Harry, 41, and Markle, 44, have spent recent months battling persistent speculation about the state of their marriage, fueled by periods of separate public appearances and ongoing fascination with their post-royal life in California.
Against that backdrop, remarks made by Burrell, 68, have re-emerged, reigniting debate over how different Harry’s life might have been had Diana survived the Paris car crash that killed her in 1997 at the age of 36.
Burrell, who served as Diana’s butler and confidant for years, suggested the prince’s path would have looked dramatically different under his mother’s influence.
He said, “If Diana were alive, Harry would never have married Meghan. He wouldn’t have been searching for love, he would have been happy to settle down, conform, and use those lessons he learnt in life from his mother – that he was to be William’s wingman and stand by his side.”