Prince Harry furious as Princess Diana's memory is 'used as stick to beat Meghan Markle with'

Prince Harry reportedly believes Princess Diana's memory has been used as a "stick to beat his wife" during his visit to Paris last week.

The Duke of Sussex's friends have reportedly said the Prince was "hurt and upset" after a video went viral of Meghan Markle stretching her legs out onto a seat in the back of a limo, close to the tunnel were Princess Diana tragically died in 1997. Meghan, 44, videoed her view of Paris from the backseat of her car, shortly after attending the Balenciaga fashion show, on October 4.

The footage included the Pont de l’Alma bridge, which leads to the Pont de l’Alma tunnel where Princess Diana and Dodi Fayed died in a horror crash. The Duchess's 48-hour trip to Paris was overshadowed by people who called the clip "insensitive".

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Friends of couple have said that it is understood she was was not aware of where the car was at the time with her pals saying it was a "hell of a stretch" to suggest she drove near the tunnel on purpose, according to the MailOnline.

Prince Harry has not spoken publicly about the outrage but his pals have reportedly said he is "despondent, but not surprised" by the heat his wife faced.

One of the couple's friends said: "Harry was left hurt and upset. Diana’s death was used as a stick to beat his wife with. [Meghan] did not even pass close to the tunnel." Their pal added: "He was left feeling hurt, but the depressing thing is he wasn’t even that surprised. He was more despondent than shocked."

This comes after other insiders were particularly shocked by the Paris visit because the couple have previously turned down numerous invitations to attend events in the French capital over recent years, thought to be because of the city's association with his mother.

Meghan, however, attended this years Paris Fashion Week, where she was greeted with kisses by the European style pack as well as former Vogue editor-in-chief Dame Anna Wintour.

Following the furore, Meghan has now spoken out, and stressed she went to the fashion event because of her huge admiration for Pierpaolo Piccioli, one of the industry's new kings.

A spokesperson for the Duchess of Sussex said: "Over the years, the Duchess has worn a number of designs by Pierpaolo. They have worked closely together, collaborating on design for key moments on the world stage. She has long admired his craftsmanship and modern elegance, and tonight was no different.

"This evening reflects the culmination of many years of artistry and friendship, reflected in her support for his new creative chapter at Balenciaga."