Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will consider a move to the US amid fears that ‘history is repeating itself’, Princess Diana’s ex-butler has claimed.
Paul Burrell said he fully expects the Duke and Duchess of Sussex to buy a home in the States in a bid to escape the attentions of the British press.
The former royal servant said media coverage of the pair reminded him of that of Princess Diana, who died in a car crash in Paris in 1997.
He also claimed that the couple will be keen to set up a base in the country of Meghan’s birth as she ‘will want to bring up her children as half American’.
Mr Burrell claimed Diana herself had sought a move to the California before her death.
Princess Diana (pictured left, with son Harry in 1987) had planned to move to the US to escape the attention of the British press, her former butler Paul Burrell (shown right) claimed
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are said to be considering setting up a second base in the US and will use their upcoming trip to California to test out a move
He told Fox News: ‘Ironically, we had the plans for a house on the west coast of America in Malibu.
‘It used to be owned by Blake Edwards and [his wife] Julie Andrews. We had the plans for that house, and we dedicated the rooms to William and Harry and the princess.
‘Myself and my wife and the children were going to live above the house. So her future was turning towards America.’
He added: ‘I do believe wholeheartedly that Meghan will want to bring up her children as half American, so they will need a place [there].’
Earlier this week it was claimed that Harry and Meghan were favouring a stateside relocation that would see them spend large parts of the year in the country.
The Sussexes are expected to spend Thanksgiving with Meghan’s mother Doria Ragland as part of a six-week break from Royal duties.
Next month’s trip, which will be baby Archie’s first visit to the States, comes after Harry, 35, and Meghan, 38, voiced their desire to leave the UK last week.
Next month’s trip, which will be baby Archie’s first visit to the States, comes after Harry, 35, and Meghan, 38, voiced their desire to leave the UK last week
In a bombshell ITV documentary last week, Harry and Meghan admitted to struggling with the media attention, but faced criticism in some quarters for their controversial views on the public scrutiny they faced.
In a candid interview, the Duke of Sussex acknowledged there had been deepening tensions between himself and William, following months of speculation about the state of the brothers’ relationship.
He made the comments in a TV documentary broadcast last night where he also attacked the press over the public scrutiny that he and wife Meghan Markle have faced.
Harry said: ‘I will not be bullied into playing a game that killed my mum.’
The extraordinary attack against the media comes after he and Meghan launched legal action against several British newspapers.
Meghan admitted feeling vulnerable and spoke of the difficulty in coping with intense tabloid interest, saying: ‘It’s not enough to just survive something, that’s not the point of life. You have got to thrive.’
The Sussexes are expected to spend Thanksgiving with Meghan’s mother Doria Ragland (pictured right) as part of a six-week break from Royal duties
Mr Burrell said he watched the documentary and thought ‘my goodness, is history repeating itself?’
‘I walked with the princess through those minefields [in Africa], as Harry did, and I saw Diana in Harry as he was doing exactly the same thing.
‘All they’re trying to do is shine a light on people’s plights in far-off places, who have no voice. So I do see history repeating itself.
‘Do we really want to chase two people down the same path [as Diana]?’
During the programme, Harry described South Africa as ‘an amazing place to be able to base ourselves’, leading to fears he could be looking to quit the royal family.
Mr Burrell said Diana had also thought about moving her children William and Harry to the country as her brother Charles Spencer had an estate there, but she was unable to find a suitable property and there were security issues.