Prince William is understood to have declined the opportunity to feature in a film about his mother, Diana, Princess of Wales, in a bid to prevent further tension with his brother, Prince Harry. The project, reportedly intended to mark the 30th anniversary of Diana's death, was believed to have Netflix as a leading contender for production.
According to The Sunday Times, William, who was 15 when Diana died, is eager to avoid being 'pitted' against Harry. The heir to the throne is said to prefer commemorating the anniversary privately next year, having last spoken publicly on the subject in 2017, the 20th anniversary of her death.
Harry's Netflix Deal
In contrast, Harry is thought to have been approached for several related projects. The Duke of Sussex holds a 'first look' deal with Netflix, which previously released a six-part series featuring him and his wife, Meghan, in 2022.
The brothers collaborated on two documentaries for the 20th anniversary of Diana's death, aired on BBC and ITV. In the ITV programme Diana, Our Mother: Her Life and Legacy, William remarked that his mother's legacy stays with him 'every single day', while Harry described her death as an unexpected 'earthquake'.
Family Tributes and Recent Tensions
William later cited his mother's homelessness work as 'inspiration and guidance' in a 2024 ITV documentary. He also shared that he refers to Diana as 'Granny Diana' when speaking to his three children to preserve her memory.
The development follows the release of Earl Spencer's memoir, which contained sharp criticisms of the King. William is said to have had no prior notice of the book's publication, in which the author revealed Harry had approached him to appear in a documentary about Diana. Spencer also claimed the King had said 'we'll forget her soon enough' about Diana shortly after her death.
Buckingham Palace refuted the allegations in a strongly worded statement, suggesting that 'fraternal grief can cloud reason, affect judgement and colour memory'. When asked about his nephews' reactions to the book, Earl Spencer told People Magazine that Harry was 'completely fine about it', but declined to comment on William's response.
The last joint appearance by William and Harry to honour their mother was at the unveiling of a statue of Diana in 2021, following Harry and Meghan's interview with Oprah Winfrey.
