Harry advised Meghan Markle not to pose at Taj Mahal's famed bench named after Princess Diana, here's why

'Do not take a photo in front of the Taj Mahal. She'd asked why and I'd said: My mum,' Prince Harry wrote

PUBLISHED JAN 10, 2023

Prince Harry revealed that Meghan Markle was baffled by his advice to steer clear of a Taj Mahal portrait like his mother. (Screenshot CNN, Kirsty O'Connor - WPA Pool/Getty Images)

UTTAR PRADESH, INDIA: A new episode from Prince Harry's interaction with his wife Meghan Markle has come to light with the release of his open and honest memoir 'Spare'. Harry revealed that the advice he provided Meghan prior to her trip to India was received with amusement.

The Duke of Sussex had asked his wife not to take a picture in front of the Taj Mahal, to avoid the impression that she was imitating his mother. "Do not take a photo in front of the Taj Mahal. She'd asked why and I'd said: My mum," he wrote. Diana, Princess of Wales, was photographed sitting alone at the renowned site in 1992 while on a trip to India. The picture was regarded as a representation of the status of her relationship with Prince Charles. Harry added, "I'd explained that my mother had posed for a photo there, and it had become iconic, and I didn't want anyone thinking Meg was trying to mimic my mother. Meg had never heard of this photo, and found the whole thing baffling, and I loved her for being baffled."

Did Kate Middleton make Meghan Markle cry? Prince Harry details their bridesmaid dress text row

Harry, who in his new memoir, has frequently criticized the media, was concerned that the Duchess of Sussex will face backlash for the photo. Knowing that the spot where Diana sat in front of the Taj Mahal is now referred to as the "Diana Bench" during visits to the World Heritage Site, it certainly seemed like a possibility.

Princess Diana sitting in front of the Taj Mahal (1992) pic.twitter.com/hhcx3MyCT5
— Ryan Lowe (@ryvnlovve) October 20, 2021

William and Kate posed on the bench in 2016—24 years after Princess Diana's iconic image was taken there in the same spot. They had taken a private tour after their flight from Bhutan to India. Diana's picture at the famed spot appeared to be a public announcement in 1992 that the Prince and Princess of Wales' marriage was over. They had separated legally in December.

The memoir claims that Meghan traveled to India with World Vision to concentrate on improving adolescent girls' access to education and managing their menstrual health. Then, to honor her mother Doria Ragland's 60th birthday, she took her to a yoga retreat in Goa.

Meghan Markle and her mother, Doria Ragland arrive at Cliveden House Hotel on the National Trust's Cliveden Estate to spend the night before her wedding to Prince Harry on May 18, 2018 in Berkshire, England. (Photo by Steve Parsons - Pool / Getty Images)

What is the memoir 'Spare' about?

'Spare' is a peek inside Prince Harry's life with a personal viewpoint. The title of the memoir is a reference to the Duke of Sussex's status as the monarchy's "spare heir." He worked with Pulitzer Prize–winning ghostwriter JR Moehringer to convey his "raw and unflinching" story.

A man prepares to take a selfie as he holds copies of "Spare" by Prince Harry as they go on sale at one minutes after midnight in WH Smith bookstore at Victoria Station on January 10, 2023 in London, England. (Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images)

The memoir, which was released globally on Tuesday, January 10, includes a long list of Harry's critiques, complaints, and reprimands from his time as a senior member of the royal family as well as information about his highly publicized departure from the family in 2020.