Princess Diana died in a devastating car accident in 1997. Prince Harry and Prince William lost their mother overnight – a trauma that will stay with them forever. It is also Diana’s story that forces Prince Harry to take his greatest step: withdrawing from the monarchy.
August 31, 1997 will forever haunt Prince Harry, 36, and his brother, Prince William, 38. It is the anniversary of the death of her mother Princess Diana, who was torn from life at the age of only 36. It is the day that changes the lives of the two royals and influences their decisions to this day – including Harry’s withdrawal from the royal family.
In the new film “Harry & Meghan: Escape from the Palace”, this resignation – also known as “Megxit” – is portrayed by Harry and his wife, Duchess Meghan, 39. That Diana Spencer’s fate is part of the film is no surprise; and for several reasons.
1. Princess Diana’s death affects Prince Harry’s entire life
Prince Harry has spoken several times about the death of his mother. He was only 12 years old in 1997 when he received the shocking news and a little later had to walk behind her coffin to the funeral in front of the whole world.
In the documentary “Harry and Meghan: An African Journey”, which was broadcast in 2019, the 36-year-old spoke publicly about the “festering wound” that has remained to this day and that has never really healed. Among other things, because of his status as a royal, there “with the role, the job and the pressure that comes with it,” said Harry, “unfortunately he’s reminded of the bad things.”; Day after day. With every public appointment, with every handshake and with every obligation that he as a prince has to keep. Princess Diana’s death shows her son not only how trapped he himself is in the monarchy, but also what role the press plays. A fight that takes on new proportions with his marriage to Meghan Markle.
2. Prince Harry wants to protect his family
More precisely, this fight against the press, this powerlessness that goes hand in hand with the monarchy’s “never complain, never explain” policy, pushes the Duke and Duchess of Sussex to their limits. “Every time I see a camera or its flash, every time I hear a click, it immediately brings me back there,” Harry once described his ongoing link to his mother’s death and, above all, the circumstances. [Prinzessin Dianas Wagen wurde von Paparazzi bedrängt. Die Flucht vor der Presse durch Paris führte letztlich zum tödlichen Unfall im Alma-Tunnel.]
When the media pounces on his wife, Harry is catapulted back into the past. A mud battle begins against the former actress and the British press. Because the 39-year-old does not want to be silent. Meghan wants to reveal her point of view. A decision that is hardly compatible with the rules of the monarchy. In an interview with Oprah Winfrey, 66, Duchess Meghan explains that this extreme situation triggered depression and even thoughts of suicide in her. Her husband sees only one solution: “So I did what any father or husband would do and thought about how I can get my family out of there,” Harry told James Corden.
3. Princess Diana is her son’s role model to this day
The British press and many Royal fans see the move to the USA as a move by Duchess Meghan and are of the opinion that Prince William’s brother, 38, would never have the British royal family and his homeland without the ex- “Suits” – Actress leave. The media, fans and also some members of the monarchy are said to be disappointed. But Prince Harry is certain that one person would have stood behind him in all of these decisions: his mother Diana.
Because it was she who once turned her back on the royal family. Spoke openly in a book and a disclosure interview and is therefore considered a pioneer for Harry and Meghan. “I am convinced that my mother would be incredibly proud of me. We live the life that she wanted to live for herself or what she would have wished for us,” explains Prince Harry in the AppleTV + documentary “The Me You Can’t See “, which deals with psychological trauma and emotional stress.
Sources used: “Harry and Meghan: An African Journey”, Interview Oprah Winfrey, youtube.com