Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are "gaslighting the nation" and "lining their pockets with misery", royal commentator Sarah Vine said following the release of the second trailer for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's upcoming Netflix documentary.
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“Two things stand out. First, the weaponisation of Princess Diana and her own experience as a royal consort in order to elevate Meghan. It’s hardly surprising: Harry has mentioned his wife before in the context of his mother, but this goes one step further,” Sarah Vine said.
“By placing footage of the late Princess Diana alongside images of Meghan in various stages of distress, the message is clear: the two are virtually one and the same,” the royal commentator said.
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“This is clever. Not only does it enlist (and enrage) the armies of Princess Diana fans who still, to this day, believe she was assassinated by the Royal Family and who will, no doubt, sally forth on social media to spread the gospel; it also allows Meghan to inherit Diana’s iconic status,” Sarah Vine said.
{{/usCountry}}“This is clever. Not only does it enlist (and enrage) the armies of Princess Diana fans who still, to this day, believe she was assassinated by the Royal Family and who will, no doubt, sally forth on social media to spread the gospel; it also allows Meghan to inherit Diana’s iconic status,” Sarah Vine said.
{{/usCountry}}“Which is presumably useful when pitching victim narratives to Netflix,” Sarah Vine added.
She further branded the comparison a "cheap shot."
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This comes as the royal family is reportedly planning to treat the docuseries as "business as usual". The first instalment of the “unprecedented” six-part Netflix series is expected to be released on Thursday.
“The Royal family will be going about their business as usual. There are engagements in the diary and they will carry on with them. That's their only focus," Daily Express reported.