Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, penned a letter to Congress that urges lawmakers to pass legislation that would create a national paid leave program for new parents.

The duchess, who is married to Prince Harry of the United Kingdom, released the letter Wednesday on paidleaveforall.org. It’s addressed to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, the leading Democrats in their respective chambers.

In her letter, Meghan advocates for paid leave by describing how the coronavirus pandemic has shined a light a problem that has existed for a long time in the U.S.

“At an alarming rate, millions of women dropped out of the workforce, staying home with their kids as schools and daycares were closed, and looking after loved ones full-time,” she wrote. “The working mom or parent is facing the conflict of being present or being paid. The sacrifice of either comes at a great cost.

She also used her own upbringing as an example of how many American families struggle to make ends meet, especially those with children.

“I grew up on the $4.99 salad bar at Sizzler—it may have cost less back then (to be honest, I can’t remember)—but what I do remember was the feeling: I knew how hard my parents worked to afford this because even at five bucks, eating out was something special, and I felt lucky,” she wrote. “And as a Girl Scout, when my troop would go to dinner for a big celebration, it was back to that same salad bar or The Old Spaghetti Factory—because that’s what those families could afford to do too.

The duchess also described working small jobs from the age of 13 to help cover odds and ends.

“I worked all my life and saved when and where I could—but even that was a luxury—because usually it was about making ends meet and having enough to pay my rent and put gas in my car,” she said.

Meghan argued that families shouldn’t be faced with “impossible choices” about childcare, work, and medical care.

“No family should have to choose between earning a living and having the freedom to take care of their child (or a loved one, or themselves, as we would see with a comprehensive paid leave plan),” she wrote.

The royal pointed out that the U.S. has fallen behind most of the other developed countries regarding this issue. In a list of 41 countries, Pew Research found in 2019 that the U.S. is the only nation that does not mandate any paid leave for new parents.

“Paid leave should be a national right, rather than a patchwork option limited to those whose employers have policies in place, or those who live in one of the few states where a leave program exists,” wrote Meghan. “If we’re going to create a new era of family first policies, let’s make sure that includes a strong paid leave program for every American that’s guaranteed, accessible, and encouraged without stigma or penalty.”

Though the letter was addressed to Democratic leaders, who largely support paid family leave, the duchess called for lawmakers in both major parties to work together to take action to help working families.

Meghan’s letter comes as Democrats have been forced to whittle down President Joe Biden’s $3.5 trillion social spending plan, which originally included a proposal to offer workers 12 weeks of paid family and medical leave. It’s unclear if the measure will be scaled back or completely removed from the final bill that’s making its way through Congress.

LOS ANGELES — The Duchess of Sussex, Meghan, has told Oprah Winfrey that she experienced suicidal thoughts and was concerned when the decision was made that her son wouldn't have a royal title.

Meghan, who is biracial, told Winfrey in the interview airing Sunday night in the U.S. that there were discussions among the royal family about how dark her son's skin would be.

Meghan told Winfrey in the interview airing Sunday that she “just didn’t see a solution” to the mental suffering she had experienced and told Harry she “didn’t want to be alive anymore.”

She said she went to a senior royal staffer and said she needed to get help for her mental health, but was told it would be bad for the family if she did.

She described the moment as a breaking point leading to her and Harry stepping aside from their royal duties.

Meghan however refused to criticize Queen Elizabeth II, saying she had “always been wonderful to me.”

Winfrey asked Harry whether he would have stepped down from his royal duties if he had never met Meghan. Harry replied that “I wouldn’t have been able to, because I myself was trapped as well” until ”the moment that I met Meg.”

Prince Harry denied blindsiding the queen with the news that he and Meghan were stepping down from their royal duties, saying it was preceded by several conversations.

He did however say that his father, Prince Charles, has stopped taking his calls.

Harry said his family cut him off financially in early 2020. Harry said “we did everything we did to make it work” and would never have left had the palace been supportive of Meghan.

The couple also revealed their second child, due later this summer, will be a girl. Their first child, son Archie, turns 2 in May.

Harry says “to have a boy and then a girl, what more can you ask for? But now we’ve got our family."

Winfrey's interview with Harry and his wife Meghan opened with the host saying no questions are off limits and that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are not being paid for the televised special. Early moments focused on Meghan describing how naive she was about royal life, including that she “didn't fully understand what the job was" and spent nights "googling" because there was no formal training or effort to teach her.

The interview special aired on CBS and will be shown the following day in Britain.

The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is a national network of local crisis centers that provides free and confidential emotional support to people in suicidal crisis or emotional distress 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Call 1-800-273-8255 if you are experiencing thoughts of suicide or mental distress.

Report: Meghan complained to British TV network about Piers Morgan's comments

Updated: 11:00 AM EST Mar 10, 2021

By Max Foster, CNN Business

Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, made a formal complaint to British broadcaster ITV relating to Piers Morgan's comments about her mental health, CNN has learned.ITV announced on Tuesday that Morgan would leave the program he hosted, "Good Morning Britain," after he cast doubt on whether Meghan had suicidal thoughts, a major revelation from her blockbuster interview with Oprah Winfrey."Following discussions with ITV, Piers Morgan has decided now is the time to leave Good Morning Britain," ITV said on Tuesday. "ITV has accepted this decision and has nothing further to add."CNN understands that Meghan's complaint to ITV concerned the impact Morgan's comments could have on others and how it could degrade the seriousness of mental health issues. The complaint did not relate to the personal nature of Morgan's attacks.On Monday's edition of "Good Morning Britain," Morgan questioned whether the Duchess was being truthful about having suicidal thoughts. His comments sparked a huge controversy in Britain, and he was rebuked by mental health charity Mind.UK media regulator Ofcom said it had received over 41,000 complaints about Monday's edition of "Good Morning Britain," and had launched an investigation under its "harm and offence rules."On Wednesday, Morgan said that he "still" does not believe Meghan."I've had time to reflect on this opinion, and I still don't ," Morgan tweeted. "If you did, OK. Freedom of speech is a hill I'm happy to die on. Thanks for all the love, and hate. I'm off to spend more time with my opinions."— Oliver Darcy contributed to this reportHow to get help: In the U.S., call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255. The International Association for Suicide Prevention and Befrienders Worldwide also provide contact information for crisis centers around the world.