Being a princess isn't exactly the fairytale it's made out to be - it's actually a very lonely existence.
That's the view of Meghan Markle as she revealed her feelings in the explosive tell-all interview she and Prince Harry gave Oprah Winfrey.
The 39-year-old told the American presenter that she only left the house twice in four months when she was living at the palace.
She claimed that she was told by "people within The Firm" that she was "everywhere", and was advised that she should think about laying low for a while.
Cradling her baby bump, the pregnant mum-of-one compared her life in the palace to the lockdown.
She told the presenter: "I said: 'I have left the house twice in four months, I am everywhere but I am nowhere.'
"I continued to say to people: 'I know there is an obsession with how things look, but has anyone talked about how it feels? Because right now I could not feel lonelier'."
She added that because there was so little that she was actually allowed to do, her situation bred loneliness.
The former Suits star, who also revealed she is having a baby girl, said she was urged to stay at home behind closed doors and was refused permission to go out to lunch with her friends.
She honestly admitted that her time at the palace had left her feeling suicidal and she wasn't able to get the help she needed.
When she joined the family she said she could no longer have access to her passport or any personal effects and described the period as a low point in her life.
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Meghan continued to tell Oprah that she felt as if she "didn't want to be alive anymore".
When the presenter asked directly if she was had suicidal thoughts or thought about self-harm at some stage, Meghan replied "yes".
She admitted that her thoughts and feelings had also sent her husband to a "dark place".
Watch the full interview on ITV at 9pm on Monday night and on ITV Hub, Courtesy of Harpo Productions/CBS
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
