A new Prime Video documentary, Diana and Meghan: Royal History Repeating, has sparked outrage by suggesting parallels between the lives of Meghan Markle and the late Princess Diana. Showbiz Reporter Fran Winston, writing for Express.co.uk, calls the comparison 'ludicrous' and argues that Diana would be horrified by the direction of Prince Harry's life since marrying Meghan.
Diana's Shy Nature vs. Meghan's Spotlight-Seeking
Winston notes that Diana was 'shy and unassuming' when she married into the royal family, working as a nursery teaching assistant and never seeking fame. In contrast, Meghan has been 'chasing the spotlight since she was old enough to toddle towards it,' entering acting not out of love for the arts but to become famous. The documentary's claim that both women faced 'intense public scrutiny' ignores their different paths: Diana was unprepared for the attention, while Meghan courted it.
Diana's Efforts to Shield Sons vs. Meghan's Use of Children
Winston emphasizes that Diana actively shielded her sons from the tabloid press, once confronting aggressive paparazzi on a ski vacation. Meghan, however, plasters Diana's grandchildren—Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet—on social media to promote her 'As Ever' brand, using them as a 'marketing tool.' Diana would abhor this, Winston asserts.
Harry's Transformation: From Regal Prince to Grifter
Most damningly, Winston argues that Diana would be 'disgusted' that Meghan has turned Harry into a 'shallow grifter' chasing quick money to maintain a lavish lifestyle. The Netflix documentaries and Harry's memoir Spare would leave a 'foul taste' in Diana's mouth. While Diana gave interviews and contributed to books during her marriage breakdown—amid her husband's affair—she did not do so for profit.
Diana's Vision for Harry vs. Reality
Diana's biographer Andrew Morton noted that Diana often said she had two sons so the younger would support the older as future king. She called Harry 'Good King Harry,' believing he could take a strong leadership role. Today, Harry and William no longer speak, and Winston says that estrangement would 'weigh heavily' on Diana. 'There is nothing regal about scrambling around z-list events, bleating about how hard done by you have been,' Winston writes.
The documentary, made in 2024 but only recently discovered by Winston, has received negative reviews, with many calling it 'mediocre.' Winston concludes that Meghan will 'always be too desperate and unsophisticated to even be mentioned in the same breath as Diana.'
