Meghan says she is ‘existing not living’ as she struggles with the pressures of royal life

Meghan Markle has said that she is ‘existing, not living’ while struggling with the pressures of royal life and media scrutiny. 

The Duchess opened up during an emotional interview with broadcaster Tom Bradby for a new documentary which is set to air on ITV tonight.

A new video from the documentary has emerged today which shows Harry discussing potentially leaving the UK one day to live in Africa.

Harry & Meghan: An African Journey will offer an insight into the emotional journey the ‘vulnerable and bruised’ royal couple have been catapulted into since their wedding while following their ten-day tour of southern Africa. 

Prince Harry told the broadcaster it would be ‘amazing’ to live in Cape Town and Africa will be the focus of his work during his lifetime

In the hour-long documentary, Harry voices his desire to leave the UK and considers living in Africa one day.

He said: ‘I don’t know where we could live in Africa at the moment.

‘We’ve just come from Cape Town, that would be an amazing place for us to be able to to base ourselves, of course it would.

‘But with all the problems that are going on there I just don’t see how we would be able to really make as much difference as we’d want to.’

Harry also revealed Africa will be the main focus of his and Meghan’s work in the future.

He said: ‘The rest of our lives, especially our life’s work will be predominantly focused on Africa, on conservation.

In an interview with ITV, The Duchess of Sussex said she has found the focus on her after her marriage and giving birth a struggle, adding: ‘Not many people have asked if I’m ok’

In the hour-long documentary, Harry voices his desire to leave the UK and considers living in Africa one day

‘There are 19 commonwealth countries across this continent, there’s a lot of things to be done, there’s a lot of problems here but there’s also huge potential for solutions.’

In an article for the Sunday Times, Mr Bradby recalled asking Meghan whether she was able to cope with the endless media scrutiny the newlywed has been under.  

She said, ‘We are taking it one day at a time,’ before admitting that the couple are currently ‘existing, not living.’ 

The Duchess received an outpouring of support from Twitter users on Friday after a clip from tonight’s documentary was released in which she admitted she was ‘not really OK’. 

Within an hour, #WeLoveYouMeghan became the top trending topic on the social media platform, with users offering positive messages in the wake of the Duchess’s recent media scrutiny. 

While reflecting upon tonight’s documentary, Mr Bradby wrote that much of what he witnessed alongside the royals on their southern Africa tour ‘did not come as a surprise’. 

The pair have been involved in charity work for years – Harry since his gap year that he spent working with children whose lives were affected by HIV in Lesotho, and Meghan has been involved with many charities and organisations that help young women to escape poverty and endemic levels of violence. 

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex will take six weeks off from Royal duties for some ‘much-needed family time’, it was reported on Saturday night

The break follows Harry and Meghan’s ten-day tour of southern Africa, footage of which will be seen on ITV Sunday night in a documentary by broadcaster Tom Bradby

But Mr Bradby noted that ‘as the journey wore on, another human story gradually emerged, of a couple who clearly feel under the most extreme pressure and seem, at times, to be buckling beneath it’.  

Meghan and Harry have spent the year under a media magnifying glass and have been accused of arrogance, profligacy and hypocrisy.  

Mr Bradby also wrote about how he thinks Harry believes that the press killed his mother and how he now fears history may repeat itself with his wife.

He wrote: ‘I couldn’t help but notice how incredibly tired, even burnt out, Harry looked.’ 

When Meghan was asked about the impact the intense public scrutiny has had on her ‘physical and mental health’ and how Harry is being ‘protective’ of her after what happened to his mother, she replied: ‘Look, any woman especially when they are pregnant you’re really vulnerable and so that was made really challenging, and then when you have a new born – you know…

‘And especially as a woman, it’s a lot.

‘So you add this on top of just trying to be a new mom or trying to be a newlywed it’s, well…’

She continues: ‘Also thank you for asking, because not many people have asked if I’m OK. But it’s a very real thing to be going through behind the scenes.’

Tom asks her: ‘And the answer is, would it be fair to say, not really OK, as in it’s really been a struggle?’ Meghan, visibly upset, then replies: ‘Yes.’ 

The hashtag was trending in less than an hour after British author Greg Hogben urged people to share their support

The couple will be taking six weeks off from their royal duties over the Christmas period. 

A Royal source told The Sunday Times: ‘The Duke and Duchess have a full schedule of engagements and commitments until mid-November, after which they will be taking some much-needed family time.’

The couple are expected to spend their first Christmas with their son Archie, who was born in May, with the Queen and other members of the Royal Family at Sandringham in Norfolk.

It is understood they will fly to Los Angeles next month to spend the Thanksgiving holiday with Meghan’s mother, Doria Ragland.  

Harry & Meghan: An African Journey is due for broadcast tonight at 9pm on ITV.