After plenty of drama about security and accommodations, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle returned to the U.K. earlier this month with their two children, Archie and Lilibet, in tow.
The trip included a visit with King Charles and Queen Camilla and also a stop at Althorp, Princess Diana’s childhood home. While the former notably did not result in an official photograph or even statement acknowledging the meetup, Markle made sure to make their presence at the Spencer estate known via a conspicuous post on her Instagram account that immediately sparked backlash.
On Tuesday’s show, Megyn was joined by Dan Wootton, host of Dan Wootton Outspoken, to discuss the controversial photo and what it signals about what Harry and Meghan may be planning next.
The Photo
Last week, Markle posted a 12-photo carousel on Instagram with the caption “Summer Holiday” and a sun emoji. The photo dump included a ‘candid’ black-and-white pic of her and Harry sharing a meal, another black-and-white still of the prince in a swimming pool with his kids, an action shot of Markle shopping, a couple of her in a bathing suit, and several landscapes.
But the one that got the most attention showed Harry, Archie, and Lily from behind as they walked down a grassy lane lined with well-manicured hedges. The photo is believed to have been taken at Althorp, the 13,000-acre Northamptonshire estate where Diana grew up and is buried.
Harry and Archie both appeared to be carrying flowers, which heightened suspicions that they were making their way to the late princess’ grave site, which is located on an island in the middle of a pond on the grounds.
Wootton said there is “no doubt” where the picture was taken. “There is absolutely no doubt that was taken at Althorp because she has propagandists in the U.S. media, largely People magazine, and they confirmed that that picture was taken at Althorp,” he noted. “People magazine has admitted that Harry sometimes emails them direct. So, that definitely is confirmed – that picture was taken at Althorp.”
‘Disaster Tourist’
And what Markle was doing in posting the pic, in Megyn and Wootton’s view, is also pretty obvious.
“We know very well what she is telegraphing with this shot of her children on that particular estate,” Megyn said. “And there has been a lot of reaction to this, suggesting… she is a disaster tourist and she can’t go anywhere that doesn’t bring up a tragedy; where she doesn’t insert herself or, in this case, her family, right smack dab in the middle.”
Wootton agreed. “This is the first time [the children had] ever been there, and the fact that Meghan not only decided to get it on camera but post it says a lot about her. But my belief is that this is just the beginning,” he posited, suggesting the Sussex’s might be angling for their next Netflix project.
“They need money, and they still have a first-look deal with Netflix. Netflix has been very interested for a long time in a documentary [on Princess Diana], and you can’t blame them. It would do massive numbers,” he explained. “It is the thirtieth anniversary of Diana’s death next year.”
Wootton reported that the prince “doesn’t believe the full story has been told about Princess Diana’s death” and perhaps sees an opportunity. “If he is prepared to make a documentary for Netflix where he goes through some of that, obviously, it would be a massive blockbuster,” he said.
As Wootton explained the trip to the Spencer estate might have been part of a larger pitch. “What I believe the executives want in order to push up the price is imagery of the family at Althorp, at Diana’s grave,” he speculated.
Contrary to some reporting, Wootton does not believe Harry and Meghan traveled with a professional camera crew, but that does not mean content was not captured. “My understanding is that actually what they did is use their mobile phones, and this was something that was very successful for the first Netflix documentary [Harry & Meghan]… I don’t believe they needed to have a professional camera crew,” he explained.
“But that is why they were so desperate for this visit to take place. It wasn’t to see the king… They don’t care about the king… They don’t care about the British Royal Family. They don’t care about the British people. They care about money, and so they need proximity to royalty. They also need this imagery of the children at Althorp,” Wootton concluded. “My educated guess is… that we are going to see a lot more of those kids at Diana’s grave. That was the starter.”
You can check out Megyn’s full interview with Wootton by tuning in to episode 1,369 on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you like to listen. And don’t forget that you can catch The Megyn Kelly Show live on SiriusXM’s The Megyn Kelly Channel (channel 111) weekdays from 12pm to 2pm ET.