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Meghan Markle Accused of Crossing a Line With 'Provocative' Photo Shoot: 'Such a Bad Idea'

Meghan Markle is caught in the eye of the storm and struck a nerve once again after her recent modeling stint. Her latest Harper’s Bazaar photoshoot, released alongside her December 2025–January 2026 cover interview, was intended to be her moment of comeback, yet has been branded by detractors as ‘provocative’ and a deeply misjudged move. The photos are carefully styled and visually appealing, but what did not escape the royal observer’s keen eyes is it’s familiarity. Markle appears in a series of high-fashion looks, from a bold red gown and a flowing champagne silk dress to a pared-back black-and-white outfit. But those images had some unmistakable resemblance to her late mother-in-law, Princess Diana.

The intensification of the backlash prompted a PR expert to pass judgment on the situation. Renae Smith, founder and director of The Atticism, weighing in her opinion with The Express. She said, “[When I first heard about it] I thought, no way, surely she would never lean into that. Then I saw the photos, and it is undeniable. These are not gentle references or sweet tributes. They are copies. That cross-legged one on the floor? Stop it!”

And one particular image was the center of all the similarities. It was the image of Markle in a white shirt and black pants, sitting cross-legged barefoot on the floor, bearing striking similarity with an old Vogue photo of Diana. It was an iconic 1991 photograph of Princess Diana, taken by celebrity photographer Patrick Demarchelier for Vogue’s December issue.

Similarly, Markle’s red Balenciaga gown was widely likened to Diana’s striking red Valentino dress, photographed by Demarchelier in 1994 and later published in Vogue’s 1997 tribute issue following Diana’s death. That was not the end of it. Another picture from the shoot, a flowing champagne silk gown, was compared by fans to one of Diana’s classic society portraits captured by renowned photographer David Bailey. Smith, these visual overlaps were hard to ignore or pass by. “From a PR perspective, it is such a bad idea. It is confusing, it is provocative in the wrong way, and it puts her straight back beneath the royal shadow she always bloody insists she wants to get away from,” she said. 

Criticizing further about her trying to bring in the royal family with whatever she said, Smith said, “It’s not hard to avoid anything Royal. But she can't go two weeks without doing something related to the Royal Family!”

The criticism is stemming from her own statements, where she has repeatedly said out aloud about carving out a life independent of royal definitions.“ She keeps saying she wants distance from the royal world, yet she keeps inserting herself directly into the legacy of the most powerful royal symbol of all time and the mother of her husband. The contradiction is glaring, and the emotional implications are concerning.” Smith also acknowledged that the shoot might make emotional sense within the Sussex household. “I guess Harry might love it. I would assume she checked with him first, and he probably told her it was lovely. It is his mother and his wife merged into one visual, so emotionally it might make sense for them,” she said. 

Calling her directionless and a PR disaster, she said, “Strategically, it is terrible. It makes her look completely directionless. I genuinely do not know who is advising her or if they even have a plan. For me, this is beyond a simple bad PR move. It shows a lack of boundaries both personally and professionally.”