It looks like Prince Harry is not the only one who was victimized by a prank phone call. Back in 1989, the phone conversation of his mother, Princess Diana, was recorded without her knowledge and leaked in 1992 that made Queen Elizabeth II "deeply upset."
In a report by Daily Mail, via Express, in 2008, the People's Princess was shocked when the recordings of her phone conversation with her secret lover, James Gilbey, were publicized. The audio reportedly confirmed the state of her marriage to Prince Charles, making her mother-in-law upset.
In the tape, called "Squidygate" after Gilbey named Princess Diana "Squidgy," he repeatedly said he loved her and called her darling. She, on the other hand, told him he made her go "all jellybeans." They also regularly blew kisses on the line and arranged a meetup.
Princes William and Harry's mother often called Prince Charles "His Nibs" throughout the conversation. She also revealed that her former husband made her life "real torture" and almost started blubbing during lunch. "I just felt really sad and empty. I thought, 'Bloody hell - after all I've done for this f***ing family," the Princess of Wales allegedly uttered.
The conversation was said to be recorded on New Year's Eve of 1989. The talk was recorded by amateur radio, and its exposure helped accelerated Princess Diana and Prince Charles' separation that eventually led to a divorce.
The late princess' former protection officer, Ken Wharfe, revealed that Queen Elizabeth was displeased with the turn of events. "I remember Diana saying to me that the Queen personally was dissatisfied with what had happened, and the consequences of that, and had herself instituted an inquiry," he said during Princess Diana's inquest in 2008.
This event can be likened to what happened to Prince Harry. Business Times recently reported that the Duke of Sussex felt humiliated when two Russian YouTube stars, Vladimir Kuznetsov and Alexey Stolyarov, released a recording of their hoax conversation.
Meghan Markle's husband thought he was talking to the climate activist Greta Thunberg and her father, Svante. In two different conversations, he openly spoke about their royal exit, his relationship with Prince Andrew, and US President Donald Trump's response to climate change.
Prince Harry also criticized the royal family when he subtly made a dig to Queen Elizabeth and Prince William's environmental efforts. Buckingham Palace has yet to address the issue, but experts believe he has to face the ramifications of his mistake.
