Long before their royal exit, fans and followers of the Sussexes were quick to point out the similarities between the late Princess Diana and her son’s new wife. It should come as no surprise, then, that Prince Harry married Meghan Markle because she’s like Princess Diana—but exactly how they’re alike is always up for more explanation. Most recently, Diana’s former butler, Paul Burrell, had some thoughts to share on the topic.
Burrell, 61, once worked as the British Royal Household’s “footman” to Queen Elizabeth II before shifting into Diana’s service. Since her tragic death in 1997, Burrell has gone on to reveal details about her and the royal family—including his latest thoughts on the Duchess of Sussex. “Harry went for and married Meghan because she’s like Diana,” Burrell said during an interview with Closer. “Both women who would always stand up for what they believe in and wouldn’t be pushovers.” Unfortunately for both, that also meant two women with a British media feud.
That said, Burrell thinks that their shared headstrong nature might have put the ladies at odds with each other if Diana were still alive today. “I think, possibly, they would have clashed,” he explained. “I imagine it would have been two strong, independent women with different views on things—it would have been a battle between Meghan’s way and Diana’s way.”
While the similarities are clear, both Meghan, 38, and Diana are their own women. Burrell went on to stress that Meghan had more experience dealing with the media as an actress than Diana did when she entered a royal marriage with Prince Charles, for example.
“I think the main difference between them is that Meghan has a game plan, whereas Diana was young and naïve,” he said. “Diana did the book with Andrew Morton and courted the press over the years because she didn’t have a voice. And her strong-mindedness meant she cared and she felt the people of the country had a right to know what had gone on behind closed doors.”
While we don’t know Meghan’s feelings about the comparison, we can assume that Prince Harry, 35, sees the dark side of it. The Duke of Sussex has been involved in legal battles with the British press alongside his wife, and in Oct. 2019, he penned a letter to the tabloids over worries that Meghan could end up like Diana.
It’s only a matter of time before we learn more about the couple’s perspectives on the matter. An upcoming biography, Finding Freedom: Harry and Meghan and the Making of a Modern Royal Family is set to release on August 11, and will reportedly reveal everything we need to know about the “real Harry and Meghan.” We can’t wait.
Our mission at STYLECASTER is to bring style to the people, and we only feature products we think you’ll love as much as we do. Please note that if you purchase something by clicking on a link within this story, we may receive a small commission of the sale and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.