At the Fortune Most Powerful Women Summit in Washington, D.C., Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, declared, “Financial independence is what gives you the freedom of choice, and I think in this day and age we all need to be able to have our autonomy.” She made the remarks during a session focused on influence, entrepreneurship, and personal agency.

Her comments came as part of a broader discussion of her evolving role as founder of the lifestyle brand As Ever, her work in media, and her efforts to balance her professional pursuits with family life. Meghan positioned financial autonomy not only as a personal goal, but as a crucial foundation for broader empowerment — especially for women.

She also addressed how she approaches social media engagement, including her decision to disable comment sections for both self-protection and to shield supporters from toxicity. Instead, she said, she and her team use more personal measures — such as handwritten responses overlaid on user-generated content — to show listeners that she is listening.

The summit appearance underscores her pivot from royal identity toward creative and business leadership grounded in intentionality. Meghan framed her strategy around building sustainable platforms, protecting community, and using financial sovereignty as a lens for choice and impact.

During her remarks, she also reflected on how she and her team are experimenting with shorter content formats, tighter storytelling, and expanding As Ever’s product lines, stressing that the business must balance aesthetic values with operational discipline. Her comments offered insight into how she sees financial independence not only as symbolic, but as a lever for long-term influence and flexibility.