Fairytales inevitably end with the big white wedding and a promise of happily ever after.
But as Meghan Markle told Oprah Winfrey, the months after her romantic 2018 wedding to Prince Harry were far from the charmed life outsiders might imagine.
In a series of telling revelations, Meghan shared how living as part of The Firm was like being inside a gilded cage, in which she was "silenced" and felt trapped.
The American actress described her disillusionment, claiming officials "lied" to protect other royals instead of Harry and her.
Having been a working self-sufficient woman for many years, Meghan, 39, was shocked when officials even took her passport from her after her marriage.
She said: 'When I joined that family, that was the last time I saw my passport, my driving licence, my keys - all of that gets turned over'.
Meghan claimed she had been completely "naive" about what life as a royal would be like.
Indeed after falling for Harry and heading to England to meet his grandmother, she was even unaware that she needed to curtsy when she met the Queen.
She described to Oprah how Prince Andrew's ex-wife Fergie taught her the move.
Pregnant Meghan then told how she struggled to adjust to her new role as a working Royal after her wedding.
The Sunday Times journalist Roya Nikkhah said on Good Morning Britain on Monday: "They have said family members are racist, that Meghan was told she couldn't leave the house and go out for lunch, that she didn't leave the house more than twice in four months."
Meghan she said being "judged" by outsiders unaware of the reality of her daily life was "really tricky".
Meghan explained: "You're being judged on the perception but you are living the reality of it, there's a complete misalignment and there's no way to explain that to people."
The pregnant duchess became tearful as she recalled how the stress of her role became so bad that she felt suicidal.
She attributed this to the intense pressure she was under, describing how at first she didn't tell Harry because of the loss of his mother.
As her distress intensified, she sought help with her mental health, but despite this was left to suffer alone.
But while life inside the Royal family was far from a fairytale, Meghan described finally finding her "happy ending" - at home with Harry in California.
If you are struggling and need to talk, the Samaritans operates a free helpline open 24/7 on 116 123. Alternatively, you can email jo@samaritans.org if you'd prefer to write down your feelings or don't wish to be overheard
- Watch the full interview on ITV at 9pm on Monday night and on ITV Hub, Courtesy of Harpo Productions/CBS.
