Princess Diana ‘saw Prince Harry as Prince William’s wingman’ and would have been ‘very upset’ by the brother’s rift, her royal biographer has revealed.
Andrew Morton, who famously penned Princess Diana’s blockbuster biography in 1992, appeared on Loose Women today to discuss the late Princess of Wales ahead of what would have been her 60th birthday on July 1 next week.
Upon being asked if Diana would have been upset over the feud between the Duke of Cambridge, 39, and Duke of Sussex, 36, he said: ‘Diana said to me quite clearly on several occasions that she saw Harry as the wingman for William in what would be a very solitary, somber job as future king.’
It comes as the brothers prepare to put aside their bitter rift to unveil a statue of their mother at her former home of Kensington Palace next week.
Princess Diana ‘saw Prince Harry as Prince William’s wingman’ in his ‘solitary job as king’ and would have been ‘very upset’ by the brother’s rift, her royal biographer has revealed
Andrew explained there was ‘no question’ that Diana would have been devastated between the fall-out between the two brothers.
He said: ‘She would have been very upset at the way these two have split apart.
‘Knowing their personalities intimately, as a mother would do, she would be working out, perhaps with Prince Charles by her side, a way to reconcile them.
‘It doesn’t help the family for this feud to continue.’
Andrew explained there was ‘no question’ that Diana would have been devastated between the fall-out between the two brothers
Elsewhere in the interview, Andrew said he didn’t think Diana would have changed very much in the 30 years since she died, adding: ‘She worked out most days, kept a very strict diet…I’m sure Dr Botox would have been called in from time to time but that’s about it.’
He suggested she would have been a ‘glamorous granny’, saying: ‘I’m sure she would have been fighting for weekends away with Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis with Carole Middleton, she wouldn’t let her have all the fun.’
Andrew said he remembered Diana was a ‘great connector of people’ whose sense of humour has often been forgotten.
He added that there is ‘remarkable symmetry’ between Diana and her daughter-in-law Meghan Markle, 39, adding: ‘Diana would see her spirit..Fast forward to Meghan, she was struggling with depression and suicidal thoughts, just like Diana.
Morton said Diana saw Prince Harry acted as Prince William’s support when he takes on the ‘somber’ role of king
‘There’s remarkable symmetry between Diana’s life and Meghan’s.’
It comes as the Daily Mail revealed today that William and Harry have had to drastically scale back the statue unveiling.
The brothers were due to put aside their bitter rift to host an elaborate ceremony on July 1 at Kensington Palace, her former home.
Instead they will preside over a significantly reduced gathering featuring just a handful of guests – the estranged princes themselves and Spencer relatives.
The brothers are due to put aside their bitter rift to host an elaborate ceremony on July 1 at Kensington Palace, her former home, on what would have been their mother’s 60th birthday
Up until this week they had been planning to welcome more than 100 of their mother’s friends, former staff and supporters. But Covid rules have pressed them into a rethink.
Harry and William will make separate speeches as they pay tribute to their mother’s legacy.
They will also thank sculptor Ian Rank-Broadley for creating the statue, which has been in progress since 2017.
Guests have been told that next Thursday’s large ceremony has been scrapped and that a new date will be fixed for September.
The statue of the Princess of Wales is set to be unveiled in the sunken gardens of Kensington Palace next week
It is a bitter disappointment for many in Diana’s circle who had hoped their presence would help bring about a reconciliation between William and his brother.
They have been barely on speaking terms since Harry and Meghan quit royal life for California. Whether this makes a rapprochement that much easier remains to be seen.
The pair have privately told friends that they will do their utmost to ensure their differences do not distract from what they hope will be a moving celebration to recognise their mother’s ‘positive impact’.
During the family gathering, Kate Middleton is set to help William and Harry put on a united front, reports say, after she agreed to attend the ceremony.
An insider said the 39-year-old had seen the project since the beginning and would want to be there to support her husband.