Meghan Markle feels ‘liberated’ to finally speak for herself

Meghan Markle said the palace stopped her from “personally” speaking to Oprah Winfrey in 2018 — but that she now feels “liberated” to speak her mind post-Megxit, according to a snippet of her and Prince Harry’s highly anticipated interview.

In a portion of the tell-all that was teased on “CBS This Morning” on Friday, Winfrey recalls first reaching out to Markle for an interview in February or March 2018 before the royal wedding.

“And finally, we get to sit down and have this conversation,” Winfrey said in the interview, which will air in full at 8 p.m. Sunday on “Oprah with Meghan And Harry: A Primetime Special” on CBS.

“Well, I remember that conversation very well,” Markle replied. “I wasn’t even allowed to have that conversation with you personally, right.”

“There were other people in the room when I was having that conversation,” Winfrey said.

“Yeah, even on that call,” Markle replied.

Suggesting it wasn’t her choice to make, Markle turned Winfrey down, saying it “wasn’t the right time” — prompting the veteran journalist to ask now, “What is right about this time?”

After a lengthy pause, Markle responded, “Well, so many things. That we’re on the other side of a lot of life experience that’s happened. And also that we have the ability to make our own choices in a way that I couldn’t have said yes to you then. That wasn’t my choice to make.

“So, as an adult who lived a really independent life to then go into this construct that is different than I think what people imagine it to be, it’s really liberating to be able to have the right and the privilege in some ways to be able to say yes.”

“And to say it for yourself,” Winfrey chimed in.

“I’m ready to talk. To say it for yourself,” Markle added.

Winfrey’s no-holds-barred interview with Markle and Harry also touches on racism and mental health, as well as what drove the couple to famously quit Buckingham Palace last year.