“My biggest concern was history repeating itself,” Prince Harry revealed on a shocking Oprah Winfrey TV interview with him and Meghan Markle. When the famous host asked Harry about why he and Markle stepped down from their role as senior members of The Royal Family, he compared him and Meghan’s current situation to his mother’s years ago. 

  After the interview aired, viewers were reminded of the horrible treatment Harry’s mother, Princess Diana, had once experienced. 

  The lovable Princess Diana, known as “The People’s Princess”, advocated for the banning of landmines, supported the arts and children issues, and worked closely with AIDS patients. She brought her two children, William and Henry, to hospitals, homeless shelters, and orphanages quite frequently to help them become more educated and empathetic about the world around them. 

  While Diana was seen as a compassionate and popular person to the public, issues arose between her and The Royal Family. The parallels between Princess Diana’s and Meghan Markle’s more recent situation are undeniable. 

  Her Majesty the Queen supported the marriage of her son and Diana early on. The tension began to arise when Diana moved into Buckingham Palace and realized what a cold and lonely place it was for her. This new, strict lifestyle led to a steep decline in her mental health. Meghan Markle shared a similar story as well. Markle described to Oprah how she had experienced suicidal thoughts during her time with The Royal Family. She revealed to Oprah, “I was ashamed to have to admit it to Harry, because I know how much loss he has suffered…but I just didn’t want to be alive anymore.”

  As the state of Diana’s mental health grew increasingly worse, she reached out to the Queen for help. She sought out her solace and advice; And according to a letter written by the Princess, would cry for hours as she waited to speak with the Queen. Markle recalls that she, too, reached out for help from The Royal Family. She was denied any mental health assistance from the Palace and knew she could not check herself into an institution because of the media frenzy that would ensue. 

  In a letter composed by Diana in 1991 she described how misunderstood she felt by those around her, “I do feel extremely isolated more than ever now, as I see what’s coming to this country and this family.” Meghan also explained how both her and Harry continuously reached out for support, but kept being turned down. Markle, too, felt detached from the family and grew fearful as her mental health got exponentially worse. She received phone calls from her friends and family crying to her because even they recognized that The Royal Family was doing nothing to protect her.

  Sanderson senior and The Royal Family follower Mary Frances Vincent agrees that history is repeating itself. Vincent does, however, also recognize one contrast between the two situations, “I think that the one stark difference is the addition of race into the conversation. Both Meghan and Diana struggled mentally, but Meghan also had to deal with the racism that she experienced.”

  The remainder of the television interview touched on many other issues that have sparked important conversations about racism, mental health, and asking for help when you need it. The strength they both demonstrated from the recent interview proves that Princess Diana’s story lives on within Meghan and Harry.