Princess Diana Would Have Been "Brokenhearted" Over Prince Harry and Prince William's Fractured Relationship, Royal Expert Claims
"I think it's a great tragedy."
![Princess Diana Prince Harry Prince William](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/rztzqxh8jroKknfBdyJ9kX-415-80.jpg)
One royal expert says that the late Princess Diana would have been heartbroken to have witnessed the state of her son's broken relationship.
Richard Kay, editor-at-large for the Daily Mail, said in a recent interview on the Mail+'s weekly talk show that the so-called "tussle" between Prince Harry and Prince William "would not exist" if Princess Diana was still alive.
"(Prince Harry and Prince William have) been tussling over Diana's legacy, they've been pulling apart Diana's legacy, (and picking) which part suits them best," Kay said at the time. "I think it's a great tragedy."
"What I knew about Diana was, first and above all, was her love for her sons, that was clear to the whole world, she loved those boys," he continued. " think she would've been broken-hearted. The big question is, would it have still happened had Diana still been with us?"
Kay went on to say that in his opinion and personal viewpoint, the rift between the two brothers "probably wouldn't" exist in part because their late mother "would've remained the pivotal figure in both their lives and prevented the fallout from happening."
Princess Diana and her sons, Prince William & Prince Harry, go on the water ride at 'Thorpe Park' Amusement Park.
Princess Diana passed away in a car crash in 1997 at the age of 36. At the time, Prince William was 15 and young Prince Harry was only 12.
In the 2017 BBC documentary Diana, 7 Days, Prince William recalled "just feeling completely numb, disorientated, dizzy" after learning of his mother's untimely death.
Stay In The Know
Marie Claire email subscribers get intel on fashion and beauty trends, hot-off-the-press celebrity news, and more. Sign up here.
"You feel very, very confused," William said at the time. "And you keep asking yourself, 'Why me?' All the time, 'Why? What have I done? Why? Why has this happened to us?'"
And in 2022, while speaking at the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, Prince William opened up about how the country holds both his "happiest" and "saddest" memories, People reported.
"I was in Balmoral when I was told that my mother had died. Still in shock, I found sanctuary in the service at Crathie Kirk that very morning," he recalled. "And in the dark days of grief that followed, I found comfort and solace in the Scottish outdoors. As a result, the connection I feel to Scotland will forever run deep."
Princess Diana
According to The Daily Mail, Prince William and Prince Harry first became estranged in 2017, after William encouraged his younger brother to "take things slow" after he met and started to date his now-wife, Meghan Markle.
A source close to the family previously told People that the brothers' relationship is "forever change" and will never go "back to the way they were."
"Harry is looking straight ahead at his future with his family," the source told the publication at the time.
Recently, a source who spoke exclusively to People for the publication's latest cover story, says that the Prince of Wales now ignores his brother's calls, texts and other attempts to communicate.
Danielle Campoamor is Marie Claire's weekend editor covering all things news, celebrity, politics, culture, live events, and more. In addition, she is an award-winning freelance writer and former NBC journalist with over a decade of digital media experience covering mental health, reproductive justice, abortion access, maternal mortality, gun violence, climate change, politics, celebrity news, culture, online trends, wellness, gender-based violence and other feminist issues. You can find her work in The New York Times, Washington Post, TIME, New York Magazine, CNN, MSNBC, NBC, TODAY, Vogue, Vanity Fair, Harper's Bazaar, Marie Claire, InStyle, Playboy, Teen Vogue, Glamour, The Daily Beast, Mother Jones, Prism, Newsweek, Slate, HuffPost and more. She currently lives in Brooklyn, New York with her husband and their two feral sons. When she is not writing, editing or doom scrolling she enjoys reading, cooking, debating current events and politics, traveling to Seattle to see her dear friends and losing Pokémon battles against her ruthless offspring. You can find her on X, Instagram, Threads, Facebook and all the places.
-
Taylor Swift Looks Like "Miss Americana" at the US Open
She and Travis Kelce matched in red and white.
By Halie LeSavage Published
-
King Charles and Queen Camilla Attend Church to Mark the Second Anniversary of Queen Elizabeth's Death
"Remembering Queen Elizabeth II, 1926-2022."
By Danielle Campoamor Published
-
Maximalist Beauty Trends Are Taking Over New York Fashion Week
The week started with midnight blue eyeshadow, black lipstick, and glitter hair gel.
By Samantha Holender Published