Prince William had a surprising reaction after Meghan Markle was compared to Princess Diana during her recent visit to Nigeria, insiders have claimed.

While visiting the country in West Africa with Prince Harry earlier this month, the Duchess of Sussex wore a plain gold necklace similar to one Diana donned on her own trip with the now King Charles in 1990. A second necklace Meghan wore, featuring a diamond cross, was reported to have once belonged to her husband’s mum, Diana, even though a source close to the late Princess of Wales said they “didn’t recognise [the necklace] at all.”

But the comparison with Diana has allegedly been criticised by William who is said to be “bothered” by how Meghan is “paraded around as the modern-day version” of his late mother, a source has claimed. The insider claimed that William does not want to “deprive Harry of the right to celebrate their mother’s legacy” but is said to be unhappy about comparing her to anyone else, including his own wife, Catherine.

Harry and Meghan visit the Lightway Academy in Abuja, Nigeria, on May 10 ( 
Image:
Anadolu via Getty Images)

Diana during a visit to Lagos, Nigeria, in 1990 ( 
Image:
Tim Graham Photo Library via Getty Images)

According to William, the comparison between Meghan and Diana is “beyond tasteless and offensive”, the source said. They told Closer magazine: “William doesn’t want to deprive Harry of the right to celebrate their mother’s legacy. What bothers him is how Meghan’s paraded around as the modern-day version of Diana, he finds that beyond tasteless and offensive, not only to him but also to Kate.

“To add insult to injury, Harry’s not consulted with him about these trips abroad and future plans they’ve apparently got in the works to celebrate Diana’s life and legacy. The fact that the tension with the Sussexes is now impacting celebrating their mother’s legacy is beyond the pale for William, but it’s not as though he can really speak about it with Charles and Camilla because there’s obviously history there with Diana being estranged from the royals so he’s feeling pretty alone on this.”

Princess Diana during a visit to the Molai Centre, a leprosy hospital and rehabilitation village in Maiduguri, Nigeria ( 
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Last month, a royal expert claimed that Meghan is “echoing Princess Diana” after stepping down from the monarchy. The former Suits actress recently announced the launch of her new lifestyle brand, American Riviera Orchard, and one royal expert has claimed her new venture was inspired by Diana.

Darren Stanton believes Meghan “followed her heart” by quitting the monarchy, and her comments about leaving the Royal Family were reminiscent of Diana’s own criticism of the monarchy. He said there were “a lot of parallels” between Meghan and Prince Harry’s mother, and by focusing her attention on her new lifestyle brand, he thinks the mother-of-two is ready to focus on others – just like her late mother-in-law.

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“When Meghan was first brought into the Royal Family, it elevated her status to a global scale. She holds great precedence with Princess Diana. She represents a lot of strength in first joining the Royal Family and then stepping away,” he said. “She followed her heart and what she cared about over everything else. There are lots of parallels between them and I get a sense Meghan wanted to follow in her footsteps. They both share a passion and drive to help others.”

He said the launch of American Riviera Orchard suggests the ex-actress is now “in a good place” and wants to revamp her image by reconnecting with the public in an effort to boost her popularity. “The fact that Meghan is launching a new lifestyle brand tells us she’s in a good place and feels motivated,” he added. “It’s a natural transition for her to embark on. Meghan has a voice and wants to use it in a good positive way to help women feel empowered and heard in today’s society.”