New revelations from Meghan Markle: the Duchess spoke about “hatred and cruelty” during pregnancy

Prince Harry’s wife Meghan Markle has made a new batch of scandalous revelations – now the Duchess of Sussex claims that she suffered from “hateful” and “cruel” treatment while she was pregnant.

Meghan says she suffered “much of the bullying and abuse I experienced” while pregnant with Archie and Lilibeth, Sky News reports.

The Duchess of Sussex has admitted she was subjected to “hateful” abuse on social media while she was pregnant with both of her children, saying it was “cruel”.

Speaking at the SXSW conference in Texas to mark International Women’s Day, Meghan was asked how she copes with the “endless toxicity” online.

The Duchess said that “for the sake of my well-being” she now “keeps a distance” from social media, but added that she suffered “much of the bullying and abuse I faced” while she was pregnant with Archie and Lilibet.

As Prince Harry sat in the front row of the conference, Meghan said: “Just think about it and you really need to understand why people can be so haters. It’s not snide, it’s cruel. Why did you do that? And of course when you pregnant or becoming mothers, we know this is such a tender and sacred time.”

Meghan Markle added: “You might succumb to it or almost succumb to how painful it is. Or maybe because I was pregnant it just kicks in the mammalian instinct to do whatever it takes to protect its baby and as a result , protect yourself too.”

Prince Archie was born in May 2019, while Princess Lilibet was born in California in June 2021 after the Sussexes moved to the US, Sky News recalls.

Described by event organizers as a “visionary female leader,” Meghan Markle appeared on a panel that included actress Brooke Shields, 58. Explaining how, aged 11, she campaigned to change sexist advertising, Megan said: “Your voice is not small, it just needs to be heard.”

The Duchess of Sussex, 42, added: “It’s funny looking back on it now as it was before social media where you had a much bigger reach – it was just an 11-year-old with a pen and paper – but it shows, you know you that there is something wrong, and you use your voice to stand up for what is right, what really resonates with people.”

Recalling her starring role in the 1978 film Pretty Baby, Brooke Shields joked in response: “That’s one of the reasons we’re different – when I was 11, I played a prostitute.”

Megan previously said that in 2019 she was the most trolled in the world.

In a podcast to mark World Mental Health Day, she said the impact on her health had been “so devastating”.

“I wasn’t even visible, I was on maternity leave with the child – but what they managed to produce and stamp is almost impossible, it’s so big that you can’t even imagine what it’s like,” she said.