When Meghan Markle married Prince Harry she faced unimaginable pressures to play the traditional role of the Duchess of Sussex. Now, with baby Archie in tow, the spotlight has gotten that much brighter for the royal mom. In a new ITV clip released from their documentary Harry & Meghan: An African Journey — which will debut in the U.K this Sunday and the U.S on October 23rd—Markle reveals how difficult it’s been for her to be a new mother with the press following her every move since she gave birth in May. 

“Any woman, especially when they’re pregnant, you’re really vulnerable, and so that was made really challenging. And then when you have a newborn, you know. And especially as a woman, it’s a lot,” she told ITV’s Tom Bradby. “So you add this on top of just trying to be a new mom or trying to be a newlywed. It’s um…yeah. I guess, also thank you for asking because not many people have asked if I’m okay, but it’s a very real thing to be going through behind the scenes.” Markle brings up a very real point: asking a new mom how she’s doing usually comes after congratulating her and asking how baby is doing. 

As the royal couple toured Africa for ten days with their son Archie (serious #FamilyGoals) Markle unmasked what’s been going on behind their charitable Safari trip, a tribute to Princess Diana’s African tour in 1997. “It’s really been a struggle?” Bradby asks. “Yes,” she responds authentically. 

Thankfully, Markle’s husband has her back completely. “My wife has become one of the latest victims of a British tabloid press that wages campaigns against individuals with no thought to the consequences – a ruthless campaign that has escalated over the past year, throughout her pregnancy and while raising our newborn son,” the Duke of Sussex wrote in a rare statement where he explains why he’s suing The Sun and Mirror. 

From the outside, no one would know Meghan was struggling at all. But any new mom — royal or not — would agree that motherhood should be just about mom as it is about their baby.

Originally posted on SheKnows.

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