Beautiful Virgin Islands

Monday, Jan 19, 2026

Princess Diana ‘won over Britain —  but Harry and Meghan have struggled’ with public

Princess Diana ‘won over Britain — but Harry and Meghan have struggled’ with public

PRINCESS DIANA had already won over the hearts of the British public before her life on the royal frontline began to unravel - but Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have struggled to inspire the same kind of devotion, according to a royal commentator.


Diana was the world’s most photographed woman prior to her tragic death in 1997. She struggled with being in the spotlight for 16 years, ever since she wed Prince Charles in 1981. However, despite the huge challenges in her personal life, her dedication to humanitarian work and warmth with the public meant she became the ‘People’s Princess’ — even though she had divorced Charles and was no longer a working royal by 1996.

Her son Harry has followed a similar path and voluntarily left royal life behind this year, in a mission to find “financial independence” with his wife Meghan.

The couple have relocated to the US in the last few months and tried to establish a new line of work with streaming service giant Netflix.

Yet, where Diana’s decision to split with Charles drew sympathy from the public, the Sussexes’ exit has polarised royal spheres.

Some royal watchers have even called for the couple to be stripped of their remaining titles, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.


Meghan Markle, Prince Harry and Princess Diana


The pro-Sussex biography, ‘Finding Freedom’ by Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand was then released in August, and has only caused further division among fans.

Commentator Maureen Callahan noted that this book could be compared to the controversial 1992 biography, ‘Diana — Her True Story’ by Andrew Morton.

The account stunned fans, revealing Diana’s personal misery and struggle behind Palace walls — just like ‘Finding Freedom’.

However, Ms Callahan explained: “Rather than be perceived as a villain or an ingrate, Diana further endeared herself to the world.”


Princess Diana is still seen as the 'People's Princess' 


The book details her realisation that she was mainly chosen as Prince Charles’ wife because she was a 19-year-old virgin, but she still managed to continue with her royal obligations.

That’s the clinching detail, according to Ms Callahan.

Despite Charles being deeply in love with his then former flame Camilla Parker Bowles, Diana still embraced royal life.

Ms Callahan explained: “She produced the heir and the spare.


Queen Elizabeth II, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry on the balcony of Buckingham Palace in 2018


Meghan was walked down the aisle by Prince Charles 


“She injected glamour, heart and modernity into a fading institution. She did real humanitarian work.

“If Diana was going to be cast out of the Royal Family after 12 years of loyal service, she was going to get even.”

Ms Callahan claimed that, unlike ‘Diana — Her True Story’, the pro-Sussex biography ‘Finding Freedom’ makes Harry and Meghan appear “entitled”.

She said Meghan was welcomed and “fast-tracked” into royal life by the monarchy.


Princess Diana revealed her vulnerability after joining the Royal Family at just 19


This was evident as previous American divorcees had been forbidden from marrying into the Firm, yet Prince Charles walked her down the aisle, and the couple were allowed to have their own staff and a new estate, Frogmore Cottage.

Writing in the New York Post in August, the commentator continued: “Meghan had been on the job less than two years, and had been given almost everything she asked for.”

One of the couple's main motivations for leaving royal life was that Meghan reportedly felt “voiceless” behind Palace walls — but this claim has surprised royal watchers, as political neutrality is a well-known clause of joining the Royal Family.

Ms Callahan also said there was little in ‘Finding Freedom’ which justified Meghan and Harry’s fury at the Palace, while the Princess of Wales drew pity after revealing so much of herself.

Additionally, Diana discussed her flaws and vulnerable mental health during her time on the royal frontline in 'Diana — Her True Story', while the Sussexes are presented in a very flattering light in 'Finding Freedom'.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
High-Speed Train Collision in Southern Spain Kills at Least Twenty-One and Injures Scores
Meghan Markle May Return to the U.K. This Summer as Security Review Advances
Trump’s Greenland Tariff Threat Sparks EU Response and Risks Deep Transatlantic Rift
Prince Harry’s High Court Battle With Daily Mail Publisher Begins in London
Trump’s Tariff Escalation Presents Complex Challenges for the UK Economy
UK Prime Minister Starmer Rebukes Trump’s Greenland Tariff Strategy as Transatlantic Tensions Rise
Prince Harry’s Last Press Case in UK Court Signals Potential Turning Point in Media and Royal Relations
OpenAI to Begin Advertising in ChatGPT in Strategic Shift to New Revenue Model
GDP Growth Remains the Most Telling Barometer of Britain’s Economic Health
Prince William and Kate Middleton Stay Away as Prince Harry Visits London Amid Lingering Rift
Britain Braces for Colder Weather and Snow Risk as Temperatures Set to Plunge
Mass Protests Erupt as UK Nears Decision on China’s ‘Mega Embassy’ in London
Prince Harry to Return to UK to Testify in High-Profile Media Trial Against Associated Newspapers
Keir Starmer Rejects Trump’s Greenland Tariff Threat as ‘Completely Wrong’
Trump to hit Europe with 10% tariffs until Greenland deal is agreed
Prince Harry Returns to UK High Court as Final Privacy Trial Against Daily Mail Publisher Begins
Britain Confronts a Billion-Pound Wind Energy Paradox Amid Grid Constraints
The graduate 'jobpocalypse': Entry-level jobs are not shrinking. They are disappearing.
Cybercrime, Inc.: When Crime Becomes an Economy. How the World Accidentally Built a Twenty-Trillion-Dollar Criminal Economy
The Return of the Hands: Why the AI Age Is Rewriting the Meaning of “Real Work”
UK PM Kier Scammer Ridicules Tories With "Kamasutra"
Strategic Restraint, Credible Force, and the Discipline of Power
United Kingdom and Norway Endorse NATO’s ‘Arctic Sentry’ Mission Including Greenland
Woman Claiming to Be Freddie Mercury’s Secret Daughter Dies at Forty-Eight After Rare Cancer Battle
UK Launches First-Ever ‘Town of Culture’ Competition to Celebrate Local Stories and Boost Communities
Planned Sale of Shell and Exxon’s UK Gas Assets to Viaro Energy Collapses Amid Regulatory and Market Hurdles
UK Intensifies Arctic Security Engagement as Trump’s Greenland Rhetoric Fuels Allied Concern
Meghan Markle Could Return to the UK for the First Time in Nearly Four Years If Security Is Secured
Meghan Markle Likely to Return to UK Only if Harry Secures Official Security Cover
UAE Restricts Funding for Emiratis to Study in UK Amid Fears Over Muslim Brotherhood Influence
EU Seeks ‘Farage Clause’ in Brexit Reset Talks to Safeguard Long-Term Agreement Stability
Starmer’s Push to Rally Support for Action Against Elon Musk’s X Faces Setback as Canada Shuns Ban
UK Free School Meals Expansion Faces Political and Budgetary Delays
EU Seeks ‘Farage Clause’ in Brexit Reset Talks With Britain
Germany Hit by Major Airport Strikes Disrupting European Travel
Prince Harry Seeks King Charles’ Support to Open Invictus Games on UK Return
Washington Holds Back as Britain and France Signal Willingness to Deploy Troops in Postwar Ukraine
Elon Musk Accuses UK Government of Suppressing Free Speech as X Faces Potential Ban Over AI-Generated Content
Russia Deploys Hypersonic Missile in Strike on Ukraine
OpenAI and SoftBank Commit One Billion Dollars to Energy and Data Centre Supplier
UK Prime Minister Starmer Reaffirms Support for Danish Sovereignty Over Greenland Amid U.S. Pressure
UK Support Bolsters U.S. Seizure of Russian-Flagged Tanker Marinera in Atlantic Strike on Sanctions Evasion
The Claim That Maduro’s Capture and Trial Violate International Law Is Either Legally Illiterate—or Deliberately Deceptive
UK Data Watchdog Probes Elon Musk’s X Over AI-Generated Grok Images Amid Surge in Non-Consensual Outputs
Prince Harry to Return to UK for Court Hearing Without Plans to Meet King Charles III
UK Confirms Support for US Seizure of Russian-Flagged Oil Tanker in North Atlantic
Béla Tarr, Visionary Hungarian Filmmaker, Dies at Seventy After Long Illness
UK and France Pledge Military Hubs Across Ukraine in Post-Ceasefire Security Plan
Prince Harry Poised to Regain UK Security Cover, Clearing Way for Family Visits
UK Junk Food Advertising Ban Faces Major Loophole Allowing Brand-Only Promotions
×