Meghan Markle Bravely Shares News of Pregnancy Loss in Powerful and Heartbreaking Essay

Meghan Markle bravely opened up about the loss of her and Prince Harry's second child, and we’re sending our deepest sympathies.

In The New York Times on Wednesday, Markle published a raw and powerful essay and revealed that she suffered a miscarriage earlier this year.

In the essay, she wrote, "It was a July morning that began as ordinarily as any other day: Make breakfast. Feed the dogs. Take vitamins. Find that missing sock. Pick up the rogue crayon that rolled under the table. Throw my hair in a ponytail before getting my son from his crib."

She continued, "After changing his diaper, I felt a sharp cramp. I dropped to the floor with him in my arms, humming a lullaby to keep us both calm, the cheerful tune a stark contrast to my sense that something was not right. I knew, as I clutched my firstborn child, that I was losing my second."

The duchess then detailed how she and Prince Harry handled the heartbreaking news at the hospital, describing the loss as "carrying an almost unbearable grief." She wrote, "Hours later, I lay in a hospital bed, holding my husband’s hand. I felt the clamminess of his palm and kissed his knuckles, wet from both our tears. Staring at the cold white walls, my eyes glazed over. I tried to imagine how we’d heal."

Markle shared that she tried her best to "keep a brave face in the very public eye" after the pregnancy loss. Referencing a previously held (and widely publicized) interview, she revealed how moved she was by a journalist asking if she was OK. 

She wrote, "Sitting in a hospital bed, watching my husband’s heart break as he tried to hold the shattered pieces of mine, I realized that the only way to begin to heal is to first ask, 'Are you OK?'"

She added, "We have learned that when people ask how any of us are doing, and when they really listen to the answer, with an open heart and mind, the load of grief often becomes lighter—for all of us. In being invited to share our pain, together we take the first steps toward healing."

Sending all our love and condolences to Meghan and Harry.