Princess Diana's Response When She Was Asked If Prince William Should Succeed the Queen Instead of Charles

It was part of her most explosive interview ever.

Diana and Charles
(Image credit: Getty Images)
  • Back in November 1995, Princess Diana was asked if she thought her oldest son, Prince William, should succeed Queen Elizabeth on the throne instead of his father, Prince Charles.
  • Diana initially dodged the question, which came during her famous BBC1 Panorama interview, noting that William was only 13 at the time and too young for that responsibility.
  • "My wish is that my husband finds peace of mind, and from that follows others things, yes," she finally answered.

Princess Diana always knew that her oldest son, Prince William, had what it took to be a great king.

In November 1995, the late royal sat down for what would turn out to be an explosive interview with BBC1 Panorama about her divorce from Prince Charles. During the interview Martin Bashir asked Diana if she thought Will, who was 13 at the time, should succeed Queen Elizabeth as the reigning monarch on the British throne. You know, as in instead of his father, Charles. 

"Do you think it would make more sense in the light of the marital difficulties that you and the Prince of Wales have had if the position of monarch passed directly to your son Prince William?" Bashir asked.

"Well, then you have to see that William's very young at the moment, so do you want a burden like that to be put on his shoulders at such an age? So I can't answer that question," Diana answered, dodging the heart of the question.

"Would it be your wish that when Prince William comes of age that he were to succeed the Queen rather than the current Prince of Wales?" Bashir pressed.

"My wish is that my husband finds peace of mind, and from that follows others things, yes," Diana said.

So, there you have it.

Princess Diana's Most Iconic Fashion Moments

Contributing Editor at Marie Claire

Kayleigh Roberts is a freelance writer and editor with over 10 years of professional experience covering entertainment of all genres, from new movie and TV releases to nostalgia, and celebrity news. Her byline has appeared in Marie Claire, Cosmopolitan, ELLE, Harper’s Bazaar, The Atlantic, Allure, Entertainment Weekly, MTV, Bustle, Refinery29, Girls’ Life Magazine, Just Jared, and Tiger Beat, among other publications. She's a graduate of the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University.

Latest in Royals
Princess Madeleine of Sweden wearing a tiara featuring emeralds
Why Princess Madeleine of Sweden Can't Use Her Royal Title to Promote Her New Skincare Line
Queen Camilla has blonde hair and is wearing a dark green shirt dress
Why Queen Camilla Has Been Issued a "Strict" Warning Regarding Her Meeting With the Pope
Meghan Markle wears blue denim jeans
Meghan Markle Confirms Skinny Jeans Are Back by Finally Revealing Her Favorite Frame Denim
Carole Middleton has blonde hair and laughs while shopping with daughter Kate Middleton
How Carole Middleton Might Step Up to Support Princess Kate Following Previous Controversies
Meghan Markle wears a white shirt and blue jeans while she carries daughter Princess Lilibet and hugs son Prince Archie
New Prince Archie Photo Proves He Takes After Dad Prince Harry in Two Very Important Ways
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry attend the closing ceremony of the Invictus Games Düsseldorf 2023 at Merkur Spiel-Arena on September 16, 2023 in Duesseldorf, Germany.
Meghan Markle Shared a Rare Video Filmed by Prince Harry on Instagram
Latest in News
Meghan Markle in a beige shirt on stage at SXSW in March 2024
Meghan Markle and Gwyneth Paltrow Open Up About Their "Rift" Over Pie
Rihanna and A$AP were seen on a casual date night out at Giorgio Baldi in Santa Monica. rihanna wore jeans, a vest, and a new alaia bag
Rihanna Hard-Launches Alaïa's New $2,350 It-Bag With a Baseball Cap and Jeans
Bella Hadid carries the Coach empire bag in New York City with a black mini dress
Bella Hadid Secures Coach's Must-Have Empire Bag, Just Like I Predicted She Would
Selena Gomez wears a cropped blazer and matching trousers while attending the Drew Barrymore show in New York City
Selena Gomez Is the Cropped Blazer Trend's Final Boss
Princess Madeleine of Sweden wearing a tiara featuring emeralds
Why Princess Madeleine of Sweden Can't Use Her Royal Title to Promote Her New Skincare Line
Rihanna in a head scarf and multiple necklaces
Rihanna’s Jamaica Manicure Will Unite the Caribbean