A new book about the royals suggests that rules about Prince William and Prince Harry were among the sources of friction between King Charles and the late Princess Diana before their divorce.
Diana and then Prince Charles married in 1981 and had two children together: future king Prince William and Prince Harry. The couple divorced in 1996 following an acrimonious split, having lived separate lives for years. Diana died in a car accident in Paris in 1997, aged 36.
Book Claims TV Rule Caused Tension
Ingrid Seward, in her newly released book Catherine & Diana: The inside story of how the Princesses of Wales shaped the modern monarchy, wrote that family rules about the two boys were among the sources of friction between Charles and Diana.
“Being exposed to their parents' marital disharmony, even if they didn't witness the actual disagreements, affected both boys,” she wrote. “Charles, for instance, did not like his sons watching television during the day,” preferring them to be playing or exploring outside.
Diana’s Approach to the Rule
Seward claims Diana would let the boys “sneak up the back stairs to watch in her bedroom,” something which is said to have “only added to the arguments” between her and the then Prince of Wales, according to Woman and Home.
The release of Earl Spencer’s book about the life and death of Diana, his older sister, has renewed interest in the royal style icon. She remains beloved for championing various causes, most notably her efforts to destigmatise AIDS during the epidemic in the 1980s.
William and Harry Remember Diana
William and Harry discussed their mother’s warm and mischievous nature in an ITV documentary commemorating the 20th anniversary of her death in 2017. Harry, the Duke of Sussex, said: “Our mother was a total kid through and through. When everybody says to me 'so she was fun, give us an example' all I can hear is her laugh in my head.”
“One of her mottos to me was, you know, 'you can be as naughty as you want, just don't get caught',” he added. “She was one of the naughtiest parents. She would come and watch us play football and, you know, smuggle sweets into our socks.” William echoed the sentiment, saying their mum was “very informal and really enjoyed the laughter and the fun.”
