Harry stepped away from their roles as working royals in 2020, escaping to California to leave behind the scrutiny and the supposed hounding of the British press.
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The transition from royal life has not come without controversy. Since taking a step back, she and Harry have dragged the royal family through TV interviews, documentaries and memoirs – all of which have brought criticism to the couple.
However, Meghan has no regrets over what has transpired in her life, even if “mistakes” were made along the way.
“You learn not to do it again,” she told the mag. “If it all goes swimmingly, you don’t learn from it. If you don’t learn anything, you’re not going to grow.”
She later added: “There’s no such thing as perfect. I, too, get to make mistakes.”
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“There’s also not a lot of fun in trying to be perfect,” she continued. “I don’t like things that feel overly realised. If you overwork the dough, it’s not going to rise. And sometimes I think the stress that people put on moments … they are so consumed in them that you lose the fun of why you are doing something.”
And Meghan is a firm believer in drowning out the noise. So the former actress keeps her circle tight – and it helps that she lives in a secluded Montecito mansion with her and Harry’s children: Prince Archie, 6, and Princess Lilibet, 4.
Here, she can dip in and out of the spotlight while still being a mum at the end of the day.
“I love being able to do both, to play in the sandbox with my kids and to play in the front row at a show,” Meghan said of how she balances career and motherhood.
“I think the moment that you start making all of your personal decisions based on external judgment, then you lose your authenticity.”
For Meghan, at the heart of their lives is Prince Harry, who has been her rock throughout the whole rollercoaster ride.
“He loves me so boldly, fully, and he also has a different perspective because he sees media that I wouldn’t,” she said of how he supports her through the challenging parts of fame.
“No one in the world loves me more than him, so I know he’s always going to make sure that he has my back.”
“You have someone who just has this childlike wonder and playfulness,” she revealed of her husband. “I was so drawn to that, and he brought that out in me. That’s translated into every part of our life. Even in business, I want us to play and have fun and explore and be creative.”
Originally published as Meghan Markle opens up about ‘mistakes’ in most candid interview yet
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