Rebellious Royalty: Discover the Similarities Between Meghan Markle and Princess Diana
Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, is one of the most talked about people of recent years and it's taken a heavy toll on her. The story is similar to what happened to her late mother-in-law, Princess Diana, in her struggle with the press 25 years ago. Both women fought against the royal family—Diana became famous in clashes with advisers and Meghan and Prince Harry, according to the new biography Finding Freedom, were expelled by them.
Meghan's openness, in the opposite direction of the royal family's normal reservedness, resembles Diana's revolutionary confessional with Martin Bashir in November 1995. “When no one listens to you, or you feel no one’s listening to you, all sorts of things start to happen,” Diana said at the time.
And although Meghan may feel isolated in her experience, her mother-in-law had done it all before. The two women's similarities come into stark parellel in Netflix's blockbuster series The Crown, now on its fourth season. Here, L'OFFICIEL highlights some of the most obvious resemblances (and some key differences):
Great Expectations
At first it seemed like a dream for both women—the world media fell in love with Diana, and later Meghan, for her Hollywood connection and refreshing honesty. While Diana was only 19 years old when she became engaged, however, Meghan was the opposite, at 36 years old and previously divorced.
Making Headlines
Despite the palace telling her that the press and public interest would wane, Diana first understood its impact on her Australia tour in 1983, when a million people showed up to see her and Prince Charles. "I learned how to be royalty in a week," she said at the time. "I realized the sense of duty, the level of intesity of interest, and the demanding role I now find myself in."
Coincidentally, it was also during a trip that Meghan realized her popularity. On her and Prince Harry's tour in 2018, all eyes were on the couple, but it was after this trip that they felt that the palace did not appreciate them.
Family Misfortunes
Adjusting to the royal family would prove to be impossible for both women. In her Panorama interview, Diana spoke about her struggle with bulimia and depression, saying it was "pretty devastating...feeling of being no good at anything and being useless and hopeless and failed in every direction."
Likewise, at the end of Harry and Meghan's South African tour last year, Meghan thanked journalist Tom Bradby for asking if she was OK. "Thanks for asking—a lot of people haven't asked me if I'm OK, but it's a very real thing to see behind the scenes," she said.
Putting an End to the Control of the Royal Family
Prince Charles and Diana separated in 1992, but it would be a long and complicated process until they divorced in 1996. A year later, Diana's life ended at age 36, when she died in Paris due to injuries sustained in a car accident.
Meghan's journey from commoner to royalty and back was much faster—less than two years after saying "I do" at the wedding, the she and Harry declared that they did not want the life of royalty anymore, making their Megxit in March 2020.
