Meghan Markle's 45th birthday post on Instagram has sparked online discussion due to a striking resemblance between one of her photos and a well-known image of the late Princess Diana. Fans on social media platform X, formerly Twitter, observed that a picture of Markle jumping into an outdoor pool bore a strong similarity to a paparazzi photograph of Princess Diana taken in 1997.
In the images, both women are depicted with their arms raised, one leg bent forward, and the other extended behind them. Princess Diana's photo, taken during a summer vacation in Saint-Tropez, shows her jumping off a dock into the water. The Princess of Wales was wearing a black and white swimsuit in that picture.
Meghan Markle, in her birthday post, wore a black bathing suit and sunglasses, with her hair in a ponytail. Another photo from the post showed her making a splash as she landed in the water. She captioned the post, "Thank you for the birthday love."
Markle's lifestyle brand, As Ever, also commemorated her birthday with a social media post. This post featured a snap of Markle wearing a striped shirt and jeans, alongside a throwback photo of her as a child. The brand referenced a candle sold by the company in its caption.
In recent weeks, Markle has been seen wearing Princess Diana's Cartier watch, valued at $24,020, which was reportedly given to her after her marriage to Prince Harry. The watch was visible in promotional footage for As Ever.
Earlier in the summer, Prince Harry, Meghan Markle, and their children visited Althorp, Princess Diana's ancestral home in the UK. They reportedly laid flowers at her grave and a nearby memorial. The family stayed as guests of Harry's uncle, Earl Spencer, at Althorp. Images shared by Markle showed their daughter, Lilibet, walking through the estate's avenue of trees towards the private island where Diana is buried, with Prince Harry and their son, Archie, carrying bouquets.
While the family's vacation location was not confirmed, it was widely believed to be Portugal. Other images from the holiday showed them on beaches, in a pool, and at a restaurant. A landscape image shared by Markle also appeared to show Loch Glascarnoch in the Scottish Highlands, suggesting a possible visit to Scotland.