Princesses at War: Why the Press Compares Meghan Markle to Lady Di
Meghan Markle and Diana Spencer entered the royal family and attracted power from day one
Oprah Winfrey's explosive interview with Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle last Sunday was significant for many reasons.
One of the issues that caught the attention of the note was the number of times that Prince Harry's mother, Princess Diana, was mentioned. Meghan Markle said that she spoke to one of Diana's friends about the pressures of joining the royal family, "because ... who else could understand what she really is like on the inside?"
The two women entered the Windsor family and attracted power from day one, so comparisons between the two are almost inevitable.
Prince Harry said in the interview that he feared history would "repeat itself" before he and Meghan left their roles as royalty. And it is not the first time that he has compared British media coverage of his wife to the way Diana was treated.
Two faces of media coverage
Princess Diana was considered one of the most famous women in the world and was often written about in newspapers, for her charity work and for her private life. “Diana became a real icon like no other. She was recognized and famous internationally, ”author and Royal Household specialist Katie Nicholl told BBC Radio 1 Newsbeat. But the coverage she received was not always positive.
“Diana was criticized in the press. She was the most famous person in the world and the paparazzi were a constant presence in the life of Prince William and Harry, ”Nicholl described.
Journalist James Brookes agrees. “She Sometimes she had a very good relationship with the press and they were on her side. She other times she complained to the media for being nosy. It was a mixed relationship, ”she added.
Diana gave personal interviews that led some to believe that she was promoting publicity and attracting attention.
For her part, Meghan shut down her personal blog when she joined the British royal family and most of her interviews, before the one given to Oprah Winfrey, were about her charity work.
"Questioning the quiet life"
In January 2020, the couple confirmed that they were withdrawing from royal obligations after being the subject of tabloid coverage. They moved to Canada and then to California. It was recently announced that they will not be returning to the UK as active members of the royal family.
Nicholl clarified that in the interview on Sunday "they revealed more about their lives now than while they were in the UK." Since she moved away from royal responsibilities, the couple launched a podcast on Spotify, signed a deal with Netflix, and gave interviews to James Corden and Oprah Winfrey.
"People are questioning a couple who moved out because they wanted a quiet life and they think, 'Why are they talking to James Corden and Oprah Winfrey now and revealing details about their son?'" Nicholl added.
"The idea of escaping from their country and from the press spotlight doesn't shut off a lot of people who are seeing Harry and Meghan more now than when they were in the UK," she continued.
Harry told Oprah Winfrey that the Netflix and Spotify deals were never part of the plan but that his family "literally cut off financial funding" in early 2020.
The death of Princess Diana and the paparazzi
"Wherever Diana went, there were a lot of journalists and photographers covering her every move," recalled James Brookes. He further claimed that he believes Prince Harry's opinion of the media dates back to when Princess Diana died.
"Much of Harry and William's perspective on the press is tainted because, in Harry's eyes, his mother was harassed by the paparazzi," he detailed. Princess Diana died in a car accident in a tunnel in Paris on August 31, 1997. Prince Harry was 12 years old at the time.
The driver, Henri Paul, had been drinking alcohol and the car was being followed by photographers on motorcycles. Later, an investigation revealed that Diana had died as a result of the "gross negligence" of the driver and the paparazzi.
In a 2017 BBC documentary, Prince Harry spoke about the death of his mother and the role of the press. "I think one of the hardest things to accept is the fact that the people who chased her into the tunnel were the same people who took pictures of her dying in the back seat of the car," he said.
Negative coverage
Despite Prince Harry's remarks in October 2019, Katie Nicholl commented that "Meghan is not followed or persecuted by paparazzi like Diana." However, she also thinks that the prince is clearly fed up with stories that criticize Meghan. "He is attacking journalists who he believes are constantly fueling the negative narrative about his wife," she claimed.
“There were numerous negative stories about spending. Including the cost of renovating his house that was paid for with taxpayer money, ”she added.
This money, about US $ 3.3 million, was later reimbursed by the couple. "There is also the cost of the Duchess of Sussex's designer wardrobe which is worth hundreds of thousands of pounds," said the author.
In addition, many stories were told about the wedding and numerous rumors, Nicholl said, adding: “The rumor that Meghan Markle wanted air fresheners in St. George's Chapel; the one with the tiara tantrum; or that of the displeasure between Meghan and Kate in a dress fitting for Princess Charlotte ”.
On the latter, Meghan Markle told Oprah Winfrey that she had actually been the opposite. “A few days before the wedding (Kate Middleton) was upset about the girl's flowery dresses and she made me cry,” she recounted Markle. She also said that William's wife later apologized and brought flowers with a note to make amends.
She also assured that Kate Middleton is "a good person" and hoped that the false stories would be corrected.
Celebrity
Some people are of the opinion that Meghan Markle expected attention because, unlike Princess Diana, she was a celebrity before she married Harry. That's something Nicholl disagrees with. "I think that even though she had a celebrity lifestyle before, she doesn't compare to being in the royal family," she maintained.
“Yes, she had celebrity status, but she was not a top-tier actress like Angelina Jolie or Nicole Kidman. Said it herself, she had never experienced this level of public scrutiny. Meghan Markle was the subject of as much scrutiny as any other member of the royal family. People have short memories, but the Duchess of Cambridge, Kate Middleton, also had a hard time with the tabloid press, ”she added.
There is a clear public interest in the Harry and Meghan couple but there is a line about what is acceptable, the author opined. "The job of the press is to report on the royal family but it has to be fair and impartial," she concluded.
