Prince Harry Compares Meghan Markle To Princess Diana: ‘My Deepest Fear Is History Repeating’

Meghan Markle, Princess Diana — Meghan Markle, pictured at the Endeavour Fund Awards in London on Feb. 7, 2019, is surrounded by a narrative that mirrors the one which surrounded Princess Diana, who is pictured at a gala for Landmine Victims in Washington DC on June 17, 1997. Tolga Akmen-WPA Pool/Getty Images; Jamal Wilson/AFP/Getty Images

Prince Harry is done with watching tabloids attack his wife, Meghan Markle. On Tuesday, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex announced a lawsuit against the Mail on Sunday and its parent company, Associated Newspapers. Prince Harry made it clear that he believes Meghan is enduring attacks similar to the ones Princess Diana had to go through.

The Duchess filed a lawsuit “over the misuse of private information, infringement of copyright and breach of the Data Protection Act 2018,” the statement says. “The proceedings in the Chancery Division of the High Court relate to the unlawful publication of a private letter.”

In a scathing announcement, Prince Harry explained that Meghan has been subject to “relentless propaganda” and reveals that he has “been a silent witness to her private suffering for too long.”

After accusing the Daily Mail of editing a private letter that was unlawfully published, he revealed that this reminds him of the negative press his late mother, Princess Diana, received.

“Though this action may not be the safe one, it is the right one. Because my deepest fear is history repeating itself,” he wrote. “I’ve seen what happens when someone I love is commoditized to the point that they are no longer treated or seen as a real person. I lost my mother and now I watch my wife falling victim to the same powerful forces.”

Statement from Mail On Sunday: “The Mail on Sunday stands by the story it published and will be defending this case vigorously. Specifically, we categorically deny that the Duchess’s letter was edited in any way that changed its meaning.”
— Emily Andrews (@byEmilyAndrews) October 1, 2019

The case is being funded with the Sussexes’ private bank accounts and any damages will be donated to an anti-bullying charity.

Princess Diana famously died in a car accident while paparazzi were chasing her, but a formal investigation concluded that the photographers did not cause the accident. Though many blame her death on the press, the spotlight also caused Diana suffering in other parts of her life. She suffered from disordered eating and depression, which surely weren’t helped by the intense press scrutiny.

Diana even claimed that she had to be induced into labor because of the stress the media put on her. “William had to be induced because I couldn’t handle the press pressure any longer, it was becoming unbearable. It was as if everyone was monitoring every day for me,” Diana told biographer Andrew Morton for his 1992 book, “Diana: Her True Story” (via People).

She died in 1997. Today, Harry follows in his mother's footsteps with his charity work, supporting causes surrounding mental health, HIV/AIDS and more.