Oprah recalls that she got in touch with Meghan in the spring of 2018, ahead of the royal wedding in May, to request an interview then, to which she says Meghan replied, “I’m sorry, it’s not the right time.” The duchess laughs and says, “I remember that conversation very well” before going on, “I wasn’t even allowed to have that conversation with you personally.” She says there would have had to be “someone from the comm. sitting there” in the event that she agreed to chat with Oprah. It turns out that Meghan wasn’t even alone in the room when she talked to Oprah to turn down her request for an interview. So, Oprah asks, why is now the right time? Meghan appears to seriously consider the question before sighing and saying “so many things.” She cites life experience she’s gained since then, as well as her and Prince Harry’s new ability to make their own choices now that they’ve stepped down as senior royals and relocated to Montecito, California. “I couldn’t have said yes to you then, that wasn’t my choice to make,” she says. She says that she was an “adult who lived a really independent life” before she married into the royal family, which she describes as a “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,” she goes on. “I mean, I’m ready to talk.” Earlier this week CBS released another trailer for the special, Oprah asks, “How do you feel about the palace hearing you speak your truth today?” Meghan answers, “I don’t know how they could expect that after all of this time we would still just be silent when there is an active role that the Firm is playing in perpetuating falsehoods about us.” She continues, “If that comes with risk of losing things, I mean… there’s a lot that’s been lost already.” Oprah With Meghan and Harry: A CBS Special airs on CBS at 8 p.m. Sunday, March 7. Next up, The Dates, the Dresses, and the Jewelry: Decoding Meghan Markle’s Pregnancy Announcements!
