Meghan Markle slammed as "character assassination" in an interview Sunday the incendiary tabloid claim she had made Kate Middleton cry -- saying the reverse was true.
In a tell-all interview with Oprah Winfrey, Meghan called the claim -- pored over at length by the gossip press -- "a turning point" in her relations with the royal family.
"Everyone in the institution knew it wasn't true," Meghan said, adding: "The reverse happened."
Kate "was upset about something, but she owned it, and she apologized," Meghan said.
"A few days before the wedding, she was upset about something pertaining -- yes, the issue was correct -- about flower girl dresses, and it made me cry, and it really hurt my feelings."
Meghan called the incident "the beginning of a real character assassination."
"I came to understand that not only was I not being protected, but that they were willing to lie to protect other members of the family," she said.
Meghan spoke out forcefully about the loss of agency she says she suffered as part of the royal family.
"That's the sad irony of the last four years... I've advocated for so long for women to use their voice, and then I was silent," Meghan said.
"Were you silent? Or were you silenced?" asked Winfrey.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
US Presidential Election 2024 And Its Double India Connection Prince Harry, Meghan Markle Break 64-Year Royal Tradition In Surprise Move Opinion: Opinion | Why Indians Must Be Realistic About The Rise Of Indian-Origin Leaders Abroad UP BJP Chief Tells PM He Wants To Quit, Amit Shah In Action Amid Rejig Buzz "I Divorce You... Your Ex-Wife": Dubai Princess Dumps Husband In Insta Post Flying Squad Climbs Wall, Crashes Rajasthan School Exam, Finds Mass Cheating Fire Breaks Out In China Shopping Centre With People Trapped Inside: Report Deepika Padukone Said She Has Never Followed A Diet "That Is A Fad" US Woman Arrested For Sitting On Foster Son, 10, That Caused His Death Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world.