Earl Spencer Sees Echoes of Diana in Treatment of Harry and Meghan

Earl Spencer told the BBC that the media treatment of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex echoes the intense and often negative coverage his sister, Princess Diana, endured. He described the continuous press attention as a "cancerous influence in their life."

Speaking from his Althorp estate, Earl Spencer was asked if Diana would "identify" with the scrutiny Harry and Meghan currently face. "If you look at an article in a tabloid about Diana or the couple that you were mentioning, Harry and Meghan, you know, they can be really, really unpleasant," he stated.

He recalled witnessing Diana's "tears of despair" due to media coverage, noting her extreme sensitivity to criticism. "She was very, very sensitive to criticism," he said, adding that she was "really brought low by all that criticism." He expressed regret at seeing "echoes of that now" in the treatment of his nephew Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan.

Earl Spencer also addressed perceptions of his allegiance, emphasizing his support for both his sister's sons. "I'm on my deceased sister's sons' side, both of them and if either of them wanted anything, then I'd be equally there for them," he said.

Princess Diana was under intense media scrutiny until her death in a car crash in Paris on August 31, 1997. At her funeral, Earl Spencer accused the media of being on a "permanent quest...to bring her down," suggesting they were threatened by her "genuine goodness."

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have been vocal about their negative experiences with the British press and the Royal Family before their decision to step back from royal duties. In a 2021 interview with Oprah Winfrey, Prince Harry described the tabloid media as having created a "toxic environment" of "control and fear." Meghan, in their 2022 Netflix series, stated, "no matter how hard I tried, no matter how good I was, no matter what I did, they [the media] were still going to find a way to destroy me."

In July, Prince Harry and other high-profile individuals lost a privacy case against the publisher of the Daily Mail, facing potentially substantial legal costs. However, Prince Harry has had previous legal successes, including a settlement with Mirror Group and a victory against News Group.

Earl Spencer's recent comments follow a public exchange with Buckingham Palace regarding his claims about King Charles. The Palace issued a statement suggesting that "the pain of fraternal grief can cloud reason, affect judgement and colour memory." Earl Spencer responded by questioning the King's reaction and reaffirming the accuracy of his account, stating, "I'm telling the truth."