Meghan Markle has shared a deeply personal and seldom-discussed health experience, revealing for the first time that she suffered from postpartum pre-eclampsia following one of her pregnancies.
This condition, while rare, can pose serious risks to new mothers in the period after giving birth.
The Duchess of Sussex, 43, opened up about the ordeal in the premiere episode of her new podcast, Confessions of a Female Founder.
The episode debuted on April 8 and featured a heartfelt conversation between Meghan and Bumble founder Whitney Wolfe Herd.
Meghan Markle shares her experience with postpartum pre-eclampsia
During the discussion, Meghan spoke candidly about the hidden challenges she faced in early motherhood while quietly navigating a serious medical condition.
“We both had very similar experiences, though we didn’t know each other at the time, with postpartum, and we both had pre-eclampsia. Postpartum preeclampsia,” Meghan shared.
“It’s so rare and so scary. And you’re still trying to juggle all of these things, and the world doesn’t know what’s happening quietly. In the quiet, you’re still trying to show up for people, mostly for your children, but those things are huge medical scares.”
Whitney, who also faced the same condition, agreed: “I mean, life or death, truly.”
Postpartum pre-eclampsia is a rare but serious health issue, marked by high blood pressure and elevated protein levels in the urine after childbirth. It often appears without warning and, if left untreated, can lead to severe headaches, visual disturbances, swelling, or even seizures, according to the NHS.
Meghan did not clarify whether the condition developed after giving birth to her son Prince Archie in 2019 or her daughter Princess Lilibet in 2021.
How many children does Meghan Markle have?
Meghan is a mother of two. She and her husband Prince Harry welcomed Prince Archie on May 6, 2019, and later had a daughter, Princess Lilibet, on June 4, 2021.
Is Meghan Markle listed on Archie’s birth certificate?
Yes, Meghan’s name appears on Archie’s birth certificate. However, reports from 2021 claimed that her full name, “Rachel Meghan,” had been removed in favor of the more formal “Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Sussex.”
Archie’s full name on the certificate is “Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor.” He was granted the title of prince in 2022 when his grandfather, King Charles, ascended to the throne.
Prince Harry is listed as “His Royal Highness Henry Charles Albert David Duke of Sussex.”
Elsewhere in the first podcast episode, Meghan spoke openly about the ongoing challenge of balancing motherhood with building her business ventures.
She offered a sweet glimpse into life at home with Archie and Lilibet.
“If [Lilibet] wakes up and wants to find me, she knows where to find me, even if my door is closed to the office,” Meghan said.
“She’ll be sitting there on my lap during one of these meetings… I wouldn’t have it any other way. I don’t want to miss those moments,” she added. “I don’t want to miss pickup if I don’t have to. I don’t want to miss drop-off.”
She emphasized that both parenting and pursuing her business goals are “just as important.”
To celebrate the podcast’s launch, Meghan also shared some rare childhood photos on Instagram. The images featured her as a young girl selling cookies—an early sign of her entrepreneurial spark.
She added a playful caption: “Being an entrepreneur can start young. (By the way, all these years later and I’m still selling cookies!)”
