Princess Diana’s Biographer Shares How She Might’ve Helped Heal William and Harry’s Rift: ‘If She Had…’
Nearly three decades after her death, Princess Diana’s influence is still felt in conversations about her estranged sons, Prince William and Prince Harry. But as the rift between the brothers shows no signs of easing, royal experts believe the late Princess’s presence could have changed everything.
“We all remember the days when Harry and William were joshing with one another, and it all seemed set for their relationship and the future, that Harry, as Diana always used to say, would be William’s wingman,” Diana’s biographer Andrew Morton recently shared, PEOPLE reported. “It’s a great loss for the monarchy.” According to Morton, if Diana were still alive, she would have stepped in to mend the growing rift. “Diana always used to say she had two boys for a reason, the younger would be there to support the older in the lonely task as future King,” he explained.
“There is no doubt Diana would have tried to act as a peacemaker between them. If she had been around, they would have worked things out in a different way.” Others close to the royal household share that sentiment. “This is the sadness of it, they aren’t supporting each other like they should be,” a palace insider echoed. “That’s what any mother would want, that they are there for each other.”
Still, experts believe Diana’s instinct to unite her sons wouldn’t have stopped her from admiring Harry’s outspoken nature. When Harry's BBC interview drew widespread attention earlier this year, royal author Ingrid Seward argued that honesty is something Diana would have respected. “I think she would, I’m guessing, that she might have been quite proud of him for speaking up and saying what he thought, because that’s what she liked,” Seward told HELLO!’s A Right Royal podcast. “She liked to say exactly what she thought and then deal with the consequences afterwards, which is, of course, what happened to her,” she added.
In many ways, Diana’s legacy is reflected in both her sons, William, preparing for the role she always envisioned for him, and Harry, embodying her fearless honesty. But without her, experts fear the deep divisions between them may remain unresolved. Historian Robert Lacey said, “The rift is very profound and very long-lasting. It will not be changed, in my opinion, until Harry makes a move and apologizes.” However, Morton believes that if Diana were still alive, she wouldn’t expect either William or Harry to take sole responsibility for making amends. Instead, he’s certain she would have stepped in herself to help bridge the gap between her sons.