Many similarities have been drawn between Princess Diana and Meghan Markle, and a new revelation in Protecting Diana is providing another parallel between the royal women.
Diana’s former bodyguard Lee Sansum detailed his experience working for the princess in Protecting Diana: A Bodyguard’s Story, which released on August 30th. One of his admissions is that Diana was looking to leave the United Kingdom.
Princess Diana Wanted To Move Away From The U.K.
Princess Diana was married to Prince Charles from 1981 to 1996, and they had two boys together. But she became the center of the British tabloids as soon as they began dating.
Not only was the media invasive of her personal life, but they were also critical of Diana, particularly after her divorce from Charles. The paparazzi was later blamed for the car crash that claimed her life, since they had been chasing her vehicle. It appears Diana wanted to move somewhere that she wouldn’t receive as much attention and could lead a more low-key lifestyle.
“Suddenly she announced to us, ‘Right, I’m going out there now to tell them that I’m off to America for good.’ Christ, this was massive,” her former bodyguard revealed in his book.
“It would be an almighty bombshell and I was alarmed because if we thought the press pack outside was huge now, just for her holiday, it would probably go up tenfold if she gave them a story as big as this one,” he continued.
Lee says he immediately thought of how the press would react upon hearing the news. “The place would be swarming with paps, desperate to get pictures of the princess who was about to leave it all behind to run off to America,” he said.
Meghan Left For The U.S. Because Of The Media
Diana passed away in 1997 before she could officially move to the U.S. But her desire to leave the United Kingdom seems to share similarities to Meghan’s desire to live outside of London.
Meghan married Prince Harry (Charles and Diana’s youngest son) in 2018. They lived in the U.K. following their wedding and welcomed their son, Archie, in 2019. But shortly after his birth, the couple relocated to Canada and then Los Angeles.
Harry and Meghan have since been vocal about the impact the media had on her mental health. They’ve also accused the royal family of discriminating against and not accepting Meghan. Since moving to the United States (where Meghan is originally from), the pair have welcomed a second child, daughter Lilibet.
