Meghan Markle Reveals She Sneaked to an Unexpected Location When She Felt 'Uncomfortable' as a Royal

Meghan Markle recently shared her experience of feeling ill at ease during her time as a senior working royal in a candid revelation made at the opening of Godmothers, a new bookstore in Montecito, California. Markle recounted a secret trip she made to New York City in 2019 while still fulfilling royal duties. "For me, sneaking to New York five years ago was a really big deal," she told the audience. "I was still so uncomfortable being out in the world. The safety of what I was craving, I knew I could find in a bookstore."

The former actress described how she donned a hat and kept a low profile to avoid recognition. Her purpose for the covert visit was to watch her friend Serena Williams play in the U.S. Open. Nonetheless, ever since Prince Harry and Markle left the UK, a lot has changed for them. Now they’re living in Montecito, which is a famous area in Santa Barbara County, California. They're raising their two children away from the intense scrutiny that characterized their life in Britain there, as per Fox News.

The couple stepping back from royal duties definitely stirred up some drama. In 2021, Markle opened up about how much royal life had affected her mental health during a big interview with Oprah Winfrey. "I just didn't want to be alive anymore," she confessed. "That was a very clear and real and frightening constant thought. And I remember how he just cradled me." 

Harry was really frustrated because his family didn't reportedly support him, and he talked about it in that same interview. Strife arose particularly regarding the apparently racist media coverage of Markle. "The way that I saw it was there was a way of doing things, but for us, for this union and the specifics around her race, there was an opportunity, many opportunities, for my family to show some public support," he stated.

The recent bookstore opening where Markle shared her experiences was more than just a local event. It brought together a constellation of celebrities. The list included Winfrey, Ellen DeGeneres, and Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos. The store Godmothers was named by Harry himself. He also called the founders his 'fairy godmothers' during an event for his book, Spare.

It's interesting to note that both Spare and Markle's kid's book, The Bench, is in the store's "Our Local Authors" section. This shows how the couple has settled into their new community while still staying connected to what they used to do before. Markle's comments at the bookstore opening went beyond her personal experiences. She expressed gratitude to the founders "for not just creating the space, but for holding the space for so many people to feel seen through the pages, either in laughter, in grief, in feeling less alone," as per People.