Meghan Markle issued urgent warning as latest choice a 'double edged-sword' in royal feud

Meghan Markle's decision to bring up her mental health during her latest interview with CBS was labelled a "double-edged sword" by a PR expert who touched down on how well it would resonate with her audience.

The Duchess of Sussex joined her husband Prince Harry for a new interview on CBS's Sunday Morning show with host Jane Pauley to announce their latest project, The Parents' Network, which aims to tackle child safety online and connect families who have lost their children to suicide due to a lack of safeguarding online.

During the interview, the duchess opened up about her fears regarding online dangers when it came to her children, Prince Archie, 5, and Princess Lilibet, 3.

But she also spoke about her own mental health struggles as a member of the Royal Family, claiming that she "only scratched the surface" of speaking about her mental health in her now-infamous interview with Oprah Winfrey in 2021 and that she hopes "being open" about her own suicidal thoughts and "online bullying" can "save others".

Now a PR specialist has weighed in on whether Meghan's decision to bring up her mental health struggles from the past will have a positive impact on the couple's newly announced project and whether it could further damage their ongoing rift with the Royal Family.

Renae Smith, founder and director of The Atticism, told Express.co.uk that while Meghan's aim could have been to show that she has a "personal stake" in the issue and her project, it could also overshadow its main message and make her seem "self-centred".

She explained: "Meghan bringing up her mental health struggles can be seen as a double-edged sword from a PR perspective. She likely believes that sharing her personal experiences will make her more relatable and help people resonate with the cause of The Parents Network, particularly in the context of child safety and mental health.

"Her openness about her struggles is presumably intended to lend authenticity and urgency to the project, showing that she has a personal stake in the issue. However, the ongoing tension with the Royal Family and previous criticism of her claims seems to have overshadowed the intended message.

"While it's understandable that her mental health issues are significant to her (our own mental health issues always feel like the biggest things in our lives), focusing on her personal story in the way it has been done detracts from the project's objectives and opens her up to seeming self-centred.

Ms Smith urged the duchess to "frame her experiences" as a "catalyst" for her advocacy work and ensure that the primary focus "remains on the project’s impact and mission—while avoiding unnecessary details or re-explaining her personal experiences".

Meghan first spoke about her own battle with mental health during her and Prince Harry's interview with Oprah back in 2021.

At the time, she said she reached a real low point when she was pregnant with Prince Archie in 2019, explaining: "I just didn't want to be alive anymore. And that was a very clear and real and frightening constant thought."

Her comments though were overshadowed by her claim that the Royal Family did not help her as much as she needed when she was feeling suicidal, something which fueled her and Harry's rift with the Firm even more.

However, her overall bravery to open up about issues seen as "taboo" by the royals was heavily praised by mental health practitioners and campaigners.

At the time, another expert agreed that Meghan's decision to talk about her mental health was a "double-edged sword" as it would make her the target for many people.

Trauma and anxiety specialist Zoë Clews previously told Express.co.uk: "I'm always humbled by the bravery of anyone who's prepared to talk openly about their experiences, especially ones that are as negative as those Meghan has encountered. But in Meghan's case, it's a double-edged sword.

"On the one hand, she will probably have felt a sense of relief and liberation that everything that's been bottled up inside for so long has now been released. But, of course, the flip side of that is that she's become a target for a significant number of people - especially here in Britain - by 'daring' to speak out against a family that a great many people see as a national treasure. In many ways, that makes what she's done even more courageous."

For help and support, call the Samaritans for free from a UK phone, completely anonymously, on 116 123 or go to samaritans.org