The palace even stopped Meghan Markle from getting coffee with her mum

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle may have stepped down as royal family members and relocated to California, but that certainly doesn't stop them from making headlines.

This past month was no exception as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex confirmed the news that they were expecting their second child and announced that they would not be returning to royal duties.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle made particular headlines this month as they sat down for in an in-depth interview with Oprah Winfrey, a rare move for the notoriously private couple.

The Duke and Duchess spoke about everything from mental health and their relationship with the royal family to their current pregnancy, with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle even revealing that they are expecting a baby girl.

It was Meghan Markle's words about loneliness that got the world talking in particular, with the Duchess of Sussex explaining that she was encouraged not to leave the house.

Royal editor Omid Scobie has since shed some additional light, recalling one particular moment involving Meghan's mother, Doria Ragland.

'Her isolated existence stood out in particular to her worried mother, Doria Ragland, who during a summer 2019 visit to Frogmore Cottage was surprised to discover that neither she nor her daughter was able to go out into Windsor town to pick up coffees,' Omid Scobie wrote in his op-ed for Harper's Bazaar.

Doria reportedly told her daughter: 'You’re stuck in here'.

Opening up about Meghan's isolation, Scobie continued: 'Lunch with friends could have momentarily lifted her spirits, but social outings were dismissed by royal family members and aides who said it would be better to lie low. Her image was "everywhere right now," they told her.'

This was something that Meghan Markle spoke about during her interview with Oprah, explaining: 'I am everywhere but I am nowhere.'

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's Oprah interview is available on ITV player.

Jenny Proudfoot
Features Editor

Jenny Proudfoot is an award-winning journalist, specialising in lifestyle, culture, entertainment, international development and politics. She has worked at Marie Claire UK for seven years, rising from intern to Features Editor and is now the most published Marie Claire writer of all time. She was made a 30 under 30 award-winner last year and named a rising star in journalism by the Professional Publishers Association.