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Meghan Markle's mental illness claims 'baffling', says Diana's biographer: 'Even Queen took professional help'

He added that Princess Margaret received therapy from psychiatrist Mark Collins of the Priory Clinic for her depression in the 1970s
UPDATED MAR 31, 2021
Meghan's claims of not getting help for mental health issues is surprising since even the Queen once took professional aid (Getty Images)
Meghan's claims of not getting help for mental health issues is surprising since even the Queen once took professional aid (Getty Images)

Noted royal biographer Andrew Morton, who is best known for Princess Diana's biography 'Diana: Her True Story in Her Own Words', is reportedly 'baffled' by Meghan Markle's claims about mental health. Morton shared that he was particularly perplexed by Meghan claiming on the Oprah interview how her mental health issues were ignored since he had known the royal family to seek professional psychological help in the past. 

While speaking on 'Lorraine Today', Morton revealed that Princess Margaret had gone for psychological counseling and even the Queen sought professional help during her Annus horribilis. "So in a funny kind of way the royal family have a history of going for help from professional bodies for psychological issues they face," Morton reportedly said, as per DailyMail.

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Queen Elizabeth II laughs with Meghan, Duchess of Sussex in 2018 (Getty Images)

What did Morton say about Meghan's mental health claim?

During her recent tell-all interview with Oprah, Meghan revealed that she was having 'suicidal thoughts' while in the royal family. At that time, she was rebuffed by the 'Institution' of royal officials when she went to seek help for her mental health. They reportedly felt such a step would not be perceived well in the public eye.

Desperate and lonely, Meghan reached out to one of Princess Diana's best friends. "I didn’t know who to even turn to in that. And one of the people that I reached out to, who has continued to be a friend and confidant, was one of my husband’s mom’s best friends, one of Diana’s best friends, because it’s like who else could understand what it’s actually like on the inside," she told Oprah. 

Princess Diana's friend and psychotherapist Julia Samuel (Child Bereavement UK)

In his 1992 book about Princess Diana, Andrew Morton mentioned how the late princess tried to commit suicide around five times. Now, speaking about Meghan's mental health issues, he said, "That was a very sad admission. But it left far more questions than answers."

"'Especially as Harry is a patron of a mental health organization, his godmother, Julia Samuel, is a well-known psychotherapist, she’s on speed dial. So it left me baffled that assertion," Morton added.

"It’s from a generation where - if its cold, put on a sweater, don't turn up the heating -make do and mend, people didn’t talk about mental illness," he said about Meghan's claim of her mental health being ignored. 

Did Princess Margaret and the Queen seek help for mental health?

Speaking about the Royal Family's past trysts with mental health issues, Andrew Morton reminded, "...Margaret did go for psychological counseling and even the Queen herself during her Annus horribilis had someone to help her with breathing and relaxing."

Princess Margaret's struggle with mental health is well-known and has even been depicted on-screen on 'The Crown'. She reportedly suffered a nervous breakdown during her tumultuous marriage with Antony Armstrong-Jones, Earl of Snowdon. As her marriage was failing, she resorted to smoking and drinking excessively in the mid-1960s. She even overdosed on sleeping pills in 1974 after her lover Roddy Llewellyn walked out on her for a trip abroad, stated DailyMail.

Meghan and Harry during their interview with Oprah (Getty Images)


Princess Margaret received therapy from psychiatrist Mark Collins of the Priory Clinic for her depression. 

In 1992, the Queen declared the year as 'annus horribilis' for her, after Prince Andrew and Princess Anne both got divorced, her nephew Prince Albrecht died by suicide, and Princess Diana's tell-all book revealed her failing marriage with Prince Charles. In addition, there was a fire in Windsor Castle, one of the Queen official residences. Now, Andrew Morton has claimed that the Queen sought professional help from someone for 'breathing and relaxing' during this year. 

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