'Clinging very closely to my husband': Meghan Markle recalls unexpected challenge during pregnancy with Archie

Meghan Markle has revealed an unexpected challenge she faced during her first pregnancy with son Prince Archie, now six.

The Duchess of Sussex spoke about her experience as a working royal while heavily pregnant, back in 2019, while chatting to Spanx founder Sara Blakely.

The mother-of-two said she put on 65 pounds (29.5 kilograms) while pregnant, which left her grabbing onto Prince Harry at royal events as she teetered about in five-inch heels.

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"A friend just said to me the other day ... 'I just saw this picture I'd forgotten about when you were so pregnant with Archie' - I mean, I gained 65 pounds with both pregnancies," Meghan said on her Confessions of a Female Founder podcast.

"And I always just wear my five inch pointy-toed stilettos - 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.

"So you're just going, 'how on earth am I not just tipping', you know face planting, it's like, that's why I'm always clinging very closely to my husband, 'please don't let me fall'," she added with a laugh.

The Spanx founder revealed one too many high heels left her feet in pain to the point she could no longer wear a stiletto but desperately wanted to, which led her to create the sneaker stiletto brand Sneex.

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Meghan praised Blakely for her newest business, describing it as "the antidote" to her problems.

Meghan of course was seen in high heels at a number of royal engagements before the birth of Archie in May 2019.

However, there were also times, especially while early on during the pregnancy and on tour in Australia, where the Duchess of Sussex was seen sporting ballet flats, sandals or espadrilles.

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It's not the first time the Duchess of Sussex has opened up about her personal experiences in her new podcast series, which features experiences of other female entrepreneurs as Meghan launches her own new business, As ever.

In one of the most recent episodes the duchess admitted motherhood isn't what she had "envisioned" it to be.

And in a previous episode, the 43-year-old opened up about her miscarriage experience.

Meghan first detailed the pregnancy loss in a powerful opinion piece for the New York Times in November 2020, four months after the event.

In February 2021, Harry and Meghan announced they were again expecting, before welcoming their daughter Lilibet in June that year.

If you or someone you know is in need of support following pregnancy loss contact SANDS on 1300 072 637 or Lifeline on 13 11 14.

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