Women have been fighting against the stringent laws and customs surrounding abortion for ages. The plethora of convoluted laws had not allowed females to even speak about it once in history. But women, coming ahead and sharing their experiences of pain, shame and trauma, today, is commendable and a game-changing step. Meghan Markle, still carrying the title of the 'Duchess of Sussex' and revealing how she suffered a miscarriage, over the summer has called on people to be more empathetic with one another to combat "the danger of siloed living."
In a New York Times op-ed titled "The Losses We Share" published on Wednesday, Markle wrote of an ordinary July morning that quickly turned nightmarish for her and husband Prince Harry. "After changing (son Archie's) 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.
Meghan's pain and grief
"I knew, as I clutched my firstborn child, that I was losing my second," she continued.
"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."
The 39-year-old former "Suits" actor went on to recall her interview with ITV's Tom Bradby last year during the couple's tour of South Africa, when she was asked "Are you okay?" by the journalist and answered candidly that she wasn't — her heartfelt response, perceived as unorthodox for a member of the Royal Family, grabbing international headlines.
"Sitting in a hospital bed, watching my husband's heartbreak 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?'"
Markle and Prince Harry are now based in Los Angeles after breaking away from the Royal Family in March. The couple struck a major multi-year Netflix deal in September covering documentaries, feature films, scripted television shows and children's series. As per reports by Elle, it has been anticipated that they will be at their Montecito home for Christmas and not in the UK.
Meanwhile, Markle, in her piece also reflected on the extensive tragedies of 2020, from the hundreds of thousands who have died from COVID-19 to the police deaths of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, and the political fractures across America, underlined by this month's presidential election, as "breaking points" this year.
Discussing her miscarriage, Markle described the experience as "carrying an almost unbearable grief, experienced by many but talked about by a few."
"Some have bravely shared their stories; they have opened the door, knowing that when one person speaks truth, it gives license for all of us to do the same," Markle said.
"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," she wrote further.
The probability of Markle's return to the royal life has already been quashed by royal expert Penny Junor who says that some of their relationships (British Royal family) are "beyond repair". While the Royal Family is an excellent platform for charity work, Ms Junor said it was not "the springboard for changing the world – however, burning and evident the need".
"Both as a woman and as a woman of colour, she sees the need for change all around her and is clearly passionate about standing up and being counted," she explained in an interview to The Sun.
The couple had left the United Kingdom with Archie last November for the Mille Fleurs estate in North Saanich on Vancouver Island, Canada. They left their son in Canada while Meghan and Harry attended their final engagements before stepping back as senior royals in March earlier this year. Media reports confirmed from sources close to the royals that the couple has stayed in touch with the family via video call since moving to their "forever home" in Montecito, California, but there was great excitement about spending time with the now-17-month-old toddler Archie, who is walking and talking.
Plans for Queen Elizabeth's traditional Christmas at Sandringham with members of the Royal Family have not yet been announced and are under review given the second lockdown due to COVID-19. A few weeks ago, Buckingham Palace announced that "in line with current government guidelines, and as a sensible precaution in the current circumstances, there will be no large scale events at Buckingham Palace or Windsor Castle for the rest of the year."
