Several royal experts believe Meghan Markle could learn powerful lessons from Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy’s brief life.
“As we’ve seen with Meghan and Harry, there was quite a lot about Carolyn that was a bit ‘Meghanish,’” former Vanity Fair editor Tina Brown said in CNN’s new docuseries “America’s Prince”.
Brown compared the two women — one who married into America’s “Camelot” and the other to Britain’s royalty. “That [Carolyn] had…wanted in, for all of these reasons. There was glamour and elegance. But that came with so much pressure in terms of…the monster of the media…that she fell apart really.”
Bessette-Kennedy, 33, and her husband, John F. Kennedy Jr., 38, died in a plane crash in 1999.
“Tina’s words are a warning to Meghan,” British broadcaster Helena Chard told Fox News Digital. “Meghan has the privilege of time to recognize the gems that she has and carefully plan her future. Life is not just about celebrity and… building an empire.”
“Prioritizing her family and finding her authentic self is the way forward,” Chard shared. “Carolyn sadly didn’t have the opportunity to raise children… Meghan has a husband who adores her, two lovely children and a super comfortable and luxurious home. Family is everything.”
Meghan, a former American actress, became the Duchess of Sussex when she married Britain’s Prince Harry in 2018. In 2020, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex stepped back as senior royals, citing the unbearable intrusions of the British press and a lack of support from the palace.
Following their move to California, the couple aired their grievances in interviews and documentaries. Harry’s 2023 memoir, “Spare,” which revealed embarrassing details about the House of Windsor, worsened his already-strained relationship with the royals.
“There are some similarities between Carolyn and Meghan,” British royals expert Hilary Fordwich told Fox News Digital.
“I do think they were admired for their glamour. Both were viewed by the fashion industry as the types to admire and follow. They certainly rose to fame by marrying into iconic families. They both experienced media frenzy based mainly on their respective appearances and personalities. It’s difficult for anyone not born into fame to handle the press hounding.”
“They coped differently, though,” said Fordwich. “Carolyn withdrew completely [from the press], which maintained her mystique. In contrast, Meghan went… on a publicity tour [after her royal exit]. Her raw ambition for recognition and admiration backfired on her. At this juncture, the only proper route for Meghan would be for her to lie low. She’ll never do that, though. Everything that [appears to have] meaning for her is the antithesis of service and devotion to duty.”
When Meghan and Harry first sat down with Oprah Winfrey for a televised interview in 2021, Carole Radziwill said she saw parallels between both women. The 62-year-old, who spoke out in “America’s Prince,” was married to late husband Anthony Radziwill, Kennedy Jr.’s first cousin and the son of Lee Radziwill, Jackie Kennedy Onassis’s younger sister.
“I just watched the M&H sit down. Wow,” the “Real Housewives of New York” alum wrote on X at the time. “I love how people say Meghan knew what she was getting into…people said the same thing about Carolyn Bessette when she married into the Kennedy family. You could never know. Meghan said it right, the perception is nothing like the reality.”
During her conversation with the TV mogul, Meghan said she had been naïve about what she was getting herself into when she married into the royal family.
Still, royal experts stressed that beyond the media pressures both women endured, and being married to high-profile men, they couldn’t be more different.
“The differences between the ladies far outweigh the similarities,” said Chard. “Carolyn shone in an era of glamour and aspiration… She was known as kind, without ego and was loved… Meghan, unfortunately, is not loved by all… Her popularity in recent years has plummeted. Contrary to her husband’s belief, she is not chased by paparazzi. Unfortunately, inauthentic traits define her.”
“Carolyn and her husband were known as ‘the golden couple,’ often referred to as ‘American royalty,’” Chard continued.
“They were major celebrities in the ‘90s. However, intense attention from paparazzi and the tabloids took its toll on Carolyn. She didn’t welcome the intrusion and felt overwhelmed and frightened. Her marriage may have looked like a glamorous fairytale – after all, she had married into a powerful, storied family. However, this was a façade. Her personal stress, along with living in a permanent goldfish bowl, impacted her marriage.”
Doug Eldridge, founder of Achilles PR, agreed.
“Other than dating and marrying famous men… these two women led very different lives before their courtship and certainly brought different personalities to their respective marriages,” he explained. “It seems like a stretch to say Meghan Markle is similar to Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy.”
“Each was thrust into the limelight, but the similarities really end there,” he said. “Carolyn was a fashion publicist and spent the majority of her career working under the Calvin Klein banner… She was more comfortable playing a supporting role to her megawatt husband.
“By contrast, Meghan came from Hollywood and was readily embracing – if not actively seeking – the spotlight at every turn. The royal wedding was a turning point for Meghan. There was drama and speculation leading up to the nuptials, and royal watchers were left with raised eyebrows and a sense of uncertainty surrounding the new duchess. Less than two years after their wedding, Harry and Meghan stepped down from their royal duties, amidst a bevy of allegations, mudslinging and familial tension.”
Eldridge noted that instead of retreating into a quieter life in California and escaping the relentless scrutiny they faced in the U.K., Harry and Meghan chose to speak out. Their high-profile tell-alls not only intensified the rift within the royal family but also thrust them even further into the harsh glare of the spotlight – one they were seemingly trying to leave behind.
“In the years that followed, Harry and Meghan continued to stake out the ‘victim high ground’ as they engaged in a strategic PR that included a long-form sit-down with Oprah, a tell-all book and a litany of appearances and creative projects, all of which were aimed — either directly or indirectly — at the royal family.”
“Carolyn married into a high-profile family, which was marked by fame, fortune, tragedy, and inter-family fighting,” said Eldridge. “The difference: you never heard about it [from her].”
But these days, Meghan has been focused on building her business empire, rather than detailing her past struggles with royal life. Season 2 of the 44-year-old’s Netflix series, “With Love, Meghan,” premiered on Aug. 26.
Eldridge believes that if Meghan continues this path, there is a chance she can revamp her reputation and public persona.
“To her credit, Meghan has learned a lot of lessons the hard way,” he said. “Over the last year, she seems to be making a course correction. The jury is still out.”
