The Duchess of Sussex has said she would “ask people to tell the truth” if she was able to rewrite her public narrative from scratch.
Meghan took a thinly veiled swipe at the Royal family during a lengthy interview in which she said “a lie can’t last forever”.
She also claimed that she did not have an “opportunity to speak” when she was a working royal.
The Duchess acknowledged that she would not be universally liked but said she strived for “respect”.
On her ambitions for her nascent business venture, As Ever, she said she was “going global” and would move beyond jam to hospitality and hostessing, in “the spirit of sharing”.
She said the video of her and Prince Harry twerking in a hospital delivery suite shortly before the birth of their daughter, Princess Lilibet, was a reminder of her “authentic, fun life”, adding that she was “grateful” that she could now share such things on her own terms.
The 43-year-old spoke to Aspire podcast host Emma Grede, a British entrepreneur and fashion designer, as part of the ongoing publicity blitz for her business.
Asked if there was anything she would do differently if she could rewrite her public narrative, the Duchess pointedly replied: “Yes, I would ask people to tell the truth.”
The Duchess of Sussex told Grede the proudest achievement of her career was investing in herself
She went on to recall advice she had been given by tennis champion Serena Williams.
“My dear friend Serena, she told me years ago: ‘A lie can’t live forever’,” she said, before adding: “Eight years is a long time, but not forever.”
In 2017, the former actress became engaged to Prince Harry and began preparing for life as a member of the Royal family.
It was when she first met the now-Princess of Wales that marked the beginning of Prince William’s fallout with Prince Harry after he urged his brother not to rush into the relationship.
In her 2021 Oprah interview, the Duchess said she could not be expected to stay silent if “the Firm is playing a part in perpetuating falsehoods” about her and Prince Harry.
She also publicly singled out Kate as having made her cry in the run-up to her wedding and said it was important for people to “understand the truth”.
Grede, a founding partner of Kim Kardashian’s shapewear brand, Skims, said: “You’re very measured about it. I would just get so angry if I felt like everyone was lying about me all the time…”
The Duchess replied: “Peaks and valleys… It’s true, of course, I’ve gone through those chapters and do a lot of work, you do a lot of self-work and go, what’s the why? It’s happening for a reason.”
Elsewhere in the 90-minute interview, the Duchess insisted that for her, failure was “not an option”.
‘My faith is greater than my fear’
She added: “I’m not saying there aren’t moments when I don’t feel scared, but my faith is greater than my fear. I believe in myself, I believe in my team and the potential for success.
“I don’t see the possibility of failure, not when you can learn from everything you’ve done.”
The Duchess said she planned to move her As Ever brand from the kitchen to a “much broader space” and said there would probably come a time for fashion and beauty.
She insisted that everyone was “a little bit charmed by jam” but said that she now wanted to share “other hospitality and hostess pieces”.
She said the idea for her Netflix show, With Love, Meghan, came from Bela Bajaria, the streamer’s chief content officer, after the Duchess sent her baskets of fruit and jams.
She also insisted that her personal Instagram account was not a “business tool”.
Meghan has increasingly used the account to publish images of her children and their private family life.
She said: “For me it was a great way to get my voice back. It’s my space and my channel for joy… that’s the intention of my handle.”
‘No skin in the game’
The Duchess also discussed her influence on the fashion world even when she had “no skin in the game”.
“When I didn’t feel as though I had as much of an opportunity to speak, what can you say with what you’re wearing? You can say a lot,” she said.
“In moments where I found I wasn’t as empowered with my voice, I still wanted to be able to be heard in other ways.
“Being able to support female-founded designers, small local brands … any territories we would go to on certain tours, I always tried to tap into local designers.”
The Duchess said the proudest achievement of her career was investing in herself, declaring: “It takes courage to bet on yourself.”
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