For the first time since her marriage to Britain’s Prince Harry, Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, feels free. No longer held down by royal obligations or expectations, Meghan can “finally breathe” knowing she’s left the “toxic environment” that is Buckingham Palace, an environment she willingly entered two years ago.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex announced last week that they were stepping back from the royal family, to the surprise of just about everyone, including Queen Elizabeth II. But the signs had been there all along. Meghan had long complained about the tabloid gossip and the rumors that pitted her against members of her own family, as well as the royal family into which she had married. And, recently, the Sussexes had put distance between themselves and their responsibilities, foregoing the family’s usual Christmastime excursion and hiding away in Canada for nearly six weeks.