The royal couple took viewers inside their private life on 'Harry & Meghan: An African Journey'
The documentary special Harry & Meghan: An African Journey aired in the U.K. on Sunday night, and it gave viewers an in-depth look into the lives of Meghan Markle and Prince Harry on their 10-day Royal Tour of Africa. American viewers will get a look at the special on Wednesday, Oct. 23 at 10 p.m. ET on ABC.
In the documentary, journalist Tom Bradby joined the Duke and Duchess of Sussex on tour, during which Meghan spoke out about her race, Harry walked in his mother's footsteps, and both addressed questions about their future in the public eye.
The tour was a big step for Meghan and Harry, who started their trip in post-apartheid South Africa acknowledging the effects race and discrimination can have on a community (and a couple). As Bradby noted, the journey took a turn days later when the pair announced their decision to take legal action against British tabloids. Harry opened up about the "bullying" against his wife, his reported "rift" with his brother, Prince William, and his desire not to see the treatment of his late mother, Princess Diana, extend to Meghan; the new duchess, meanwhile, came face-to-face with the realities of her new role.
Here are the biggest moments:
Meghan on Proudly Identifying as a Woman of Color:
The former Suits star opened up about her black heritage as she proudly identified as a woman of color during her speech at Cape Town’s Nyanga township.
"I would hope that people -- the world -- will get to a point where you just see us as a couple who is in love, right? Because I don't wake up every day and identify as being anything other than who I've always been. I'm Meghan and I married this incredible man, and this, to me, is just part of our love story," she told Bradby of her decision to open up about her race.
"But for me, when I made the choice to add those words into the speech, it was really at the last minute, and I said to Harry, 'What do you think if I add this in? I don't know. It just felt right.' And he very kindly and supportively said, 'If that's what feels right, then that's what you should say.' Because it's true," Meghan continued. "Before I was part of this family, that's how I identified, with people and connection, as a mother now, as a wife now ,but just as a woman of color, which has been brought to the forefront in a more prominent way."
Meghan on Introducing Archie to Meet Archbishop Desmond Tutu:
The 5-month-old made an adorable appearance as Meghan and Harry decided to introduce him to Archbishop Desmond Tutu and his daughter, Thandeka Tutu-Gxashe, on day three of their tour.
"It's not lost on us what a huge and significant moment that is, and I think Archie will look back at that in so many years and understand that right at the beginning of his life, he was fortunate enough to have this moment with one of the best and most impactful leaders of our time," Meghan told Bradby. "So, it was really special."
Meghan and Harry on Archie Loving Africa:
At a dinner in South Africa, Harry gushed about how Archie has embraced their traveling. "I'll tell you what, he clearly loves Africa as well because he was up looking out the window," he said. "He found his voice now, he's bouncing up and down and making more noise than he's ever made before and he's smiling all the time."
"He was happy before. He's the happiest here the past two days," Meghan added.
Harry on Whether He and Meghan Will Move to Africa:
Africa holds a special place in Harry and Meghan's hearts, but they aren't considering moving there permanently, Harry told Bradby. "I don't know where we could live in Africa at the moment, we've just come from Cape Town. That would be an amazing place to be able to base ourselves," he shared. "But with all the problems going on there... I don't see how we'd be able to make as big a difference as we want to."
"The rest of our lives, our life's work with be predominantly focused on Africa on conservation... so there's a lot of things to be done, there's a lot of problems here, but also a lot of solutions," he added.
Harry on His Rift With William:
Reports of a rift between Harry and William sparked last year, and were only furthered by the two splitting their royal households. While speaking with Bradby, Harry admitted that "inevitably stuff happens." "But we're brothers. We'll always be brothers," Harry declared. "We're certainly on different paths at the moment, but I'll always be there for him, and I know he'll always be there for me. We don't see each other as much as we used to, because we're so busy, but I love him dearly and the majority of stuff is created out of nothing, but as brothers, you have good days, you have bad days."
Harry on Whether He and Meghan Represent a "New" Royal Family:
Harry and Meghan -- the first interracial couple in the British royal family's recent history -- have been seen as a symbol of the monarchy's future, but Harry doesn't see it that way. "I don't think there is a new way or the old way," he revealed. "We're certainly not trying to lead the way. We're trying to do what feels natural to us, and be authentic."
Harry on Finding Peace After His Mother's Death:
Visiting Africa was emotional for Harry, as he walked in his mother's footsteps in Angola, which she visited just weeks before her 1997 death.
"I think [the grief is] probably [like] a wound that festers. I think being part of this family in this role in this job, every single time I see a camera, every single time I hear a click, every single time I see a flash, it takes me straight back. So in that respect, it's the worst reminder of her life, as opposed to the best," Harry explained. "Being here now 22 years later, trying to finish what she started, it will be incredibly emotional, but everything I do reminds me of her. But as I said, with the role, with the job and the pressures that come with that, I get reminded of the bad stuff, unfortunately."
Harry on Worrying About History Repeating Itself:
Harry opened up about his fears that history would repeat itself in his scathing letter about the British tabloids' treatment of his wife -- but elaborated more on the "bullying" to Bradby.
"You probably slightly hit the nail on the head. My mom clearly taught me a certain set of values of which I will try and always uphold despite the role and the job that sometimes that entails, if you know what I mean. But I think I will always protect my family, and now I have a family to protect," the new dad said. "Everything that she went through and what happened to her is incredibly raw, every single day, and that's not me being paranoid, that's just me not wanting a repeat of the past. And if anybody else knew what I knew, being it a father, be it a husband, be it anyone, you would be doing exactly what I'm doing as well."
Meghan on Being Warned That Tabloids Would "Destroy Her Life":
When asked how she's coping with the pressure from the British media, Meghan got candid, revealing that she was actually warned by friends not to marry Harry because of the toll the tabloids would take on her.
"It's hard. I don't think anybody could understand that, but in all fairness, I had no idea -- which probably sounds difficult to understand here -- but when I first met my now-husband, my friends were really happy because I was so happy, but my British friends said to me, 'I'm sure he's great, but you shouldn't do it, because the British tabloids will destroy your life,'" she shared. "And I very naively.. we're American, we don't have that there, 'What are you talking about? That doesn't make any sense. I don't need tabloids!' I didn't get it. So yeah, it's been complicated. "
"I would say, any woman, especially when they're pregnant, you're really vulnerable, and so that was made really challenging, and then when you have a newborn, you know -- and especially as a woman, it's a lot. So you add this on top of just trying to be a new mom or trying to be a newlywed, I guess also thank you for asking, because not many people have asked if I'm OK, but it's a very real thing to be going through behind the scenes," she added, confirming to Bradby that she's "struggling."
Meghan on Trying to Cope With the Pressure:
When Bradby asked Meghan if she'll survive the pressure she's feeling, the Duchess replied that she wants more for her life than just surviving.
"I have said for a long time ... it's not enough to just survive something, right? That's not the point of life. You've got to thrive," she noted. "You've got to feel happy, and I think I really tried to adopt this British sensibility of a stiff upper lip. I tried, I really tried, but I think that what that does internally is probably really damaging, and the biggest thing I know is that I never thought this would be easy, but I thought it would be fair, and that's the part that's really hard to reconcile. I don't know -- just take each day as it comes."
Meghan claimed that what's happened to her with the British media is not "fair." "When people are saying things that are just untrue and they're being told they're untrue but they're allowed to still say them, I don't know anybody in the world that would feel like that's OK, and that's different than just scrutiny. That's -- what would you call that? That's a different beast. That's really just a different beast," she said.
"I think the grass is always greener. You have no idea. It's really hard to understand what it's like, but I know what it seems like it should be. It's a very different thing," she added, seemingly trying to stop herself from getting emotional. "That's OK. The good thing is I've got my baby and I've got my husband, and they're the best."
See more on Meghan and Harry in the video below.
Harry & Meghan: An African Journey will air in the U.S. on Wednesday, Oct. 23 at 10 p.m. ET /PT on ABC.
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