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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
National
Chris Kitching

Meghan Markle says she only wants to share parts of her life 'she's comfortable with'

Meghan Markle has said she only wants to show the parts of her life she is "comfortable" with in an unseen clip from her explosive tell-all interview with Oprah Winfrey.

The pregnant Duchess of Sussex, 39, claimed she has never "talked about privacy" and she and husband Prince Harry aren't asking for complete privacy, as she hit back at those who've lobbed criticism at the couple.

The comment came during an interview, watched by 11 million viewers in the UK, in which Meghan and Harry revealed private and previously unreleased details about the the Royal Family.

Oprah, 67, suggested the former Suits actress should have expected to lose a degree of privacy when she began dating Harry in 2016.

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Meghan Markle says she and Prince Harry have a 'basic right to privacy' (AFP via Getty Images)

Meghan replied: "I think everyone has a basic right to privacy. Basic. We're not talking about anything that anybody else wouldn't expect."

In a clip published on the Oprah Magazine website, Meghan claimed people are trying to create a "false narrative" by suggesting the Sussexes are trying to hide from their roles as public figures.

"I never talked about privacy," she added.

Instead, Harry, 36, and Meghan, who is pregnant with a girl, are just asking to share the "parts of their lives" they are "comfortable" with, like any other person, the duchess said.

Meghan and Harry have asked the media for privacy when it comes to Archie (pictured in 2019) (Getty Images)

The couple want "boundaries and respect".

She added: "There's no one who's on Instagram or social media that would say, 'Because I shared this one picture, that entitles you to have my entire camera roll. Go ahead and look through it'.

"No one would want that. So it's about boundaries. And it's about respect."

Explaining the "basic right to privacy", Meghan told Oprah: "If you're at work and you have a photograph of your child on your desk, and your co-worker says,  ' Oh, my gosh, your kid's so cute. That's fantastic. Can I see your phone so I can see all the pictures of your child?'

"You go, 'No, this is the picture I'm comfortable sharing with you'."

Hitting out at paparazzi, she added: "And then if they double down and say,  ' No, but you already showed me that one, so you have to show me everything'.

"'You know what, I'm just gonna hire someone to sit in front of your house, or hide in the bushes and take pictures into your backyard, because you've lost your right to privacy... because you shared one image with me'."

The couple, who live in suburban Los Angeles, have been criticising for seeking privacy after quitting as senior royals, and then giving a tell-all to Oprah, one of the most famous interviewers in the US, in a TV broadcast watched by tens of millions of people around the world.

The Sussexes have also been accused of hypocrisy for sharing Instagram photos of private family moments, which result in media coverage of their private lives, while complaining about media intrusion after coverage that paints them in a bad light. 

A new family portrait was published on Instagram, showing Harry and Meghan cuddling Archie, after the interview.

In November 2016, when it was confirmed that Meghan and Prince were dating, Kensington Palace asked the media and public to respect the couple's privacy out of fear for her safety.

The statement lashed out at the press and stated that Harry wasn't comfortable with the "significant curiosity" about his private life.

Since the birth of their son Archie, who turns two in May, Meghan and Harry have asked the media for privacy and taken legal action against at least one paparazzi agency that sold photos of the mother and son when they lived on Vancouver Island in Canada.

Just weeks ago, Meghan won her High Court privacy claim against the Mail on Sunday and MailOnline over the publication of a "personal and private" handwritten letter to her estranged father Thomas Markle.

In May 2018, a spokesperson for the Sussexes suggested the media and public give Mr Markle, 76, privacy in the lead-up to the royal wedding in May 2018, when it emerged he had staged photos for cash and would not attend the ceremony.

Among the many claims and revelations in the Oprah inteview, Meghan said she had suicidal thoughts while a senior member of the Firm.

The American duchess, the first mixed-race member of the modern monarchy, claimed a fellow royal was worried about how dark Archie's skin tone might be before he was born in May 2019.

During the candid conversation, Meghan suggested her son was not made a prince because of his mixed race - although rules set by George V meant he was not entitled to be one.

Meghan also claimed her sister-in-law Kate Middleton made her cry, and said her one regret was believing the Royal Family "when they said I would be protected".

Anyone who needs support should call Samaritans for free on 116 123 (UK and ROI), email jo@samaritans.org or visit the Samaritans website.

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