Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, is speaking out about motherhood and womanhood.
Less than a week after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, the landmark 1973 ruling that ensured the constitutional right to abortion, the 40-year-old royal sat down with journalist Jessica Yellen and activist icon Gloria Steinem for a Vogue interview in which she examined how her own experiences — from raising two children with Prince Harry to having suffered a miscarriage — shape her views.
“I think about how fortunate I felt to be able to have both of my children,” the former Meghan Markle said.
She and the Duke of Sussex share a 3-year-old son, Archie, and a 1-year-old daughter, Lilibet.
“I know what it feels like to have a connection to what is growing inside of your body,” she recalled of her pregnancies. “What happens with our bodies is so deeply personal, which can also lead to silence and stigma, even though so many of us deal with personal health crises.”
A year before welcoming her daughter, the duchess suffered a crisis of her own. She had a miscarriage.
“I know what miscarrying feels like, which I’ve talked about publicly,” she said, referring to her 2020 op-ed on the topic in The New York Times. “The more that we normalize conversation about the things that affect our lives and bodies, the more people are going to understand how necessary it is to have protections in place.”
The reversal of the Roe v. Wade leaves her concerned about those who need protections.
“This is about women’s physical safety," she continued. "It’s also about economic justice, individual autonomy, and who we are as a society. Nobody should be forced to make a decision they do not want to make, or is unsafe, or puts their own life in jeopardy.
"Frankly, whether it’s a woman being put in an unthinkable situation, a woman not ready to start a family, or even a couple who deserve to plan their family in a way that makes the most sense for them, it’s about having a choice."
She told Steinem that "men need to be vocal in this moment," noting that she's discussed the topic with Prince Harry, who had a "guttural" reaction to the Supreme Court’s ruling.
"He's a feminist too," Meghan said.
That point came as no surprise to Steinem.
"I can testify to that since I met him before I met you," the 88-year-old replied. "He was at a big meeting I attended, and he was advocating for people’s rights."
As for ensuring those rights going forward, the duchess added, "This moment requires unity — really listening to people, understanding the Constitution was written at a time when women were second-class citizens. We’re not. Certain things need to change."