Prince Harry is “hurt and upset” over the backlash his wife, Meghan Markle, received after posting a video from Paris Fashion Week earlier this month.
In the Instagram clip, Meghan was seen riding through Paris with her feet up in a car. Critics quickly claimed the moment was insensitive because she appeared to be near the Pont d’Alma tunnel, the site where Princess Diana tragically died in 1997.
Friends of the couple told The Daily Mail that the accusations were unfair and exaggerated. “It’s a hell of a stretch to say she purposefully drove past the location,” one insider said, adding that Harry was frustrated by the reaction. “Harry was left hurt and upset. Diana’s death was used as a stick to beat his wife with. [Meghan] did not even pass close to the tunnel. The whole thing is a joke, but not a very funny one for Harry.”
The source added, “He was hurt, but sadly, he wasn’t surprised. He felt more sad than shocked.”
A source close to Harry told People that he will always protect Meghan and their family from what he sees as unfair and negative media narratives.
Meghan, 44, made her Paris Fashion Week debut on October 4, attending the Balenciaga show to support new creative director Pierpaolo Piccioli. Years before her royal life, she wrote about her love for Paris on her former lifestyle blog The Tig, calling it “the city of lights” and admiring its romance, food, and effortless style.
Harry, now 41, has spoken in the past about his emotional connection to Paris and the tunnel where his mother died. In his memoir Spare, he revealed that he once drove through it seeking “closure” but was instead hit with the painful reality of her loss.
Although Meghan never met Princess Diana, Harry has often spoken about their similarities. In a 2025 interview, he said Meghan shares Diana’s compassion, empathy, and warmth, a comparison Meghan called “beautiful,” adding, “I wish I could have met her.”
