Meghan Markle says it's 'liberating' to speak for herself

Meghan Markle says it's "really liberating" to be able to speak for herself again.

CBS This Morning ran another clip from the upcoming interview she and Prince Harry did with Oprah Winfrey, which airs Sunday, in which she spoke about being being silenced by the royals. As she faces relentless criticism in the British press, more people — including one of her closest friends and a former Suits co-star — are speaking out supporting her.

Winfrey recalled reaching out to Markle for an interview leading up to her May 2018 wedding and said she was turned down.

"You said, 'I'm sorry, it's not the right time,'" Winfrey recalled. "Finally, we get to sit down and have this conversation."

The former Suits actress replied, "Well, I remember that conversation very well. I wasn't even allowed to have that conversation with you personally, right? There had to be people from the comm. sitting there. Even on that call."

Winfrey said Markle told her she would reach out when it was the "right time," leading the newswoman to ask what is right about speaking out now — a year after the couple left England and stepped away from their royal duties.

"Well, so many things," replied Markle, who's pregnant with a sibling for Archie. "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. [Back then], that wasn't my choice to make."

The duchess continued, "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, I'm ready to talk."

Winfrey said, "And to say it for yourself" and "not consult with anybody," leading Markle to reply, "to be able to just make a choice on your own and just be able to speak for yourself."

CBS This Morning's Gayle King, who is Winfrey's best friend, spoke about the interview Friday, saying, "By the time the interview is over, people will have a very clear understanding about what went into their thought process," in leaving the royal family. "Then people can make up their own minds. Because 'vilified' is the word for what has happened to Harry and Meghan — Meghan in particular.”

In another clip, King spoke about how Buckingham Palace is investigating allegations that Markle bullied her staff when she was in the U.K. — an allegation that popped up ahead of this interview. However, King said, as far as the public knows, there isn't an investigation into the sexual abuse allegations against Prince Andrew and his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein.

"I do think that's a very interesting observation," said King. "It's been crickets when it comes to Prince Andrew and they're talking about alleged mean girl behavior for Meghan."

As far as criticism of Markle and Prince Harry doing the interview while his grandfather Prince Philip is in the hospital, King reminded viewers that it was conducted three weeks ago by Winfrey, who is a neighbor of the couple in Montecito, Calif., before the 99-year-old was hospitalized.

And the support for Markle and Prince Harry in telling their story goes beyond that. She was defended by a former Suits executive producer — and the list is getting longer.

Her best friend of 22 years Lindsay Roth showed support in a post that said Markle "was this woman when we were students together at Northwestern University; she was this woman in Los Angeles when her days were spent auditioning; she was this woman living in Toronto as Rachel Zane on Suits; she was this woman before you knew she was dating Harry; she was this woman after you knew was dating Harry; she was this woman when she became Duchess of Sussex and she is still - without a doubt - this very same woman today."

Markle's Suits co-star Patrick J. Adams posted a thread defending her from the "endless racist, slanderous, clickbaiting vitriol spewed in her direction."

Chrissy Teigen worries about Markle's health and pregnancy.

And here are some others:

Halle Berry also appeared to show support.

Winfrey's 60 Minutes interview is expected to cover Markle's story of getting together with Prince Harry through their decision to step back from royal duties, and include discussion of the relentless scrutiny she's faced. Her husband will join her in discussing their move last year to the United States.

Oprah with Meghan and Harry airs Sunday at 8 p.m. ET on CBS.

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