Meghan Markle's return to major magazine covers has reignited familiar criticism, as commentators accused the Duchess of Sussex of mimicking the late Princess Diana and attempting to adopt a maternal role toward Prince Harry. The debate intensified after Harper's Bazaar released a new photoshoot featuring Markle, marking one of her most visible media moments since stepping back from royal duties.
The renewed scrutiny began when TalkTV host Kevin O'Sullivan compared several images from the Harper's Bazaar shoot with iconic photographs of Princess Diana. O'Sullivan, who has long criticized the Sussexes, escalated the discussion by calling Markle "toxic" and alleging she was attempting to recreate Diana's public persona. "This woman is trying to be Prince Harry's mom. She's trying to be Princess Diana, and that is worrying," he said during a broadcast segment highlighting side-by-side images.
The critique emerged as Markle resumes a more public-facing schedule reminiscent of her pre-royal acting career. Before marrying Harry in 2018, she appeared regularly in American media and participated in promotional photoshoots. Those engagements effectively ended as she adapted to the expectations of the British monarchy, but her post-royal life has allowed her to re-enter the entertainment spotlight.
Online conversation accelerated after Harper's Bazaar posted behind-the-scenes video of the shoot. Social media users circulated comparisons pairing Markle's wardrobe and poses with those of Princess Diana. In one example cited by O'Sullivan, both women appeared in similar shades of red, a parallel he argued carried symbolic weight regardless of differences in posture. Another comparison involved a famous portrait of Diana resting her chin on her hands, displayed alongside a recent Markle image with her hand positioned beside her face.
O'Sullivan said, "There are about five or six photos in Harper's Bazaar. If you go back in time, Meghan is simply recreating former photographic poses by Princess Diana. Now, if you want to extrapolate that to she's sort of trying to be her husband's mother, I mean, I'm sorry, but that is weird's feel." His co-host added further commentary, alleging Harry displays an Oedipus complex and claiming Markle has made it her "mission" to emulate Diana's style and public identity.
Such criticism is not new. Since 2019, commentators have noted moments in which Markle's outfits appeared visually similar to ensembles worn by the late Princess of Wales. A green Erdem coat worn by Markle on Commonwealth Day drew comparison to Diana's 1982 maternity look. A purple dress Markle wore at a One Young World event echoed a 1996 Versace design worn by Diana. The pair have also been photographed separately in red strappy dresses, and in different years both women combined red coats with purple dresses during public engagements.
