Meghan Markle is “echoing Princess Diana” after stepping down from the monarchy, a royal expert has claimed.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex quit their roles as senior working members of the Royal Family in January 2020, and have since relocated to the US, residing in a lavish mansion in Montecito, California, with their two children – Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet. 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 Princess 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.

One royal expert claimed Meghan was inspired by 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. 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.”

Diana was a trailblazer and her legacy has been continued by her two sons ( 
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He said the Duchess was “connecting with people effortlessly”, and her popularity amongst her loyal fans will help to make her new brand a huge success. “She has a huge following and there is a clear interest in what Meghan does with her life going forward. I believe Meghan will go from strength to strength when building her new brand. It’s been a turbulent few years, but now she’s returning with a purpose that gives her fulfilment – and has found her feet with finding the right path she wants to go down.”

The new venture was announced last month, and it later emerged that Meghan would be releasing a line of homewares, including table linen and crockery, as well as a line of nut butters and jams, as well as home fragrances. “Her new brand will give her that boost of inner confidence and power that she’s been searching for,” Darren stated.

Darren Stanton spoke to The Mirror on behalf of Betfair Bingo.