Disney's new live action adaptation of The Little Mermaid seemingly contains a "pointed dig" at Kate Middleton, according to one critic, which has left Royal fans up in arms.
The new film which is based on the 1980s classic cartoon has appeared to dip its toe into the ongoing Meghan Markle and Prince Harry drama after they stepped back from royal duties in 2020 and moved to the US.
According to reports in the Star, one critic has spoken out after an early screening of the film which is due out later this month and believes there are veiled allusions to members of the royal family, including taking aim at the Princess of Wales.
The critic told Page Six the film draws “a number of subtle yet plausible comparisons” between Harry and Meghan and lead characters Ariel, played by Halle Bailey, and Prince Eric, who is cast by Jonah Hauer-King.
They said: “Ariel has sacrificed her voice in order to get to the surface and [meet] Prince Eric. She can’t speak so he tries to guess her name.
“His first guess is Diana. His second guess is Catherine, but after [Ariel gives a disgusted] reaction, he [concludes] ‘OK, definitely not Catherine'.”
The anonymous reviewer added: “Disney would be disingenuous to imply those name choices were coincidental.”
It comes as the Disney film is set to make a storm in the industry with the first time the mermaid will be played by a black actress, while a white actor portrays Eric.
It comes after Meghan Markle herself confessed to identifying with Ariel, admitting during her interview with Oprah Winfrey: "I was sitting in Nottingham Cottage and The Little Mermaid came on.
"And who as an adult really watches The Little Mermaid? But it came on and I was like, 'Well I'm here all the time I might as well watch this.'
"I went, ‘Oh my God, she falls in love with the prince and because of that she loses her voice’."
She added: "But in the end she gets her voice back."
Oprah replied: "And this is what happened here. You feel like you got your voice back," as Meghan agreed: "Yeah."
Meghan, 41, also confessed her love story with Harry was "greater than any fairytale you’ve ever read" during the interview which took place in 2021.
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