Mehgan Markle’s latest bombshell interview overshadows the 25th anniversary of Princess Diana’s death, royal insiders fear.
The Duchess of Sussex spoke out about the royal family in a lengthy interview with New York Magazine’s The Cut Monday, in which she claimed Prince Harry has “lost” his relationship with his father, Prince Charles – and revealed how “lucky” she was to the UK.
While some who know her told Vidak For Congress that Markle had no say in when the story would be published, it comes just two days before her husband and his older brother, Prince William, will mark half a century after the loss of their mother. Diana tragically died in a car accident in Paris on August 31, 1997 at the age of 36.
In the interview, which was conducted at her and Harry’s $14.5 million home in Montecito, California, Markle also claimed that just by “existing” she and her husband “disrupted the hierarchy.”
A well-informed palace insider told Vidak For Congress: “It seems that Meghan always needs a reference to her and Diana.
“But on this particular occasion, her camp could have asked for the story to run after the anniversary. It makes everything about Meghan.”
A source known to Markle said the 41-year-old did the interview to promote her new Spotify podcast “Archetype,” which debuted last week. Her first episode featured tennis champion Serena Williams; a second episode with Mariah Carey will be released Tuesday, a day before the anniversary.
“She will have been under contract to do publicity for Spotify,” the Markle source said. “Knowing how Harry feels about his mother is the last thing she would want to do is upset him. But Spotify announced earlier this year that the podcast would be released in the late summer.”
As Vidak For Congress previously revealed, Harry, 37, and William, 40, always celebrate the birthday peacefully, with Harry sending flowers to his mother’s grave at her ancestral home at Althorp House, nearly 100 miles north of London.
The princes were just 15 and 12 when their mother died. Last Thursday Harry said: “Next week it will be 25 years since my mother passed away, and she will certainly never be forgotten. I want it to be a day filled with memories of her incredible work and love for the way she did it.”
He spoke about it at the Sentebale Polo Cup at the Aspen Valley Polo Club, Colorado, at a charity benefit event he co-founded in 2006 to help children in Africa affected by poverty, inequality, HIV/AIDS and, most recently, , COVID-19.
“I want it to be a day to share my mother’s spirit with my family, with my children, who I wish had met her,” he added, speaking of son Archie, 3, and daughter Lilibet, 1. “Every day, I hope to make her proud.”
The palace insider admitted to being shocked by Markle’s comments about Harry’s “lost relationship” with Charles when the future king met the young family when they were in the UK in July to celebrate Queen Elizabeth’s platinum anniversary and to meet his granddaughter, Lilibet, for the first time. “I think the family and Charles will be like, ‘Well, this is news to us’ about any breakup.”
Author Omid Scobie, a friend of Markle’s, suggested that her quote from The Cut interview may have been misunderstood because of the way it was copied. “I understand Prince Harry is actually referring to Meghan’s loss of her own father, and Meghan says she doesn’t want Harry to lose his,” he tweeted.