EXCLUSIVE: Meghan Markle Eating Disorder Shock — Duchess Slammed for 'Trying to Invoke Spirit of Princess Diana' With Youth Warning
Meghan Markle has been facing backlash after invoking Princess Diana in warning.
May 25 2026, Published 7:00 p.m. ET
Meghan Markle has sparked controversy after critics accused the duchess of attempting to invoke comparisons with Diana, Princess of Wales while warning about the dangers of eating disorders and harmful online content affecting children.
RadarOnline.com can reveal the 44-year-old former Suits actress delivered an emotional speech in Geneva, Switzerland, on Sunday, May 17, as she unveiled The Lost Screen Memorial – an installation dedicated to children who died following alleged online harms.
Meghan Markle Sparks Diana Comparisons
Meghan Markle delivered an emotional speech in Geneva, Switzerland.
Speaking at the Place des Nations, Meghan warned social media algorithms and advancing AI technology were exposing vulnerable young users to dangerous material, including pro-anorexia content and self-harm messaging.
But her remarks immediately prompted debate online, with royal commentators claiming the duchess was echoing themes closely associated with Diana, who discussed her long battle with bulimia nervosa before her death in 1997.
A source familiar with reaction said: "There were definitely people who felt Meghan's speech carried emotional parallels to Diana's very public struggle with eating disorders and mental health. Critics believe she understands exactly how powerful those associations are and that invoking subjects so closely linked to Diana inevitably reignites comparisons between the two women."
The insider added: "Others close to Meghan insist that interpretation is unfair and that she was speaking about a genuine public health crisis affecting children online. But there's no question that whenever issues like body image, vulnerability and media pressure are discussed by Meghan, the Diana comparisons immediately return."
The Shocking Reality of Harmful Online Content Targeting Children
Meghan Markle faced claims she read an AI-generated speech publicly.
During her speech, Meghan warned young people were increasingly being manipulated by technology platforms.
She said: "Children today are being shaped by systems designed to capture attention at any cost: relentless algorithms, exploitative engagement, and endless exposure to harmful content that they are not seeking out."
The duchess, who shared Prince Archie, seven, and Princess Lilibet, four, with Prince Harry, described the case of a "joyful and athletic young girl" who searched online for healthy recipes before allegedly being flooded with "body dysmorphia content and pro-anorexia videos."
Meghan also told the audience a teenager named Katie had been "hospitalised for months with a severe eating disorder," while another boy named Mason was allegedly exposed to suicide-related content after a break-up.
She added: "These stories are not isolated. They are consistent. And they are not the fault of the child, nor the parent."
Princess Diana's Eating Disorder Battle Resurfaces
Diana discussed her battle with bulimia before her death.
Diana famously revealed in secretly recorded tapes for biographer Andrew Morton that her own bulimia began shortly after her engagement to Charles III in 1981.
She described feeling crushed by royal pressures and hurt by comments about her appearance while navigating Charles' relationship with Camilla.
A source close to the Sussexes said Meghan had become increasingly determined to focus attention on online safety issues after hearing from affected families through the couple's charity work.
The insider said: "Meghan genuinely believes social media companies are failing children and she feels strongly that parents have been left to manage an impossible situation without enough protection or accountability from tech platforms. She sees this as a major issue that will only become more dangerous with AI."
Inside the Emotional Royal Fight for The Lost Screen Memorial
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Meghan heard from affected families through charity work.
Speaking beside the memorial, Meghan insisted the crisis should not be viewed solely as a technology problem.
She said: "Behind me stands The Lost Screen Memorial.
"Each name belonged to a child who was loved beyond measure. A child whose laughter once filled a kitchen. Whose shoes once waited by a front door. Whose future once felt limitless."
Meghan added: "We did not tell parents to create their own seatbelts. We did not ask children to test unsafe medicine. We did not shrug at poisoned water or defective toys and call it the price of progress. We acted. And now the world must act again."
