Meghan Markle decided to reveal she suffered a miscarriage after "taking time to process what happened" and realising how common the issue is, a source close to the Duchess has claimed.
The Duchess of Sussex wrote a moving account for the New York Times describing the moment she "dropped to the floor" while holding Archie after feeling a "sharp cramp".
A source told the BBC "the couple took time to process what happened in July and having come to appreciate how common miscarriage is, wanted to talk about it".
They added that Meghan is "currently in good health" and has decided to share her story in a bid to help others.
In the piece, Meghan writes: "Losing a child means carrying an almost unbearable grief, experienced by many but talked about by few.
"In the pain of our loss, my husband and I discovered that in a room of 100 women, 10 to 20 of them will have suffered from miscarriage. Yet despite the staggering commonality of this pain, the conversation remains taboo, riddled with (unwarranted) shame, and perpetuating a cycle of solitary mourning."
She also explained that they found comfort in people asking how they were doing and "really listening to the answer", writing: "In being invited to share our pain, together we take the first steps toward healing."
Royal expert Katie Nicholl praised Meghan for speaking out.
She told BBC Radio 5 Live: "I was incredibly moved by it and my first reaction was, how incredibly brave of her.
"They want to use their profile to help other people.
"I'm told that if she feels this can help other people going through a similar experience then that's why she wrote it.
"To break down this stigma and this taboo, and to say, you know what, it's okay to talk about this and we must remember to ask each other 'are you okay' and mean it."
Replying to questions about why she believes Meghan made it public, Katie replies: "She's obviously chosen to talk about this experience to link it to the issues that matter to her.
"What she will say is I'm using my unique position in the spotlight to talk about something that has really changed my life and it's important that I talk about it.
"I think they will talk about personal issues when they are relevant to the causes they're trying to draw attention to."
Buckingham Palace has said it won't comment on the devastating news as it's "a deeply
personal matter."
However a palace source has said there is understandable sadness in the royal family.
For support, advice or information about miscarriage, visit the charity Tommy's website at https://www.tommys.org/ or call 0800 0147800.
