Meghan: Friends told me not to marry Harry because of tabloid press

The Duchess of Sussex says British friends told her not to marry Prince Harry because the tabloid press would "destroy" her life.

Speaking in a TV documentary, Meghan said she never thought being part of the Royal Family would be "easy but I thought it would be fair".

A perceived lack of fairness was "hard to reconcile but (I) just take each day as it comes", she said.

When she first met Harry her "friends were really happy because I was so happy", the duchess explained.

But British friends cautioned: "'I'm sure he's great but you shouldn't do it because the British tabloids will destroy your life'."

Meghan said that "in all fairness I had no idea, which probably sounds difficult to understand".

As an American, she "didn't get it".

The former actress said she had told "H - that is what I call him - it's not enough to just survive something", adding: "That's not the point of life. You have got to thrive."

Prince Harry, answering a question about rumours of a rift between himself and the Duke of Cambridge, said he and his brother are "on different paths" and have "good days" and "bad days".

Earlier this year, Harry and Meghan split from their joint charity with William and Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge.

The Duke of Sussex said "inevitably stuff happens" - particularly with such a high-profile role and a family that lives under pressure.

He told the ITV documentary Harry & Meghan: An African Journey: "We are brothers. We will always be brothers.

"We are certainly on different paths at the moment but I will always be there for him as I know he will always be there for me.

"We don't see each other as much as we used to because we are so busy but I love him dearly.

"The majority of the stuff is created out of nothing but as brothers, you know, you have good days, you have bad days."

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After the split was announced earlier this year, sources denied any feud - saying the move was "largely about preparing both couples for their future roles, which are obviously on divergent tracks".

The final day of the Africa tour was overshadowed by Harry's attack on the British tabloid press, in which he heavily criticised certain sections of the media for conducting what he called a "ruthless campaign" against his wife.

Harry described the way he deals with the pressures of his life as being a matter of "constant management".

He said: "Part of this job, and part of any job, like everybody, is putting on a brave face and turning a cheek to a lot of the stuff, but again, for me and again for my wife, of course there is a lot of stuff that hurts, especially when the majority of it is untrue.

"But all we need to do is focus on being real, and focus on being the people that we are, and standing up for what we believe in.

"I will not be bullied into playing a game that killed my mum."

Meghan told the programme about her feelings of vulnerability during her pregnancy and as a new mother amid intense media scrutiny, and said "not many people have asked if I'm OK".