Meghan Markle shared a brave op-ed Wednesday, revealing that she suffered a miscarriage earlier this year. In a New York Times opinion essay titled “The Losses We Share,†the Duchess of Sussex opens up about her grief in order to inspire others to connect to one another with a simple “Are you okay?†Markle writes that “it was a July morning that began as ordinarily as any other day,†spent with her baby, Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor. “After changing his diaper, I felt a sharp cramp,†she writes. “I dropped to the floor with him in my arms, humming a lullaby to keep us both calm, the cheerful tune a stark contrast to my sense that something was not right. I knew, as I clutched my firstborn child, that I was losing my second.â€
Later, at the hospital with Harry, Duke of Sussex by her side, she recalled the infamous moment from their South African tour last year where a journalist asked Markle “Are you okay?†Her reply, “Thank you for asking. Not many people have asked if I’m okay,†inspired people around the world to be honest about how they’re doing. “Losing a child means carrying an almost unbearable grief, experienced by many but talked about by few,†she continued. “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.†Markle adds that opening up and really listening to each other can be “the first steps towards healing†for us all: “As much as we may disagree, as physically distanced as we may be, the truth is that we are more connected than ever because of all we have individually and collectively endured this year.â€