Friend reveals Meghan Markle can now do what she pleases without asking permission

Meghan Markle feels she can now do what she pleases without asking for permission after her decision to quit as a senior royal, a close friend exclusively told DailyMail.com.

‘Meghan felt she had to escape because living within the royal confines was soul crushing,’ the friend said.

Last Wednesday, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex dropped the bombshell news that they were quitting as senior royals, dividing their time between North America and the UK and would work to become financially independent, catching the royal family and the rest of the world off guard.

Meghan is now in Canada with seven-month-old Archie and broke cover on Tuesday when she made a surprise visit to the Downtown Eastside Women’s Centre in Vancouver to ‘offer support’ and to ‘boost the staff’s spirits’. 

Meghan’s friend explained that the 38-year-old feels she can ‘finally breathe’ since leaving and has free reign over her life again.

They also explained that Meghan felt that living within the royal family confines was ‘soul crushing’ and she didn’t want her son around such a ‘toxic environment’, deciding to leave in part for his benefit. 

Meghan Markle feels she can now do what she pleases without asking for permission after her decision to quit as a senior royal, a close friend exclusively told DailyMail.com. ‘Meghan felt she had to escape because living within the royal confines was soul crushing,’ the friend said 

Meghan's friend explained that the 38-year-old feels she can 'finally breathe' since leaving and has free reign over her life again. They also said Meghan felt that living within the royal family confines was 'soul crushing' and she didn't want Archie around such a 'toxic environment', deciding to leave in part for his benefit

Meghan’s friend explained that the 38-year-old feels she can ‘finally breathe’ since leaving and has free reign over her life again. They also said Meghan felt that living within the royal family confines was ‘soul crushing’ and she didn’t want Archie around such a ‘toxic environment’, deciding to leave in part for his benefit

The friend said: ‘She told her inner circle of friends that her soul was being crushed and that the decision to leave was a matter of life or death – meaning the death of her spirit.

‘She also felt like she couldn’t be the best mother to Archie if she wasn’t being her true, authentic self. Something she felt she couldn’t be in the royal family confines.

‘She said she didn’t want Archie picking up on her stress and anxiety. She felt like it was a toxic environment for him because there was too much tension and pent-up frustrations.’

Now that the Queen agreed on Monday to allow her and Harry to split their time between the UK and North America, the friend said Meghan ‘has a lot up her sleeve that she wants to do.’

Meghan ‘will continue making surprise visits to different places that help women and children. She wants to feel embraced by her community, something she says she didn’t feel in the UK. She felt stifled and restricted.’ 

DailyMail.com revealed earlier this week that Meghan had the full support of her mother Doria Ragland to leave, as a source said the 63-year-old ‘was really worried about Meghan… and is relieved that her daughter is putting her mental health and well being first.’

The insider said Meghan was ‘miserable in the UK’ and ‘wasn’t sleeping well and started having anxiety attacks about her future.’  

On Tuesday, Meghan was seen for the first time since the bombshell news. 

She broke cover leaving the $14 million mansion where she has been holed up since last week to visit a women’s shelter in Canada’s poorest neighborhood.  

On Tuesday, Meghan was seen for the first time since the bombshell news. She broke cover leaving the $14 million mansion where she has been holed up since last week to visit a women's shelter in Canada's poorest neighborhood (pictured)

On Tuesday, Meghan was seen for the first time since the bombshell news. She broke cover leaving the $14 million mansion where she has been holed up since last week to visit a women’s shelter in Canada’s poorest neighborhood (pictured) 

Meghan Markle visiting the Justice for Girls group in Canada on Tuesday, after she was previously seen visiting another women's rights group in Vancouver

Meghan Markle visiting the Justice for Girls group in Canada on Tuesday, after she was previously seen visiting another women’s rights group in Vancouver

The Duchess of Sussex enjoys coffee and makes notes as she meets with the Justice for Girls group in Canada on Tuesday

The Duchess of Sussex enjoys coffee and makes notes as she meets with the Justice for Girls group in Canada on Tuesday

DailyMail.com revealed earlier this week that Meghan had the full support of her mother Doria Ragland (pictured in LA on Monday) to leave, as a source said the 63-year-old 'was really worried about Meghan... and is relieved that her daughter is putting her mental health and well being first'

DailyMail.com revealed earlier this week that Meghan had the full support of her mother Doria Ragland (pictured in LA on Monday) to leave, as a source said the 63-year-old ‘was really worried about Meghan… and is relieved that her daughter is putting her mental health and well being first’

She was pictured leaving Vancouver Island ocean-side mansion shortly before 10am and arrived at Victoria Harbour Airport around 20 minutes later, where she appeared happy and relaxed as she laughed with her security team before boarding a seaplane for the mainland.

She then made a surprise visit to the Downtown Eastside Women’s Center and the shelter posted a photograph on its Facebook page of Meghan with a group of eight women, with the caption: ‘Look who we had tea with today!

‘The Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle, visited us today to discuss issues affecting women in the community.’

A staff member said they only became aware of the visit when Meghan arrived and that she spent time meeting with managers. The shelter provides counselling, hot meals, and basic needs for women and children in need. 

It was revealed a ‘mysterious’ email from a Hotmail account arrived asking if she could visit drop in. It came from Meghan’s ‘assistant’ – not a royal aide, according to the centre’s boss Kate Gibson. 

Zoe Craig-Sparrow, Co-Director at Justice for Girls, said they were honored to have Meghan join them on Tuesday

She said: ‘The Duchess met with our Co-Directors as well as representatives from our Board of Directors and staff. The Duchess put everyone at ease and had a really engaged discussion with us for 90 minutes about our work and the rights of teenage girls who live in poverty. We were honored that she chose to have this conversation with us and is interested in the work we do’. 

On Thursday back in London, Harry made his first major royal engagement since Megxit – and possibly his last – before joining Meghan and Archie in Canada. 

On Thursday back in London, Harry made his first major royal engagement since Megxit - and possibly his last - before joining Meghan and Archie in Canada (pictured)

On Thursday back in London, Harry made his first major royal engagement since Megxit – and possibly his last – before joining Meghan and Archie in Canada (pictured)

Harry's Instagram story marking what could be his last event as a senior royal gave fans a behind-the-scene glimpse before the Rugby League World Cup 2020 draw set to a Stone Roses hit with lyrics: 'I'd like to leave the country'

Harry's Instagram story marking what could be his last event as a senior royal gave fans a behind-the-scene glimpse before the Rugby League World Cup 2020 draw set to a Stone Roses hit with lyrics: 'I'd like to leave the country'

Harry’s Instagram story marking what could be his last event as a senior royal gave fans a behind-the-scene glimpse before the Rugby League World Cup 2020 draw set to a Stone Roses hit with lyrics: ‘I’d like to leave the country’

Harry will not be flying back to join Meghan and Archie in Canada after today’ event as he and his team continues to negotiate an abdication deal on money, titles and establishing their international commercial brand.   

It came as Harry’s friends expressed concern after he ‘cut off’ contact with them while Meghan was pregnant, with many ‘no longer having his phone number’, according to People Magazine in the US. 

The Duke of Sussex stopped contacting many of his old friends some six months into his wife’s pregnancy, creating a feeling of ‘resentment’ among the group, a royal source has claimed. 

However, he is believed to still be in touch with Charlie van Straubenzee, his old prep school companion and now godfather to his son, Archie, and they both attended each other’s weddings just months apart in 2018.  

The Queen had revealed in a deeply personal statement that she had agreed for Harry and Meghan to begin a ‘new life’ as an ‘independent’ family, a move which Meghan is understood to have pushed for just 20 months after their wedding. 

The Queen is said to have pressed for her officials to find a solution to this abdication crisis within days, however, royal experts say it will take far longer. 

It is not clear how long this period will last because of the complexities involved in their living ‘independent’ of the public purse.

The security bill alone for the Sussexes is estimated at around $1 million per year, meanwhile Harry is believed to draw a salary somewhere in the region of $2.5 million each year from his father’s estate.

It also emerged this week that Meghan’s father Thomas Markle Snr. could be a ‘star witness’ when Meghan takes on Associated Newspapers, the publisher of the Mail on Sunday, at the High Court. 

Read more at DailyMail.co.uk