'I wanted Meghan to be the next Princess Diana, but it's all about HER': John McEnroe's ex-wife Tatum O'Neal blasts 'tacky' Duchess as she wades into royal photo row at Wimbledon
- Tatum O'Neal has slammed the Duchess of Sussex as 'tacky' for Wimbledon row
- Actress said she'd hoped her fellow American would be 'the next Princess Diana'
- But child star accused Meghan of failing in her role as a royal while praising Kate
- Meghan at the centre of a row after bodyguards asked people not to take photos
Tatum O'Neal slammed the Duchess of Sussex as 'tacky' today after bodyguards warned tennis fans not to take pictures of her during a Wimbledon trip.
The actress said she had hoped her fellow American would be 'the next Princess Diana' after she married Prince Harry, but said it now seemed 'like it's all about her'.
Meghan is at the centre of a row over whether her visit to Court 1 on Thursday with friends was 'in a private capacity' as there were 12,000 people inside the arena.
She was branded a 'control freak' after Sally Jones revealed she was warned about taking pictures of Meghan by an 'embarrassed' bodyguard.
During an interview on Good Morning Britain, presenter Piers Morgan asked O'Neal for her thoughts on Meghan and the effects of being thrust into the public eye.
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A spectator taking a selfie while Meghan's personal assistant (dressed in white), raises her hand, in an attempt to stop pictures being taken of the Duchess of Sussex
A member of the royal security team (pictured) then asked the man not to take any pictures near her amid claims a number of people were warned off
Child star O'Neal, 54, who is the former wife of tennis great John McEnroe, accused Meghan of failing in her role as a royal while praising Kate Middleton for 'getting it'.
She told Piers and fellow presenter Susanna Reid: 'To have a bodyguard muscle somebody out I just think is so tacky.
'It's so upsetting to me because if you think about Princess Diana and how absolutely inclusive she was and how she would never turn anyone anyway, and I just had so much hope for Meghan, I wanted her to be the next Princess Diana and it seems like it's all about her and it's really upsetting me.
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'I'm sorry Harry because I love Harry. You're now one of the people, you're a royal, you're not an actor.'
'If you get the ring reset and you do a $400,000 renovation and you do the private jet to New York for the party; it's not Diana. This is not Diana, this is something else. I don't know what it is.'
Tatum added: 'I think Kate really gets it. She gets the lack of privacy and I hope they [the couples] are not fighting.
Tatum O'Neal slammed the Duchess of Sussex as 'tacky' on Good Morning Britain today after bodyguards warned tennis fans not to take pictures of her during a Wimbledon trip
The man spoken to by the bodyguard was taking a selfie with the famous tennis court in the background, which was clearly shown on the screen of his mobile phone
Meghan Markle claps and cheers Serena Williams on Court 1 at Wimbledon on Thursday but her team insists she was there in a private capacity amid a row over spectators being warned by her security not to take pictures
Sally Jones, pictured at Wimbledon this week, was upset after being asked not to take pictures in the direction of the royal - but she was taking this picture of Serena Williams (right) and had no clue Meghan was there
'Can you imagine though, it seems to me they could not be nicer people, how do you not get along with Kate and William? They are so nice.'
Mrs Jones, who first revealed the bodyguard's request for no photos, said said she was utterly confused when a royal protection officer told her: 'Would you not take photographs of the Duchess. She's here in a private capacity.'
She told Good Morning Britain today: 'I was trying to take pictures of Serena Williams… the next thing a little tap on the shoulder.
'A very, very polite royal protection officer said, "Would you kindly not take pictures of the Duchess she's here in a private capacity". I was gobsmacked and thought, "gosh have I upset people?"
'Then suddenly I felt not angry but, a bit bemused, I almost burst out laughing… I didn't have a single shot of Meghan and if I had taken one it would have been a blurry shot of her left ear.'
The actress said she had hoped her fellow American would be 'the next Princess Diana' after she married Prince Harry, but said it now seemed 'like it's all about her'
Meghan and her friends (far right, centre of picture) watched the match from an area largely cleared of other spectators
The former BBC sports reporter added: 'I'm a great fan of the royals... Two days earlier the Duchess of Cambridge had also been watching, also from that court, no fuss.'
Sally concluded: 'I was just astounded that with 200 people taking the picture from up her nose that somebody right along the row, not even taking her picture, should get a tap on the shoulder.'
Meghan, who has been cruelly dubbed a 'pushy princess' by some, was spotted on the iconic Court One on Thursday, cheering on her close friend Serena.
But it would appear that one seat was not enough for the 37-year-old as four rows - and as many as 40 seats - surrounding her were kept empty by her security detail while VIPs were left queuing outside.
