yeah but she treated Diana that way when Diana was a threat to her. But while Diana said she did get lots of treatment, Meghan said she was not offered that. Diana was just 20, and very sheltered and naïve, when she and Charles married; Meghan was 36 and worldly, having made her own living for years, when she married Harry. Even the show's creator has drawn parallels between the two women. The revelation is creepy – either she’s acting, or has some sick, twisted obsession with Harry’s mother. As with Diana, when Meghan proved unable or unwilling to toe the family line, she said, the palace did nothing to dispel the emerging public narrative that she was demanding, petulant, entitled. But Meghan left with Harry, her biggest champion. Meghan’s discussion in the interview of her mental health struggles as a royal wife, of loneliness and desolation and thoughts of suicide, was reminiscent of Diana’s account of the bulimia and depression that consumed her during her own marriage. Resurfaced clip from Diana's interview sparks comparisons to Meghan After the two-hour Oprah interview aired in the US on CBS on Sunday, American filmmaker Ava DuVernay shared a clip from Diana's 1995 interview with BBC Panorama to Twitter. "She will break," Margaret answers rather presciently. Perhaps someone like Diana is best placed to ... connect with the modern world, and isn't that how the Crown survives and stays relevant by changing with the times?" A part-time nursery teacher with no university degree, Diana immediately went from a life of relative obscurity to being one of the most famous women in the world: the future Queen of the United Kingdom. They left public royal life without entirely leaving the spotlight, just as Diana did when she divorced Prince Charles. 00:00. The fact that she was different was a benefit and a hope—but anyone who has followed the Sussexes' story knows Meghan's time in the royal family, like Diana's, has hardly been a fairytale. “What I was seeing was history repeating itself,” he said, though he described the treatment of Meghan as “far more dangerous” because of the ubiquity of social media and the corrosive element of racism. For Harry, there is the added element of knowing that his father caused his mother pain, and that Charles knew how unhappy she was as a royal wife. But the Queen Mother isn't so sympathetic. "And if she doesn't bend? SPEAKING OUT: Princess Diana being interviewed about palace life in 1995. As such, Meghan wasn't hounded by paparazzi on the street during her time as a working royal. 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. And Meghan is American, with an American sensibility. Stepping into the blinding royal spotlight (and then choosing to step out of it) can't be easy, no matter who you are, and there are certainly parallels between Meghan and Diana's stories (some of which are played up in this season of The Crown), but the two women shouldn't be conflated. When the Duke and Duchess of Sussex announced they were stepping back as senior royals, chat and comparisons between Meghan and Harry's mother reignited.. People who had never felt represented by the royals could relate to her for the first time and by association, the monarchy as a whole. Simply by joining the royal family, Meghan, a feminist, bi-racial American divorcée, would help to modernize the centuries-old institution. He was 12. Harry made the comparison explicit on Sunday when he referred to the “constant barrage” of criticism and racist attacks on his wife. And, Meghan wasn't marrying the heir to the throne, but instead, a younger brother. Meghan wore a diamond bracelet that had once been Diana’s. Still there were more than a few hints of Diana when Meghan sat down with Oprah for the interview. Meghan isnt a threat to Camilla at this point. That was the one in which, in somber tones, she revealed that her marriage had always been doomed because there were “three of us” in it: her, Charles, and Camilla Parker Bowles, his longtime lover and later his wife. the actress said. The former Meghan Markle's style has drawn comparison to Diana on many occasions, and she's even paid tribute to the fashion icon by wearing items from her personal collection. But that argument flattens the incredibly complex, somewhat symbiotic relationship the royals have with the press, and how it has changed over the past few decades. But there are differences, too, beyond the fact that Diana was white and Meghan is biracial, and the fact that Diana’s marriage fell apart, while Meghan has a strong marriage and a fierce champion in Harry. No one can deny that Diana endured and Meghan continues to deal with unrelenting scrutiny from the media. Meghan said: "I … There really is no comparison with what Diana endured in terms of media interest over 17 years and what Meghan had to put up with for 20 months. Meghan Markle opened up about Kate Middleton dealing with "Waity Katie" headlines, and why that's not the same as the racism she's been dealing with. “There’s a lot of hurt that’s happened,” Prince Harry told Oprah. ... Meghan's tribute to Princess Diana… “Which is something I was never able to do when I was young.”, A Tale Old and New as Another Royal Wife Breaks Free, https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/08/world/europe/princess-diana-meghan-markle.html. It felt Shakespearean, the sense of history repeating itself through the immutable structure of a royal lineage and an ancient institution — while a prince spoke of breaking free from the old patterns and finding a new way forward. | iHeartRadio. Diana came from a culture of reticence in which tradition is venerated; Meghan comes from one where it is normal to ask for help, to discuss your feelings and to suggest that there might be better, newer ways of doing things. It seems history was literally repeating itself. As the digital news director for Town & Country, Caroline Hallemann covers everything from the British royal family to the latest episodes of Outlander, Killing Eve, and The Crown. But she did face racist headlines, and particularly vicious online abuse, to the point that the royal family had to recalibrate their approach to policing comments on social media. "We are rather a tough bunch in this family. Some really smart guy/girl, or a big fan of late Princess Diana, has decided to make a comparison between Meghan’s acting, posing, and dressing. But perhaps, the biggest divergence of all between Meghan and Diana's experiences was revealed in how they left the royal family. This is just how it is,” Harry said. “But ultimately, all she’d ever want is for us to be happy.”. Their endings are not the same, and that makes all the difference. Rewind 10 Seconds. There are many parallels between Meghan and Diana. Diana also battled depression after she had her children, telling Martin Bashir in her 1995 Panorama interview that she had to take extreme measures to get help. We don't give out much praise or love or thanks. Read more: Friend of Meghan Markle claims texts will prove she's not a bully – and insists she didn't plan to 'nuke royals' In her 1995 interview, Diana said: "I was unwell with postnatal depression, which no one ever discusses, postnatal depression, you have to read about it afterwards, and that in itself was a bit of a difficult time. Like Princess Diana before her, who was always being photographed leaving parties, Meghan seems inalienably drawn to the bright lights, obsessed with self-image and controlling her exposure. That doesn't necessarily mean Meghan was prepared for royal life, but her eyes were open to the world in a way Diana's were not. He sounded both loving — and wistful. He knows what pain feels like, and Archie’s his grandson. See a comparison of the two rings here: The photo on the left from Trooping the Colour shows Meghan’s redesigned ring, with a thinner pave band. Prince Harry has also been quick to draw conclusions between how Meghan has been depicted in the media, and what happened to his mother, even once writing, "My deepest fear is history repeating itself. And when she bends, she will fit," she says. Their stories were remarkably similar. Meghan Markle and Prince Harry were cut off from royal funding following their departure. “There’s a lot to work through here,” Harry said. ET Diana was one of the first modern celebrities, and the appetite for photos of the Princess was unyielding. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io, Eight Wedding Ideas to Borrow from Kate Middleton, Kate Middleton Wears Queen Elizabeth's Earrings, Listen to Prince Harry Narrate an Earth Day Video, Photos of Royals on Their First Day of School, 28 Royal Family Photos Taken By Kate Middleton, Prince Louis Celebrates His Third Birthday, A Royal Photographer on Will and Kate's Wedding. The couple was repeatedly told: “This is how it is. PRINCE WILLIAM 'predicted the trouble that lay ahead' between Prince Harry, Meghan Markle and their role within the Royal Family, a commentator claimed. But there’s a lot of hurt that’s happened.”. He said he believed Diana would have been angry and sad at the couple’s treatment. Meghan Markle doing the same on Sunday. The bold decision of a royal wife to level criticisms against her husband’s family in a televised special was reminiscent of Diana’s 1995 interview with the BBC. In January of 2020, Meghan and Harry announced their plans to step back from their roles as working royals, and they moved across the world eventually settling in Los Angeles. A quarter-century after Princess Diana broke her silence about life among the British royals, Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, did the same. Princess Diana made her debut on the fourth season of 'The Crown.' Their stories were remarkably similar. Instead, the family dismissed her concerns and told her, essentially, to keep her head down. When Harry and Meghan announced their engagement in 2017, the media narrative sounded quite a bit the Queen's words in The Crown. 'The Crown' fans couldn't help but compare the similarities between the troubling royal treatment of Princess Diana and Meghan Markle. A quarter-century after Princess Diana broke her silence about life among the British royals, Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, did the same. In contrast, Meghan had built her own career by the time she even met Prince Harry; she'd had previous relationships; and while she wasn't necessarily a household name, she was familiar with being in the public eye, and had experience dealing with the press. That image has reverberated down the years, a ghostly reminder of the princes’ traumatic childhood, and it hovered again in the background as Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan, spoke to Oprah Winfrey on Sunday night. I lost my mother, and now I watch my wife falling victim to the same powerful forces.". DailyMail for Kate, "Kate feels real, whereas Meghan feels contrived. And like Diana, Meghan found herself hounded by the tabloids, which accused her of constantly seeking attention while happily filling their pages with stories about her. What then?" Meghan offered a grueling portrait of palace life in the interview Sunday. The Habit Meghan Markle Shares with Princess Diana, 20 Times Meghan Markle Dressed Like Princess Diana, Harry and Meghan Update Their Archewell Website, Archie's Christening Photo Honors Princess Diana. Anyone who remembers the funeral of Diana, the Princess of Wales, in 1997 can’t help being haunted by the wrenching sight of her two young sons, Princes William and Harry, walking slowly behind her coffin as it made its way to Westminster Abbey. But her death brought on change in the UK, a real shift in expectations of privacy for the royals and what constitutes harassment from photographers. "You just want to shake these tabloids and say, can’t you see history repeating itself?" Emma Corrin, who plays Princess Diana in The Crown, said something similar in Town & Country's November cover story. People are drawing parallels between Princess Diana and Meghan Markle after watching season 4 of 'The Crown.' She was also divorced, with a high-profile job as an actress. questions the Queen. … The two women had very different experiences in the royal family. For a moment, he seemed to be recalling how it felt to be without a mother at the age of 12. Both women said they had desperately sought help from the family, only to be ignored and rebuffed. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex shocked the public when they announced on January 8 that they were leaving their position as senior members of the royal family. Volume 60%. Every item on this page was chosen by a Town & Country editor. "Diana is an immature little girl who in time will give up her struggles, give up her fight, and bend, as Philip did, as they all do. The fact that she was different was a benefit and a hope—but anyone who has followed the Sussexes' story knows Meghan's time in the royal family, like Diana's, has hardly been a fairytale. | iHeartRadio. “The highlight for me is sticking him on the back of his bicycle in his little baby seat and taking him on these bike rides,” he said. “Touching back on what you asked me — what my mum would think of this — I think she saw it coming,” he told Oprah. To equate these two women's stories is to erase that. Fullscreen . Earl Spencer, Diana’s brother, was in control of the will and said in 2013 other items would be given to Harry and William in accordance with Princess Diana’s wishes. Harry has often spoken with anguish and bitterness about what happened to Diana all those years ago when she was cast out of the royal family after her divorce from Prince Charles and later died in a car wreck in a Parisian underpass, the paparazzi in hot pursuit. 00:00. Harry looked so small in his suit. At first, the Queen gives Diana the benefit of the doubt. She doesnt care about publicity – she’s had her PR comeback and I think she’s good with it – I dont event think she doesnt even care about being royal that much, besides wearing the big Saudi jewels. Given her experience, he said, his own plight had an air of inevitability to it. But just as with his mother, when Meghan pleaded for help, he said, none was forthcoming. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex's explosive Oprah interview was significant for many reasons - and one of them was the number of times Prince Harry's mum, Princess Diana, was mentioned. Toward the end of the interview, Harry spoke of his son, Archie, and his new life in California. Home » Royals Royce » Resurfaced Princess Diana Clip Draws STRIKING Comparisons To Meghan Markle Interview! It's important to recognize the nuance in each of their situations. A clip of Princess Diana candidly discussing how she was viewed by the royal family has prompted comparisons between the late royal and Meghan Markle … “When you can see something happening in the same kind of way, anybody would ask for help.”. A royal expert weighed in on Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's tell-all with Oprah Winfrey, which many viewers found similar to a controversial interview by his late mother Princess Diana. This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. Meghan Markle and Prince Harry level racism charges against British royal household Last Updated: March 8, 2021 at 12:33 p.m. Prince Harry and Meghan on their wedding day in 2018. Like Diana, Meghan married into a family that did not understand her and believed she would conform, without complaint, to royal customs and protocol. (Diana’s most famous piece of jewelry, her sapphire-and-diamond engagement ring, can now be found on the finger of Prince William’s wife, Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge.). And he said she would have supported their decision to leave Britain and seek a new life away from the constraints of the royal family. “When I’m talking about history repeating itself, I’m talking about my mother,” Harry said. Here are the best Meghan Markle and Prince Harry memes and GIFs on the internet: 1. Tim Graham/Corbis, via Getty Images, left; and Harpo Productions, via Reuters. At the same time, of course, I will always love him. It's a scene that with a few tweaks could have easily been set decades later, about Diana's daughter-in-law, Meghan Markle. That racism is significant, and fundamentally different from what Diana went through. ET First Published: March 8, 2021 at 7:34 a.m. Prince Harry, second from right, after his mother’s funeral in 1997. We may earn commission on some of the items you choose to buy. Town & Country participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites. “Editors couldn’t get enough of her,” Ian Down, a former Daily Mirror picture editor, once told Time. He raised the subject again on Sunday, drawing parallels between the experiences of his mother and his wife and saying, of Diana, that he has “felt her presence through this whole process.”. Now, he told Oprah, he and Charles have had a falling-out over Meghan, with his father at one point refusing to take his calls.