Meghan Markle's Former Bodyguard Details Duchess' Difficult First Days With The Royal Family
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's Netflix series, "Harry & Meghan," has highlighted their sweet love story, along with their troubled relationships with the royal family. But it has also shed light on the incessant difficulties they've had to face in the public eye. In the early days of their romance, Meghan interacted warmly with paparazzi. However, Harry immediately gave her some important advice. In the second episode of "Harry & Meghan" (via People), Meghan revealed, "And I remember H the next day saying, 'You can't talk to them.' And I was like, 'I'm just trying to be pleasant, I don't know what to do, I've never dealt with this before.' And he's like, 'Right, but the U.K. media are saying you love it. You're smiling, you love it.'"
Regardless of how Meghan communicated with the press, the scrutiny and stalking wouldn't let up. Needless to say, this became terrifying for the "Suits" actor. Even with the presence of security, the paparazzi continued to follow her, trying to break down literal barriers. Now, Meghan's former bodyguard is speaking out about her tough transition into royal life, and the details are unsettling.
The paparazzi's pursuit of Meghan Markle was relentless
Steve Davies, Meghan Markle's former bodyguard, recently sat down with "Breakfast Television" to talk about the challenges she faced with safety. Once it was announced that Meghan and Prince Harry were together, NBC Studios asked Davies to supply security protection for Meghan. Davies described the constant chaos that took place, particularly regarding the paparazzi's attempts to impede on Meghan's privacy. He shared, "We had neighbors complaining because paparazzi be knockin' on the window and knockin' on the door, asking if they could get into the bedroom that was looking over the garden to get shots." Unsurprisingly, this experience took a toll on Meghan's mental health. He added, "Psychologically, for Meghan, it was stressful."
While other members of the royal family have faced similar struggles, Davies explained, "Because it's Meghan and Harry, and you've got the African American influence on it and everything else, that took it to another level."
In "Harry & Meghan," Meghan spoke out about having her privacy violated by the paparazzi. In a clip (via Page Six), Meghan shared, "My house was just surrounded." Apparently, men would sit in their cars, waiting for her to make her next move. She revealed more shocking details, saying, "They had paid certain neighbors to put a livestream camera into my backyard."
Meghan Markle has taken steps to protect her family from the press
From snapping photos to blatant stalking, there are endless ways that the press has interfered with the royals' lives. Meghan Markle hasn't just tried to protect herself from the tabloids; she has also done her best to look out for her family. Since the birth of her son, Archie, and daughter, Lilibet, she's made a choice to keep pictures of her children private. In fact, she told The Cut that she wasn't comfortable with the royal family's tradition, called "Royal Rota," of releasing photos to the British media. Meghan explained, "Why would I give the very people that are calling my children the N-word a photo of my child before I can share it with the people that love my child? You tell me how that makes sense and then I'll play that game."
Prince Harry and Meghan have famously dealt with racism from the royal family itself. In a tell-all interview with Oprah Winfrey that aired on CBS, Meghan disclosed that members of the royal family expressed profound concern over the color of their son's skin.
Prince Harry asked paparazzi to take accountability for their actions
While relentless paparazzi struggles are relatively new to Meghan Markle, Prince Harry has been battling the press since he was a young kid. In an excerpt from "Harry & Meghan" (via Insider), Harry recalled how his mother, Princess Diana, would often face the paparazzi and beg them to leave her children alone. In a 1995 clip from a family ski trip, she pleaded, "Please leave. As a parent, could I ask you to respect my children's space?" In a confessional, Harry explained, "Paparazzi used to harass us to the point of where we had to be forced into smiling and answering questions to the traveling press pack. And that made me feel really uncomfortable from the get-go."
According to Town & Country, Harry and Meghan have addressed the tabloids on multiple occasions, releasing statements that condemn their "bullying." In one instance, they filed a lawsuit alleging that drones and helicopters took photos of their son, Archie. In an open letter shared in 2019, Harry wrote, "There comes a point when the only thing to do is to stand up to this behaviour, because it destroys people and destroys lives. Put simply, it is bullying, which scares and silences people." Harry then asked the media to take responsibility for their appalling actions, adding, "We all know this isn't acceptable, at any level. We won't and can't believe in a world where there is no accountability for this."