A source close to the Duke of Sussex told PEOPLE that Prince Harry will always protect his wife and family from what he considers unfair and agenda-driven media narratives.

Backlash Over Meghan’s Paris Fashion Week Appearance

Prince Harry is said to be “hurt and upset” by the criticism Meghan Markle faced following her recent trip to Paris. The Duchess of Sussex attended Paris Fashion Week earlier this month and posted a short Instagram video of herself riding through the city with her feet up in the car. Critics, however, accused her of being insensitive, claiming she was near the Pont d’Alma tunnel — the site where Princess Diana tragically died in 1997.

Friends of the couple dismissed the claims as unfounded. Speaking to The Daily Mail, one friend said it was “a hell of a stretch” to suggest Meghan deliberately drove past the tunnel and revealed that Harry was deeply frustrated by the reaction.

“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,” a source said. “The whole thing is a joke, but not a very funny one for Harry.”

The insider continued, “He was left feeling hurt, but the depressing thing is he wasn’t even that surprised. He was more despondent than shocked.”

A source close to Harry emphasized to PEOPLE that the Duke remains steadfast in his commitment to shielding his family. “Prince Harry will always protect his wife and family from what he sees as unkind, negative, and agenda-driven media narratives,” the source said.

Meghan’s Paris Fashion Week Debut

The Duchess, 44, made her Paris Fashion Week debut on October 4, attending Balenciaga’s show in support of the label’s new creative director, Pierpaolo Piccioli.

Meghan has long expressed her affection for Paris. In a 2014 post from her former lifestyle blog The Tig, she wrote, “Oh, how I love the city of lights. Yes, it has been romanticized in our minds from cinematic shots of the Eiffel Tower to long walks on the River Seine — from Before Sunrise to Amélie to Jean-Luc Godard’s Breathless. The food, the accent, the je ne sais quoi of the women with their inherent chicness – I sigh un petit peu just typing this.”

Revisiting Painful Memories

Prince Harry has his own emotional connection to Paris. In his memoir Spare, he recalled driving through the same tunnel where his mother died while in the city for the 2007 Rugby World Cup semifinal.

“It had been a very bad idea,” he wrote. “I’d told myself that I wanted closure, but I didn’t really. Deep down, I’d hoped to feel in that tunnel what I’d felt when JLP gave me the police files—disbelief. Doubt. Instead, that was the night all doubt fell away. She’s dead, I thought. My God, she’s really gone for good.”

Diana’s Spirit and Meghan’s Similarity

Though Meghan never met her late mother-in-law, Harry has often spoken about the striking similarities between them. During Meghan’s appearance on The Jamie Kern Lima Show in April, the host reminded her of Harry’s public comment: “So much of what Meghan is and how she is so similar to my mum. She has the same compassion. She has the same empathy. She has the same confidence. She has this warmth about her.”

“It’s beautiful,” Meghan replied softly. “I wish I could have met her.”