Everything Kate Middleton And Meghan Markle Have Said About Princess Diana
In the grand tapestry of royal history, few figures have left an indelible mark quite like Princess Diana. Her grace, compassion, and resilience captivated the world, transcending the boundaries of royalty to become a global icon. Inevitably, whoever Prince William and Prince Harry chose to marry would always carry the weight of comparison with the mother-in-law they never met. Now, as we navigate the corridors of time, we find ourselves exploring the echoes of Diana's legacy through the words of these two women: Princess Catherine and Meghan Markle.
Navigating the regal complexities of marriage within Buckingham Palace, Meghan and Catherine have each carved their distinct paths in the spotlight. Their relationships with their husbands stand as intricate narratives that inevitably draw comparisons to the eternal shadow cast by Diana. For Catherine, the epitome of grace and stoicism, her steadfast partnership with William reflects a commitment to tradition and continuity. In contrast, Meghan's entrance into the royal sphere ushered in a wave of modernity but certainly wasn't without drama, as we've all seen play out in the media. Both women echo the legacy of Diana, each navigating the delicate balance between personal aspirations and the weight of historical expectations.
Despite the profound impact that Diana left on the world, neither Catherine nor Meghan had the privilege of forging a personal connection with her, yet we've gotten a glimpse into the complexities and nuances of their emotions through a handful of public comments.
Princess Catherine would love to have met Princess Diana
During their 2011 engagement interview, amid a backdrop of celebration, the weight of Princess Diana's sapphire engagement ring certainly hung heavy on Princess Catherine's finger, and her memory still lingered strong. Sitting next to Prince William in a blue dress that matched that famous ring perfectly, Catherine, poised as ever, answered the inevitable question she and her husband were most likely expecting.
Interviewer Tom Bradby asked Catherine, "William's mother was this massive iconic figure. The most famous figure of our age, is that worrying? Is that intimidating? Do you think about that a lot both of you, you particularly Kate, obviously?" Catherine, answered, albeit with a nervous undertone as if she didn't want to say the wrong thing. "Obviously I would have loved to have met her and she's obviously an inspirational woman to look up to," she said. "Obviously on this day and going forward and things, you know it is a wonderful family, the members who I've met have achieved a lot and are very inspirational and so, yes, I do."
However, Prince William, ever the gentleman, stepped in for Catherine saying she would do a great job at carving her own future, and despite the fact that what his mother did was "fantastic" there would be no pressure for her to live up to Diana or any other member of the royal family. Looking back at this interview now, it's obvious William was right about his wife.
Princess Catherine told fans she didn't have to get Princess Diana's ring resized
In the picturesque town of Merthyr Tydfil in Wales, on an April day alongside Prince William, Princess Catherine found herself in a significant moment captured on camera. The focus of attention was her illustrious sapphire and diamond engagement ring, an heirloom that once adorned the finger of Princess Diana. In a rare and intimate disclosure, Catherine shared with a member of the crowd, "It's the same ring [as Diana's], and it's exactly the same size as when I tried it on, yeah. So it's very, very special. It's an honor to be able to carry on wearing it" (via Newsweek).
This brief but revealing exchange not only showcased Kate's deep respect for the legacy of Princess Diana but also provided a rare insight into her emotions. The sentiments expressed echoed far beyond that moment, resonating through the realms of social media where clips of the exchange garnered widespread attention. Per Newsweek, one particular TikTok video became a digital portal, accumulating over 600,000 views and more than 60,000 likes.
In the comments section, observers showed their admiration for both Catherine and Diana, with an acknowledgment of the sorrow surrounding the untimely demise of the "People's Princess" at the age of just 36. The engagement ring, a tangible link between two generations of royal women, stands as a symbol of continuity, carrying with it the weight of history, and a timeless connection that transcends the boundaries of time.
Princess Catherine claimed the family misses Princess Diana every day
During her trip to Merthyr Tydfil in Wales, Princess Catherine not only talked about her incredibly special sapphire engagement ring but her feelings about Princess Diana as a grandmother to her children. In an incredibly intimate moment that is quite rare for the Princess of Wales, Catherine told fans, "I never, sadly, got to meet her. I never met her, no, sadly. Obviously now with the children — her grandchildren — her being a grandmother ... she'd be brilliant. You know, we miss her every day and that's what's important."
Catherine and Prince William are doing a lot to keep the memory of Diana alive for their children. In the 2017 documentary "Diana, Our Mother: Her Life and Legacy," William claimed that he would talk to Prince George and Princess Charlotte, usually before bed, about "Granny Diana" (via Hello!). He also revealed the family keeps photos of Diana on the walls, trying to keep her memory alive so "they know who she was and that she existed."
William and Catherine also had their children make Mother's Day cards for Diana in 2021, sharing the cards on Instagram with poignant messages reading, "Dear Granny Diana, I am thinking of you on Mother's Day. I love you very much. Papa is missing you. Lots of love Charlotte" and "Dear Granny Diana, Happy happy Mothers Day. I love you very much and think of you always. Sending lots of love from George."
Meghan Markle's engagement ring had diamonds from Princess Diana's collection
In their November 2017 interview, the world was not only introduced to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle as a soon-to-be-married couple, but we got a glimpse of her engagement ring, too. While the center stone was a diamond sourced from Botswana, a place very special to the couple where they camped together just a few weeks after their first date, the smaller diamonds on the side were even more sentimental. The two round diamonds were from Princess Diana's personal collection, with Meghan saying during the engagement interview, "It's incredibly special to be able to have this, which sort of links where you come from and Botswana, which is important to us, it's perfect" (via ABC News).
Naturally, Meghan was asked what it meant to her to have diamonds from Diana's collection on her finger, to which she responded, "I think everything about Harry's thoughtfulness is — and the inclusion of that and obviously not being able to meet his mom it's so important to me to — to know that she's a part of this with us." Meghan later added that she had gotten to know Harry's mother through him as well as Diana's friends, saying, "And I think in being able to meet his aunts and — and also like Julia and just different people who were so important to his mom, I'm able to, in some way, know a part of her through them and of course through him."
Meghan Markle claimed her mother didn't know much about Princess Diana
In the aftermath of her groundbreaking interview with Oprah Winfrey, Meghan Markle revealed that her mother had limited knowledge of Princess Diana and a lack of awareness regarding the late princess' televised interviews.
"My mom even said to me a couple of months ago, 'Did Diana ever do an interview?' Now I can say, 'Yes, a very famous one,' but my mom doesn't know that," Meghan disclosed (via The Sun), offering a glimpse into the generational gaps in understanding within her family. This admission underscores the nuanced dynamics surrounding Diana's legacy. While Diana's impact on the public consciousness is monumental, Meghan's interaction with her mother reveals that, for some, the details of Diana's life may not be as universally known or accessible.
It wasn't the first time Meghan talked about a lack of awareness about the royal family before meeting Prince Harry. In the same Oprah interview, Meghan told the talk show host, "I never looked up my husband online. I just didn't feel the need to because everything that I needed to know, he was sharing with me — or everything we thought I needed to know, he was telling me." It was a divisive comment, with many believing her, while others, like her childhood best friend Ninaki Priddy, claimed she was lying, per Express.
Meghan Markle reached out to Princess Diana's best friend
In Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's interview with Oprah Winfrey, Meghan spoke about having suicidal thoughts after dealing with the commentary from the media while she was pregnant with their son Archie. However, she claimed that Buckingham Palace was of no help to her, so she reached out to a friend of Princess Diana's.
When Oprah asked if she was thinking about harming herself, she replied, "Very clear and very scary. And, you know, I didn't know who to even turn to in that. And one of the people that I reached out to, who's continued to be a friend and confidant, was one of my husband's mom's best friends, one of Diana's best friends. Because it's, like, who else could understand what's ... what it's actually like on the inside?"
As we all know, Princess Diana herself experienced suicidal thoughts, and a barrage of abuse from the media, so, as Meghan told Oprah, only those closest to her would understand what it was like to actually go through that. Mirroring what Princess Diana experienced, in the same interview, Meghan would later talk about the night she told Prince Harry what she was feeling, and that despite the fact that she obviously wasn't up for it, they attended a concert at The Royal Albert Hall in 2019. Meghan told Oprah, "I remember him saying, 'I don't think you can go'. And I said, 'I can't be left alone.'"
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle paid tribute to Princess Diana with forget-me-nots
In May 2019, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle paid tribute to Princess Diana with forget-me-not flowers in a photo they shared on Instagram for Mother's Day. In the image, Meghan's hands are seen cupping the adorable little baby feet of her and Harry's son Prince Archie who was wrapped in a white blanket. In the background were several forget-me-nots in what appeared to be a garden, proving that Diana was still in the lives of her grandchildren in spirit. "Paying tribute to all mothers today — past, present, mothers-to-be, and those lost but forever remembered," the caption read.
The flower has become a major symbol for Prince Harry to honor his mother and was even featured in Meghan's wedding bouquet, alongside sweet peas, lilies of the valley, and jasmine. Forget-me-nots have served as poignant symbols in various tributes dedicated to Princess Diana by the Sussexes, each instance echoing the enduring legacy of the beloved royal figure. In 2017, a memorial garden was unveiled at Kensington Palace featuring Diana's favorite flower, opening its serene embrace to the public. This tranquil space not only pays homage to Diana but also features a graceful statue in her honor, unveiled in 2021.
The symbolic resonance of forget-me-nots extends to Prince Harry's children's charity, Sentebale, situated in Lesotho. The very name of the charity, "Sentebale," carries profound meaning as it translates to "forget-me-not" in Sesotho, the official language of Lesotho.
Meghan Markle paid tribute to Princess Diana in her children's book The Bench
Meghan Markle's children's book, "The Bench," released in June 2021, offers a poignant and heartwarming exploration of the special bond between fathers and sons. Illustrated by Christian Robinson, the book unfolds through a series of diverse and vibrant illustrations that capture the universal essence of parenthood. "The Bench" was inspired by a poem Meghan wrote for her husband, Prince Harry, on Father's Day shortly after the birth of their son, Prince Archie; she had it engraved on the back of an actual bench she gave him. The narrative transcends the personal to resonate with a broader audience, celebrating the tender moments shared between fathers and their children as seen through the eyes of a mother. The story follows fathers from various backgrounds and ethnicities, fostering a sense of inclusivity and representation.
Meghan revealed in an interview with NPR that she included a sweet tribute to Princess Diana in the book, saying, "I think you can find sweet little moments that we've tucked in there from my favorite flower even my husband's mom's favorite flower, forget-me-nots — we wanted to make sure those were included in there." The pair have made forget-me-not tributes in the past, even planting the flower in honor of the 23rd anniversary of Princess Diana's death at the Preschool Learning Center in L.A. (via Town & Country), a specialized institution committed to delivering top-notch care and education to toddlers hailing from economically disadvantaged backgrounds.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle shared a quote from Princess Diana to their Instagram
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are steadfastly upholding the cherished legacy of Harry's late mother. In an Instagram post in August 2019, the dynamic royal couple shared a profoundly uplifting quote from Princess Diana, underscoring the enduring impact of her wisdom. It was just another example of one of the ways Meghan keeps Diana at the forefront of her mind as she navigates life in the spotlight.
"Carry out a random act of kindness, with no expectation of reward, safe in the knowledge that one day someone might do the same for you," the quote read. Against a backdrop of regal blue, the quote was adorned with Meghan and Harry's combined monogram, creating a visually compelling tribute. In the accompanying caption, the couple expressed their enthusiasm for the inspirational potential of words, declaring their intention to share some of their cherished quotes. Emphasizing inclusivity, Meghan and Harry noted that their selection would encompass voices from various walks of life, spanning members of the public, public figures, teachers, students, and emerging leaders.
This initial quote from Diana, Princess of Wales, set the tone for a series that aimed to draw wisdom and motivation from diverse sources. By amplifying Diana's enduring message, Meghan and Harry used their platform to foster positivity and connect with a global audience. Despite no longer using their Instagram, the pictures still remain.