Meghan Markle appears to make thinly-veiled dig at the royal family as she says she and Prince Harry were ‘in the trenches’ when they started dating

Meghan Markle appeared to make a thinly-veiled dig at the Royal Family today by claiming she and Prince Harry were ‘in the trenches’ when they started dating. 

The Duchess of Sussex, 43, sat down for her first ever podcast interview with media personality and IT Cosmetics CEO Jamie Kern Lima. 

As she opened up about family life in Montecito with her husband Harry, 40, and their children Archie, five and Lilibet, three, she appeared to make a thinly-veiled dig at the royal family in referring to her early days dating the Duke of Sussex.

Admitting that she’s more in love than she’s ever been, she quickly went on to describe how they ‘immediately went into the trenches’ when they started dating.

In both the couple’s bombshell Netflix series and in interviews since stepping down as a working royal, Meghan has made a series of disparaging remarks about the royal family and how she fared living in the UK.

Speaking to Jamie in today’s podcast, she said: ‘You have to imagine, at the beginning it’s all butterflies – but then we immediately went into the trenches together. 

‘Right out of the gate, like six months into dating. So now seven years later, when you have a little bit of breathing space, you can just enjoy each other in a new way. 

‘And that’s why I feel like it’s more of a honeymoon period for us now.’

Meghan went on to say she believes she and Harry will be married ‘forever’ and called her husband a ‘fox’ – because of how ‘very very handsome’ he is. But, she added, his ‘heart is even more beautiful’. 

Meghan and Harry’s love story began with a blind date in 2016 – and they went public with their relationship that November. 

In January 2020, they announced they were stepping down as senior members of the royal family, subsequently moving to the US. 

In subsequent interviews with Oprah in 2021, and in their Netflix show, Harry and Meghan, in 2022, the Duchess and her husband made a series of disparaging remarks about the royal family. 

In the Netflix series, there were also a series of jibes at his father, King Charles III, and brother Prince William as well as claims of racism and ‘unconscious bias’ in the Royal Family.

Meghan also claimed that as an American she found the ‘formality’ of being in the royal family ‘surprising’ – declaring that meeting the Queen for the first time was a ‘shock to the system’.

She said Harry had told her in the car: ‘You know how to curtsy, right?’ And I just thought it was a joke’, she said.

Host Jamie had read Meghan public comments made by Prince Harry to PEOPLE Magazine this month: ‘I’m so happy for my wife and fully support absolutely everything she’s done and continues to do.’ 

Meghan, however, was unaware of the remarks and looked baffled, asking: ‘When did he say that?’ 

Elsewhere in the podcast, released today, the Duchess of Sussex became emotional at one point as she reflected on her experience of motherhood, while telling Jamie that ‘I really want to be good at it’. 

She explained how she hoped her children would grow up to appreciate that ‘n one has ever loved someone more than the way our mom loved us’ as Meghan became visibly overwhelmed while talking about Lilibet, three. 

While sharing how she’s putting together a set of ‘tools’ to help on her journey as a mother, Meghan said she was inspired by one of her ‘mom friends’ who set up ‘secret emails’ for her children to send them pictures and letters when they’re older. 

‘I thought it was such a great time capsule to create for them,’ Meghan continued, ‘and so I created for the kids these email addresses…that I will give them at some point. 

‘Before I go to bed, every night, I email them,’ she added, explaining these emails contain pictures ‘you’re not going to frame’, their report cards, and memories from their childhood.  

Meghan said she hopes that when Archie and Lili open these emails, ‘maybe when they’re 16, maybe when they’re 18, they will feel ‘she has loved us so much’. 

Meghan wiped away tears as she talked about her ‘love language’ for Archie and Lili, explaining ‘it’s not about the grandeur of a gesture’ but the small moments that say ‘I see you, I’m nurturing you’ that make motherhood special. 

‘I’m just so proud of them,’ she continued, as she told Jamie she wasn’t ‘expecting’ the rush of emotions rising up in her. 

‘They’re just so great,’ Meghan praised Archie and Lili, before quipping: ‘This is why it’s  

It comes after the Duchess shared unseen photographs of ‘my little loves’ Archie and Lilibet on Instagram yesterday as the Sussexes spent a ‘cosy weekend’ at their home in Montecito. 

Princess Lilibet could be seen with her hair down and wearing a pink top, while Prince Archie wore a navy blue, long-sleeved shirt. 

Both the children have the same fiery red hair as their father, the Duke of Sussex, and seem to have developed strong American accents since the family relocated to the United States in 2020. 

Harry and Meghan stepped down as senior members of the royal family in 2020 and moved to Montecito, California, where they have lived for over five years. 

Lilibet’s adorable American accent was heard for the first time as the three-year-old gave her one-word verdict on her mother’s jam this weekend.

Meghan posted a video on Instagram in which she can be heard asking Lilibet what she thinks of her strawberry jam while preparing a fresh batch of the sweet treat.

‘It’s beautiful,’ the toddler gushed, as her Californian accent shone through.

Meanwhile, the Duchess also posted a shot of a fish pond located on her and Harry’s sprawling $14million Montecito estate, as Archie excitedly asks his ‘mama’ to watch him feed the koi.

‘Mama, watch it!’ he says enthusiastically. ‘I just fed it!’

Meghan, laughing, replies: ‘Good job, that’s enough.’

Since relaunching her Instagram account on New Year’s Day, Meghan has routinely shared glimpses of her life in Montecito, California – including pictures and videos of her and Prince Harry’s two children.

In February, Meghan shared a Valentine’s Day post that included a video of the former Suits actress making themed bagels with Archie and Lilibet – much to the delight of her fans.

One person wrote: ‘Harry and Meghan are blessed with a beautiful family. Archie is so tall now and Lili seems so comfortable in the kitchen. She is wielding that butter knife like a pro.’

Another added: ‘OMG a little Glimpse of Prince Archie & Princess Lilibet. What a beautiful day.’

Ahead of the premiere of her Netflix show, With Love, Meghan, last month, Meghan shared a photo of her and Lilibet being joined by ‘Auntie’ Serena Williams for a game of Candy Land.

A separate video Meghan shared featured Archie’s voice, as he helped her to water some plants.

Royal experts have suggested Harry and Meghan appear to have very different views when it comes to sharing photographs of their children with the public.

During a recent appearance on Hello!’s Right Royal podcast, the magazine’s royal editor Emily Nash joined The Sun’s royal editor Matt Wilkinson for a conversation about the topic.

‘My understanding of this is that, up to a certain stage, Harry would much rather his children were not seen,’ Matt said.

He added: ‘Whereas Meghan grew up in California, she once said she would like to have a more California style lifestyle, take them down the beach, go out, do stuff. She doesn’t want to hide them away.’

He noted that the Duchess does not share her children’s faces in images and videos she posts – something the panel said Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie also do when it comes to images of their children.

While the panel discussed the possibility of Archie and Lilibet getting snapped when they are older, Matt said: ‘I think Harry’s living in [like things are] the way they were when he was a child […] the media landscape has shifted.’