Meghan Markle opens up over weight gain while pregnant with Archie and Lilibet

Meghan performed royal duties during her first pregnancy with son Archie

Meghan Markle has revealed how much weight she gained while she was pregnant with her son Prince Archie and daughter Princess Lilibet.

The Duchess of Sussex, 43, welcomed Archie in May 2019 with her husband Prince Harry. Then, the couple had their daughter Lilibet in June 2021.

On her most recent, and final, episode of her podcast Confessions of a Female Founder, Meghan opened up about her pregnancies and her struggle during her first with Archie.
Meghan Markle, pictured in 2019, said she gained 65 pounds during her pregnancies (Credit: Photo by Tim Rooke/Shutterstock)

Meghan Markle reveals weight gain while pregnant

In the final episode of her podcast, which aired on May 27, Meghan spoke with the founder of the shapewear clothing company Spanx, Sara Blakely.

During the discussion, Meghan opened up about the weight she gained during her pregnancies with Archie, now six, and Lilibet, now three.

I’m always clinging very closely to my husband, like ‘Please don’t let me fall.’

The duchess said: “A friend just said to me the other day, they were like, ‘I just saw this picture I’d forgotten about when you were so pregnant with Archie.’

“I gained 65 pounds with both pregnancies.”

During her pregnancy with Archie in 2019, Meghan said she wore “five-inch pointy toed stilettos” to events. At this time, she and Harry were working royals and would step out for many royal engagements.
Meghan and Harry introducing their son Archie in May 2019, a couple of days after his birth (Credit: Photo by Domic Lipinski/PA/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock)

Meghan’s struggle during pregnancy with Archie

Meghan continued: “They’re like, ‘You have the most enormous bump, and your tiny little ankles are bracing themselves in these high heels.’ But all of my weight was in the front.

“How on Earth am I not just tipping, face-planting. I’m always clinging very closely to my husband, like ‘Please don’t let me fall.’”

Months after welcoming Archie on May 6, 2019, Meghan and Harry announced their decision to step back from royal duties.
Meghan said she held Harry for support during her pregnancy (Credit: Photo by Tim Rooke/Shutterstock)
In early 2020, they officially stepped down from duties and moved to the US. They now live in Montecito, California.

This year, Meghan has launched various projects including her Netflix cooking and lifestyle show With Love, Meghan and her podcast in which she has conversations with female founders.

Meghan has also launched her As Ever business. She released a string of products in April including jam, crepe mix and honey.

Meghan on suffering pre-eclampsia after pregnancy 

Meghan’s podcast has seen her open up about some personal areas in her life. In April, the duchess opened up about suffering from postpartum pre-eclampsia after pregnancy.

It’s a potentially life-threatening condition that affects some women after childbirth.

Meghan was speaking with Bumble founder Whitney Wolfe Herd. She said: “We both had very similar experiences, though we didn’t know each other at the time, with postpartum, and we both had pre-eclampsia. Postpartum preeclampsia.

“It’s so rare and so scary. And you’re still trying to juggle all of these things, and the world doesn’t know what’s happening quietly. In the quiet, you’re still trying to show up for people, mostly for your children, but those things are huge medical scare.”