Meghan Markle has ended up finding inspiration in unlikely sources.
While she and Prince Harry chatted with Oprah Winfrey for a CBS special on Sunday, March 7, Meghan explained why she previously felt a kinship with Ariel, the hero of Disney's animated 1989 film The Little Mermaid.
"I was sitting in Nottingham Cottage, and The Little Mermaid came on," Meghan shared. "And who as an adult really watches The Little Mermaid? But it came on, and I was like, Well, I'm here all the time. I might as well watch this. And I went, Oh, my god, she falls in love with the prince and because of that she loses her voice."
Luckily, Meghan made it clear that she no longer feels silenced, adding, "But in the end, she gets her voice back."
As most film fans presumably know, the Oscar-winning flick centers on Ariel, a mermaid who falls for hunky Prince Eric but can only take on a human form if she allows the villainous Ursula to take away her speaking voice. In the end, Eric vanquishes Ursula, and Ariel's dad, King Triton, lets her live permanently on land as a human.
During the sit-down with Oprah, Meghan went on to explain how she felt silenced by the royal family.
"I've always valued independence," she said. "I've always been outspoken, especially about women's rights. I mean, that's the sad irony of the last four years, is I've advocated for so long for women to use their voice, and then I was silent."
She continued, "Everyone in my world was given very clear directive from the moment the world knew Harry and I were dating, to always say, 'No comment.' That's my friends, my mom and dad."
Click here to read our full coverage of the dramatic Oprah interview.