Meghan Markle reveals ‘rare and scary’ postpartum preeclampsia as Harry fights UK security case

Meghan Markle has launched the first episode of her highly anticipated podcast and opened up about motherhood and a frightening experience following the pregnancy of one of her children.

The Duchess of Sussex’s first conversation on her new podcast, Confessions Of A Female Founder, is with Bumble founder Whitney Wolfe Herd.

“We both had very similar experiences, though we didn’t know each other at the time, with postpartum, and we both had preeclampsia. Postpartum preeclampsia,” Meghan shared.

“It’s so rare and so scary.”

Meghan continued, “And you’re still trying to juggle all of these things, and the world doesn’t know what’s happening quietly. And in the quiet, you’re still trying to show up for people, mostly for your children, but those things are huge medical scares.”

Whitney added, “I mean life or death, truly,” highlighting the seriousness of the condition that can lead to seizures and other complications.

Meghan didn’t specify if the scare happened with Archie, now five, or Lilibet, aged three.

The Duchess also went on to talk more candidly about her and Prince Harry’s family life, and specifically their daughter Lili’s nap time, and the fact she only attends preschool for half a day.

“If she wakes up and wants to find me, she knows where to find me, even if my door is closed to the office,” Meghan said, while also admitting she loves to work from home.

“She’ll be sitting there on my lap during one of these meetings with a grid of all the executives, I wouldn’t have it any other way.

“I don’t want to miss those moments. I don’t want to miss pickup if I don’t have to. I don’t want to miss drop-off.”

Meghan said growing her business and raising her children are “just as important” and “really high value for the world”.

Her guest Whitney Herd agreed.

“Technology is a beautiful tool for parents because you can dial in and be present and do a great job on the call while you sit in the carpool line outside school.

“Like, why do I need to be at a desk? I have the same mental opinion in a carpool line.”

The eight episode podcast series will focus on Meghan’s time as an entrepreneur. She posted photos of herself as a child on her Instagram to align with the launch.

“Being an entrepreneur can start young. (By the way all these years later and I’m still selling cookies!)“ she said in a post.

The Duchess didn’t shy away from opening up about her struggles, as in 2020 when Meghan wrote a piece for The New York Times detailing her tragic miscarriage after Archie, and said “I knew, as I clutched my firstborn child, that I was losing my second.”

In the podcast episode, Whitney hailed Meghan for the photo shoot that announced Archie’s arrival.

“I’ll never forget the image of you after you delivered Archie, and the whole world was waiting for his debut”

“I was either just becoming or about to become a new mum, and I was like, ‘Oh my God, how is this woman doing this? How is this woman putting on heels and going and debuting a child in this, you know, beautiful outfit in front of the entire world?’” she said.

Whitney also praised her for “your ability to exist, even in the presence of that…It takes a very strong cookie.”

“When I was going through the media storm and being called this and that at Tinder, I didn’t leave my house for, like, a month and a half.”

The latest business venture follows Meghan’s eight part Netflix series With Love Meghan, which sees her making meals with friends and giving lifestyle tips in the kitchen while hosting guests.

Whiting says “when Meghan is in her home she’s engulfed in love and coziness ... and the rest just writes itself”.

Confessions Of A Female Founder is just one of Meghan’s most recent ventures, with her As Ever business selling out of all products in under an hour in early April, including her raspberry preserve.

The new podcast lands as Prince Harry is in the UK challenging a court ruling that removed his access to tax-payer funded security after stepping back from royal duties in 2020 and relocating to the US with Meghan.

The Duke of Sussex is now appealing this decision in London’s Court of Appeal, where his legal team argues the security downgrade constitutes “unjust and inferior treatment”.