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Meghan Markle has said that she never saw the "negative connotation" behind the word "ambitious" until she started dating Prince Harry, in the first episode of her newly launched podcast Archetypes on Tuesday.
Meghan's solo podcast explores and analyzes the "labels that try to hold women back" in modern society with the first episode centering around the word "ambitious."
"I don't remember ever personally feeling the negative connotation behind the word ambitious until I started dating my now husband," Meghan announced at the beginning of the 57-minute podcast. "And um, apparently ambition is, uh...a terrible, terrible thing, for a woman, that is–according to some."
This explicit reference to her experiences in the glare of the media spotlight since becoming Prince Harry's girlfriend in 2016 and then wife in 2018, comes as she has previously voiced her disappointment in the way she has been portrayed by the British media and the impact this has had on her mental health over the past five years.
"Since I've felt the negativity behind it," she continued in regards to being labeled ambitious, "it's really hard to un-feel it. I can't unsee it, either, in the millions of girls and women who make themselves smaller–so much smaller–on a regular basis."
After this, Meghan introduced her guest Serena Williams as a person who "embodies the spirit of ambition." In response to Meghan's questioning how she herself views the label when it is applied to women, Williams said: "Often women are definitely put in these different boxes when we are ambitious or when we do have goals or when we reach our goals, it's a negative connotation on how we reach the goals."
The friends then went on to discuss—among other things—motherhood and Williams' recent announcement via a self-authored editorial in Vogue that she would soon be stepping away from professional tennis.
"I don't like the word retirement," Williams said of her future away from the court, "I don't like it for me in this scenario because I will never retire from something that you absolutely love.
"I will always have some sort of involvement. And it won't be professionally, but I will always want to be involved in some way, shape or form in tennis."
Williams also revealed that she consulted Meghan and Harry about the decision to step away from playing the sport professionally with the duchess pointing out that they understand especially that the "right decision isn't the easiest decision."
"I remember that day you were here at the house and I was like, What are you two just chatting about? It must have been like an hour..." Meghan said of a visit Williams paid to the couple.
"He [Harry] was trying to knock some sense into me," came the reply, to which Meghan pointed out:
"I think both of us, or the three of us, really know that sometimes the right decision isn't the easiest decision...It's a hard decision. And it takes a lot of thought and a lot of counsel and a lot of support to just go, uh uh uh and then just make the choice."
This reference to "hard" decisions comes two years after Meghan and Harry decided to step downfrom their roles as full-time working royals in 2020 and move to the U.S. to seek financial independence.
Relations between the Sussexes and the wider royal family including Prince William and Kate Middleton are reported to be strained since the move, with Meghan returning to Britain publicly only once so far for the Platinum Jubilee celebrations for Queen Elizabeth II.
Harry and Meghan announced earlier this month that they would travel to Europe during the first week of September to attend charity events in Britain and Germany however, royal commentators have called a potential reunion with the royals "unlikely."
Speculation grows as to the content of Harry's forthcoming memoir which is scheduled for publication before the end of the year. Whether the prince will speak critically of his family members is yet unknown.
Listeners to the Archetypes podcast were treated to a short cameo from Harry who took time to compliment Williams's hairstyle and tell her to come to Montecito to visit.
"How you doin?...I like what you've done with your hair! That's a great vibe," the prince is heard to say before telling the athlete to "come and see us."
The podcast, created with media partner Spotify, is scheduled for a weekly release and Meghan has announced that her second guest will be popstar Mariah Carey.
About the writer
James Crawford-Smith is a Newsweek Royal Reporter, based in London, U.K. His focus is reporting on the British royal family ... Read more