Meghan Markle compared to Diana's Bashir interview by expert

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Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have recorded a two-hour special with Oprah Winfrey, in which “nothing is off limits”. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have opened up about their experience within the Royal Family in an interview that will air in the US on Sunday, March 7. In a clip released ahead of the air date, Harry said his biggest fear is “history repeating itself” in reference to his mother, Princess Diana.

The Princess of Wales tragically died in a car crash in Paris while being chased by the paparazzi.

Like her son, Diana struggled with public and press scrutiny, but she also felt isolated and unsupported within the Royal Family.

Diana famously spoke about her husband’s infidelity ‒ “there were three of us in this marriage” ‒ and other troubling topics like her depression and bulimia and her alleged lack of support from the institution, in a tell-all interview in 1995.

However, Diana “deeply regretted” delving into everything with the BBC, according to her former private secretary Patrick Jephson.

The princess only told Mr Jephson about it a week before it was due to be broadcast and even then was beginning to question whether she should have done it.

According to the private secretary, she was already regretting it in the days before it aired, a similar timeframe to where Harry and Meghan are right now.

Mr Jephson said: “I think the scales fell from her eyes and suddenly what had been a rather subversive or daring scheme ‒ or however [the BBC] had dressed it up for her ‒ it suddenly in the cold light of day didn’t look like such a good idea.”

He said this was when she really started to think about how the world was going to react.

Mr Jephson also thought she started regretting some of the specific things she said, in particular portraying herself as “a victim”, when really she was “a much stronger person”.

He said: “She was in a position to be a healer, rather than a victim. She could have appeared from a position of strength.

“I found it frustrating professionally and I think she regretted it as well, portraying herself as a victim, asking for sympathy…

“She missed an opportunity to cement her position.”

Mr Jephson added: “I think by the time of the broadcast, she deeply regretted it, not least because it did nothing to advance her cause.”

Veteran royal reporter and editor Robert Jobson backed up the claim that Diana regretted her decision even before it aired.

He wrote in his book ‘William’s Princess’ that Prince William had been forewarned before it went live and that he was in “dismay” when he watched it.

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Mr Jobson wrote: “Diana had paid a surprise visit to Eton the day before the programme was broadcast.

“She wanted to tell him about it before it was screened and, too late to stop it, she was beginning to regret her decision.

“The next day William was called down to his house master’s study shortly before 8pm, where he watched his mother’s interview in solitude.

“Harry had turned down the chance to join him.

“William watched in dismay as Diana went further than anybody had imagined she would.”

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William’s reaction was one of the key reasons for Diana’s regret, according to Simone Simmons, who said it led to a major falling out between them.

William was said to be “furious” and the pair had a big row about it at Kensington Palace.

Ms Simmons said: “William was absolutely livid. Of course it was all in the papers and William told me he was teased at school because of it.

“He felt really bad for his mum because of what she had gone through, but he was furious with her.

“People at school were calling her all sorts of names.

“The weekend after it went out they had a big row at Kensington Palace.

“William was furious and Diana was distraught. I was there the day after she spoke to him and Diana was in a terrible state.”

William gave his mother the silent treatment for several weeks after that.

Meghan and Harry are currently in that limbo position whereby they have filmed the interview and it is too late to stop the ball rolling now, but they don’t know how the world is going to react to it.

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