Meghan Markle Insisted Prince Harry Compare Her to His Late Mother Princess Diana, Journalist Says
If you’ve been keeping up with the headlines surrounding Meghan Markle and Prince Harry recently then you know that one bombshell after another have been dropped following the publication of a new biography titled Revenge: Meghan, Harry and the war between the Windsors.
In the book, investigative journalist Tom Bower details what he was told went on early in the Sussexes’ relationship and things that Meghan demanded from her future husband. One was that the Suits star wanted to be compared to the prince’s late mother, Princess Diana, and insisted that Harry publicly make that comparison. Here’s more about that and when the duke did what his bride asked.
Prince Harry reportedly pushed Palace to mention Diana in statement about Meghan
According to Bower’s book, in 2016, after news broke that Meghan and Harry were dating, the pair felt coverage of their relationship and the prince’s then-girlfriend had “racist undertones.” Therefore, Harry spoke to Jason Knauf, who was his press secretary at the time, about issuing a statement on his behalf addressing the headlines and stories being published. The royal asked that Knauf mention his late mother in the statement and draw comparisons between how the press treated the beloved princess and how Meghan was being treated.
In an extract from Revenge: Meghan, Harry and the war between the Windsors Bower wrote: “Knauf suggested that over-dramatizing Meghan’s distress would backfire, but Harry was adamant. If Meghan’s wish to be equated with Diana was not satisfied, insisted Harry, he would probably lose her. Knauf acquiesced.”
Bower added that Harry included Prince William in the conversation but his older brother was hesitant about bringing up their mother.
When the statement came out it did not mention Princess Diana by name, however, it “alluded to the tragedies that befell her.” The statement read: “Meghan Markle, has been subject to a wave of abuse and harassment … Prince Harry is worried about Ms. Markle’s safety and is deeply disappointed that he has not been able to protect her … This is not a game — it is her life and his.”
Harry did eventually make the comparison himself
Fast forward to 2019 and Harry did directly compare the Duchess of Sussex to the Prince of Wales in a statement regarding Meghan’s court case with the British press.
“My deepest fear is history repeating itself. I’ve seen what happens when someone I love is commoditized to the point that they are no longer treated or seen as a real person,” Page Six quoted Harry saying. “I lost my mother and now I watch my wife falling victim to the same powerful forces.”
Harry made the comparisons about “history repeating” other times as well including during the Sussexes’ documentary Harry & Meghan: An African Journey and when the couple sat down with Oprah Winfrey for their primetime special.
Meghan allegedly wanted to be the Hollywood version of Princess Diana
Some royal watchers have opined over the years that Meghan wants to be a sort of Hollywood version of Princess Diana. Bower’s book makes that claim as well. And another biography about the duchess released years earlier includes accounts from people who used to be close with Meghan and say Diana was her role model.
Ninaki Priddy, who grew up with the duchess and was the maid of honor in her first wedding, told Meghan: A Hollywood Princess author Andrew Morton that her former friend was “always fascinated by the royal family. She wants to be Princess Diana 2.0. She had one of Princess Diana’s books on her bookshelf.”
Another friend, Suzy Ardakani, spoke to Morton and said that Meghan used to watch old videos of Prince Charles and Princess Diana’s wedding. “According to family friends, [Meghan] was intrigued by Diana, not just for her style, but for her independent humanitarian mission, seeing her as a role model,” Morton wrote.
