Insider Claims Meghan Markle Desperately Wanted to Be the ‘New' Diana but Fell Short for One Reason

Meghan Markle and the late Princess Diana were quite similar in their struggles to acclimatize to the duties that come with becoming a royal. Ex-British politician, David Mellor, alleged that when Markle joined the royal family, she thought she could become the next ‘People’s Princess.’ However, Markle fell short of her dream because she refused to partake in ‘dull’ royal duties.

Markle may have married Diana’s son, but she reportedly failed to continue her legacy. Mellor told GB News host, Eamonn Holmes, “She is turning her life into a soap [opera] and she is a soap actress so why wouldn’t she?” The former politician argued that Markle thought she could just wing it and ultimately had to face the harsh reality. He explained, “In my time as a minister and politician, you see a lot of members of the royal family in action, and a lot of it is a pretty dull job actually…The point is it’s not glamorous, and you feel with Meghan that it was a big disappointment.”

As per Newsweek, Mellor also criticised her now-defunct Archetypes podcast. He slammed Markle for assuming that "everyone [would be] totally fascinated by every little detail either of her current life or of her past life.” In 2018, journalist and author, Andrew Morton, in his book, Meghan: A Hollywood Princess, also echoed Mellor's assertations. According to ABC News, he claimed one of Markle’s friends told him that the exiled royal was “always fascinated by the royal family” and dreamt of becoming 'Princess Diana 2.0.'

Dream or not, Markle in many ways is in fact like Diana—both fiercely independent with a penchant for philanthropy. Diana was a strong advocate for HIV/AIDS awareness. She was a patron of the Great Ormond Street Hospital. Meanwhile, Markle worked with the United Nations on women’s issues and was an ambassador for World Vision. Diana’s former butler, Paul Burrell, also once noted the similarities between the two women. In an interview with Closer magazine, he shared his thoughts on whether they could have been friends. He opined, “Harry went for and married Meghan because she is like Diana…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.”

Markle never met her late mother-in-law, who passed away in 1997. However, she honors her legacy through fashion and clothing. In her Netflix series, With Love, Meghan, Markle wore the Queen Water Drop Moonstone Necklace, which contains Diana’s moonstone. She has also sported the Princess' Cartier bracelet—a gift from Prince Harry. A recent Instagram story also featured her in Diana’s famous 1996 Northwestern University sweatshirt. Additionally, for her fairytale wedding, she wore Diana’s aquamarine ring and carried her favorite white roses down the aisle.