Prince Harry may not have married Meghan Markle if his mother, Princess Diana, had been alive to guide him, according to former royal butler Paul Burrell. The longtime aide to Diana shared his thoughts on the Duke of Sussex’s life and marriage in a recent interview, suggesting that the late princess would have helped her son make different choices.
Burrell, who worked closely with Diana until her death in 1997, described Harry as “lost” and struggling to find lasting love for many years. According to Radar Online, Burrell said that when Meghan came into his life, Harry saw in her not only romance but also echoes of his mother’s compassion and sense of purpose.
He claimed that Diana’s presence would have offered Harry guidance and emotional stability that might have changed his romantic path. “If Diana had been alive, I doubt whether Harry would have married Meghan. For the next years, going through his life, he was lost, he didn’t know where love was,” Burrell said.
He continued, “When he heard a 36-year-old mature American woman whisper something into his ear along the lines of, ‘You and I could be a great team’ or, ‘We could change the world’ – he didn’t hear Meghan’s voice, he heard his mother’s voice. Because Harry was always searching for love, and he found it with Meghan.”
Burrell’s comments reflect his belief that Harry’s emotional vulnerability made him particularly drawn to Meghan’s confidence and ambition. He suggested that Diana’s maternal guidance might have grounded him and helped him see potential challenges before they grew into major conflicts.
“Diana would have given him the kind of grounding that only a mother can,” Burrell added. “She adored both her boys, but she also had a sense of perspective.” A royal insider echoed Burrell’s sentiment, suggesting that Diana’s instincts would have allowed her to recognize early warning signs surrounding the pressures of royal life and media scrutiny.
“She would have seen the red flags early on – not necessarily with Meghan herself, but with the media storm and isolation that came with her,” the source said. Since stepping back from royal duties in 2020, Harry and Meghan have lived in California, where they continue to attract attention through media projects and public advocacy.
Burrell’s remarks, however, highlight how deeply the memory of Princess Diana continues to shape the public’s understanding of Harry’s life, his marriage, and his enduring search for the sense of love and stability his mother once provided.