Meghan Markle ‘was seen as the new Diana’ in scathing comparison to ‘dull’ Kate

Dolan said: "This is why I don't buy the Meghan Markle sob story about the British press. I've got many friends in Fleet Street.

"When Meghan Markle arrived on the scene, Fleet Street was delighted because they found Kate charming but a bit dull. They looked at Meghan, and thought, there's our new Diana.

"She was the one that was storyboarded for all of the fame and glory."

The editor explained: "I don't know if we thought she was the new Diana, but we thought she was going to be this amazing, glamorous figure.

"She made more headlines because she was fresh meat and that is how it goes.

"I think it probably is of her own making because she just couldn't give it time.

"Kate can give things time. She has that ability to play that long game and Megan wasn't able to.

"She just tied herself in knots and burned out quite quickly. Her star went like that."

Speaking about the Princess of Wales, Griffiths added: "What Kate's done, which is what she's brilliant at, is just stood back, stayed calm, stayed quiet, and just waited for Harry and Meghan to thrash it out.

"They have tied themselves in knots, and thrown lurid accusations her way via their royal biographer.

"And she's just stayed calm, stayed quiet and she's emerged the victor. We always used to tease her, the tabloid media for being 'weighty Katie'.

"But actually, it's kind of a positive thing because she's just waiting it out and she looks fabulous at 42.

"She's elegant and nobody and nobody's bringing up the royal racist thing on her birthday today.

"She's had a brilliant year. She's had the coronation as well, where she just looked fabulous.

"She's running a tight ship with her family and she's just getting tougher and tougher as the years go by."