Meghan Markle Shares How Prince Harry Stepped In To Help Her During Her "Worst Point"

When Meghan Markle was at her “worst point” with her mental health, it was Prince Harry who stepped in to make sure she got the help she needed. And in a new episode of her Archetypes podcast on Spotify, the mom of two talked about how much that help mattered to her at an incredibly difficult time in her life.

Markle sat down to chat with Constance Wu, Deepika Padukone, and Jenny Slate for the most recent episode of her podcast, “The Decoding of Crazy,” about the stigma surrounding mental health. “I feel pretty strongly about this word… this label: 'crazy,’” Markle explained in the intro. “The way that it's thrown around so casually and the damage it's wrought on society and women everywhere — from relationships to families being shattered, reputations destroyed and careers ruined.”

The Duchess of Sussex went on to talk about a time in her life when she was truly struggling herself. “I think at my worst point, being finally connected to someone that, you know, my husband had found a referral for me to call. And I called this woman. She didn't know I was even calling her. And she was checking out at the grocery store.”

Markle’s connection with a mental health professional came about because, as she noted, she asked for help from Prince Harry. “I think it's for all of us to be really honest about what it is that you need and to not be afraid to make peace with that, to ask for it.”

While Markle did not elaborate on when she experienced her mental health crisis, Prince Harry has talked about his wife’s struggles when she was a senior royal and constantly living with a barrage of criticism. “She was six months pregnant at the time,” the Duke of Sussex recalled in his Apple TV+ documentary The Me You Can’t See. “Meghan decided to share with me the suicidal thoughts and the practicalities of how she was going to end her life.” He went on to say, “She hadn’t lost it, she wasn’t ‘crazy,’ she wasn’t self-medicating, be it through pills or alcohol.”

Markle’s decision to reach out to Prince Harry changed the course of the couple’s life together. Within a year they had their first child, 3-year-old son Archie, walked away from their royal lives and relocated to live privately in California before going on to welcome their 1-year-old daughter Lilibet last year.

Reaching out for help during a mental health crisis is never a bad idea, as both Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s advocacy to destigmatize mental health issues proves. Hopefully other people will benefit from their candor.

If you or someone you know is seeking help for mental health concerns, visit the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) website, or call 1-800-950-NAMI (6264). For confidential treatment referrals, visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) website, or call the National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357). In an emergency, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or call 911.