Meghan Markle Magazine Cover Copying Diana Faces Backlash

Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, has been accused of a “sinister” cosplay of Princess Diana in viral social media reactions to a magazine cover interview.

Several photos from Meghan’s Harper’s Bazaar shoot, released last week, were compared to images of Prince Harry and Prince William’s mother.

Political commentator Milo Yiannopoulos was among those to post photos of the two royals side by side, writing on X that Meghan was “the creepiest, most sinister, most wretched person on the face of the earth.”

It is unclear to what extent Meghan influenced the outfit choices or artistic direction behind the shoot, which Carlos Nazario styled her for and Malick Bodian photographed. Both would have helped shape the final product.

Why It Matters

Yiannopoulos—a former Breitbart News columnist and tech editor who fell from grace after making comments that appeared to condone child abuse “in the homosexual world” and who apologized in 2017 after the remarks surfaced—was not the only person to comment on the Harper’s Bazaar shoot, but his post went viral after receiving 30,000 likes and 1.7 million views.

Harry has on numerous occasions appealed for sympathy on Meghan’s behalf by comparing her to Diana. The prince has invoked his mother’s memory in statements suggesting history might repeat itself, while criticizing the royal family in the same interviews. That may have left the subject of Meghan and Diana politically charged, particularly for monarchists.

Meghan’s Harper’s Bazaar Interview and Photo Shoot

Meghan gave a sit-down interview to Harper’s Bazaar in which she spoke about the importance of authenticity and a recent appearance at the Balenciaga show during Paris Fashion Week.

The chat was accompanied by a fashion shoot featuring images that have been compared to photos of Diana, though the one Yiannopoulos included in his post showed Meghan sitting cross-legged with her knees up, wearing black trousers and a white shirt.

Her pose and outfit have been compared to a photo of Diana from a 1994 shoot with photographer Patrick Demarchelier. That picture was unpublished until 1997, when it was then printed in Paris Match magazine following Diana’s death in car crash, according to People.

An image of Meghan in a red dress from the Harper’s Bazaar shoot was also compared to Diana’s Vogue cover from 1994, also by Demarchelier.

Meghan and Diana

Fashion tributes to Diana by royal women are nothing new. However, some audiences have begun to read a malign subtext into Meghan’s fashion choices.

One possible reason may be that when, for example, Kate, the Princess of Wales, wears a piece from Diana’s jewelry collection to pay tribute to her mother-in-law, press officers explicitly communicate to journalists that she has done so, making the messaging clear.

In the case of the Harper’s Bazaar shoot, internet sleuths who ply a regular trade in criticizing Meghan were among those to identify the similarity to past images.

Meghan said in a 2024 New York Times interview that she knows how much attention is paid to her outfits: “Times where I know there is a global spotlight, and attention will be given to each detail of what I may or may not be wearing, then I support designers that I have really great friendships with, and smaller, up-and-coming brands that haven’t gotten the attention that they should be getting.

“That’s one of the most powerful things that I’m able to do, and that’s simply wearing, like, an earring.”

During his 2021 Apple TV show, The Me You Can’t See, Harry made a comparison between Meghan and Diana: “History was repeating itself. My mother was chased to her death while she was in a relationship with someone that wasn’t white, and now look what’s happened. You want to talk about history repeating itself? They’re [the media] not going to stop until [Meghan] dies.”

The prince also wrote about Meghan and Diana in his memoir, Spare. He described taking Meghan to see Diana’s grave, on the Spencer family’s private Althorp Estate: “At long last I was bringing the girl of my dreams home to meet mum. We hesitated, hugging, and then I went first.

“I placed flowers on the grave. Meg gave me a moment, and I spoke to my mother in my head, told her I missed her, asked her for guidance and clarity.

“Feeling that Meg might also want a moment, I went around the hedge, scanned the pond. When I came back, Meg was kneeling, eyes shut, palms against the stone. I asked, as we walked back to the boat, what she’d prayed for. Clarity, she said. And guidance.”

Do you have a question about King Charles III and Queen Camilla, Prince William and Princess Kate, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry, or their family that you would like our experienced royal correspondents to answer? Email royals@newsweek.com. We’d love to hear from you.