London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, Aug 14, 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

0:00
0:00
Close
UK Condemns Houthi Actions and Warns of Red Sea Threat to Global Trade
UK and Solomon Islands Open Wildlife Photography Exhibition in Honiara
UK Small Businesses Face Continued Cash Flow and Tax Pressures
Greatham Marsh Restoration Restores Tidal Wetland in Hartlepool After More Than 200 Years
UK Health Regulator Urges University Students to Check Meningitis and Measles Vaccination Status
Mining Remediation Authority Completes Major Ground Stabilization Works in Scottish Community
UK Food Crime Investigators Seize 33 Tonnes of Illegal Food in Multi-Agency Operation
Technical Qualification Uptake Hits Record High as Advanced Mathematics Results Improve
UK Summer Temperatures on Course to Challenge Long-Standing Records, Met Office Says
UK Farmers Bring Forward Cereal Harvests as Drought Threatens Yields
Wildfires Surge Across England and Wales as Fire Chiefs Report Record July
UK Nurses Warn of Heat Risks as Hospital Staff Struggle With Extreme Temperatures
Southern Water Seeks Drought Order for Hampshire and Isle of Wight Amid Water Shortages
UK Heatwave Pushes West London Temperature to 38.1 Degrees as Health Alerts Continue
UK Economy Grows 0.4% in Second Quarter Despite Global Uncertainty
China’s Kimi Launches AI-Focused Credit Card With Agricultural Bank of China and American Express
UK Residents Gather to Watch Rare Partial Solar Eclipse
Reform UK Deputy Leader Richard Tice Faces Criticism Over Legal Threat Against Guardian Journalist
Michael Forsyth Elected Speaker of the House of Lords
Cambridge Researchers Launch £20 Million Human Organoid Drug Testing Programme
Heathrow Loses European Passenger Traffic Lead to Istanbul Airport
Households Near New UK Electricity Pylons to Receive £250 Annual Energy Bill Discount
UK Government Estimates Zero-Hours Contract Ban Could Cost Employers Up to £3 Billion a Year
Robert Jenrick Leaves Conservatives for Reform UK in Major Parliamentary Defection
UK Police Chiefs Urge Government to Block Early Release of Andrew Harper Killers
UK Government Holds Emergency Cobra Meeting as Drought and Heatwave Raise Wildfire Risks
Former Labour Adviser Arrested on Suspicion of Spying for China Held Privileged Access as Top Party Donor
Turkish Parliament Passes Landmark Bill Granting Conditional Amnesty to Disarmed PKK Members
Donald Trump Warns FIFA Against Ousting Gianni Infantino Amid Revolt by Global Football Leaders
Jeff Bezos Joins Investor Group Closing In on $6 Billion Liverpool FC Stake
Police Conduct Cross-Border Raids Against Northern England Drug Network
Nicola Sturgeon Protested at Edinburgh Festival Fringe Event
Major UK Retail Chain Enters Administration With One Hundred Fifty-Four Stores Set to Close
Heathrow Renews Call for Runway Expansion After Losing Europe’s Busiest Airport Ranking
Government Condemns One Million Pound Thames Water Executive Bonus Amid Drought
NHS England Says More Than One Hundred Thousand Hepatitis C Patients Have Been Cured
UK Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband Calls for End to West Bank Settler Violence
UK Prepares for Deepest Partial Solar Eclipse Since Nineteen Ninety-Nine
UK Heatwave Triggers Amber Health Alerts as Economic Losses Reach Four Point Four Billion Pounds
UK Offers Electricity Bill Discounts to Communities Hosting New Power Infrastructure
Bank of England Expected to Hold Interest Rates at Three Point Seven Five Percent
UK Government Moves to Ban Subscription Traps and Misleading Retail Discounts
Andy Burnham Gives Councils New Powers to Block Betting and Vape Shops
UK Councils to Receive Sweeping Planning Powers to Ban New Vape and Betting Shops
Nicola Sturgeon Says She Has No Contact With Estranged Husband After SNP Embezzlement Case
Police Arrest Two Men After Aberdeenshire Defense Technology Office Break-In
Greater Manchester Councils Gain Powers to Restrict New Vape and Betting Shops
Coroner Finds Treasury Workplace Failures Contributed to Personal Assistant’s Suicide
English and Welsh Courts Ban Meta Smart Glasses Over Recording and Privacy Risks
Strait of Hormuz Disruption Could Double UK Inflation and Trigger Recession, Forecasters Warn
×