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Meghan Markle Admits She Was Warned Not to Marry Prince Harry

Meghan Markle. Photo: Getty Images

When Meghan Markle met Prince Harry, he was the world’s most eligible bachelor—but she reveals that a British friend warned her not to pursue a relationship with him.

In the documentary Harry & Meghan: An African Journey, which aired on ITV in the United Kingdom last night, Markle recalls telling her inner circle she was seeing the prince. While her American confidantes were “so happy because I was so happy,” one friend from the United Kingdom expressed a different sentiment. “My British friend said to me: ‘I’m sure he’s great, but you shouldn’t do it,’” the duchess recalled. “‘Because the British tabloids will destroy your life.’”

At the time, Markle admits, she was naive and “didn’t get” the tabloid culture. But soon she was thrown into its deep end. Many reports leading up to the royal wedding involved the difficult relationship between soon-to-be duchess and her father, Thomas Markle, who staged paparazzi photos before the ceremony and ultimately—and very publicly—pulled out of walking her down the aisle. Currently, the Duchess of Sussex is seeking legal action against the Mail on Sunday for publishing a private letter she sent her father. (“Unfortunately, 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 wrote in a statement about the lawsuit.)

The duchess told ITV reporter Tom Bradby that she tried to stay above the fray—to adopt the British mentality of a stiff upper lip, though ultimately she doesn’t think it’s an effective coping mechanism. “I think that what that does internally is probably really damaging,” she said.

Earlier in the interview Markle had noted, “It’s not enough to just survive something. That’s not the point of life. You’ve got to thrive. You’ve got to feel happy.”

Multiple reports say that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex will be taking a break from royal engagements in November. During their time off, reports say, the couple may visit Markle’s mother, Doria Ragland, in the United States.

Originally published on Vogue.com

Read Next: Meghan Markle Admits The Intense Media Coverage Is a Struggle: “Not Many People Have Asked If I’m Okay”

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