Princess Diana feared Prince Harry would ‘wither’ in Prince William’s shadow: expert

Princess Diana feared Prince Harry would struggle to find his place in the royal family while growing up in the shadow of his older brother and future king Prince William, according to a royal expert.

The late Princess of Wales’ concerns about her sons are back in the spotlight amid news of the upcoming three-part documentary "Diana Unheard," which will feature never-before-heard audio from roughly five hours of secret recordings that Diana made with her friend Dr. James Colthurst in 1991.

The documentary's producers told Deadline that the recordings, which were used in Andrew Morton’s explosive 1992 biography, "Diana: Her True Story," include the princess speaking candidly about her sons William and the line of succession, as well as her troubled marriage to then-Prince Charles and other aspects of royal life.

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While speaking with Fox News Digital, British royals expert Christopher Andersen shared his view that the recordings could reveal Diana's long-held concerns about the vastly different paths awaiting her sons.

"Diana worried from the beginning that Harry might wither in the shadow of his brother the future king," the "Kate!" author said.

Princess Diana feared that Prince Harry would struggle in the shadow of Prince William, according to royal expert  (Georges De Keerle / FSP / Liaison Agency; Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images)

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"Even at a young age, William shared his mother's concerns and for the most part took great pains to spare his brother's feelings," Andersen continued. "It's very telling that, in his last conversation with Diana just hours before her death, William expressed his fear that a photo opportunity at Eton might leave Harry feeling ignored."

Diana died at age 36 in August 1997 after suffering injuries sustained in a car accident in the Pont de l'Alma tunnel in Paris, France. Her partner, Dodi Fayed, and the driver, Henri Paul, also died in the crash.

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Hours before her death, Diana called William, then 15, from her hotel in Paris, according to Morton's biography. During what would become their final conversation, William reportedly told his mother that he had been asked to participate in a solo photocall to mark the beginning of his third year at Eton College and shared that he was deeply concerned the high-profile solo moment would make Harry, then 12, feel overshadowed and excluded.

Andersen said that Diana had concerns that Harry would be left with "deep-seated feelings of insecurity and gnawing self-doubt." (Photo by Tim Graham Photo Library via Getty Images)

According to Andersen, Diana had confidence that William, now 44, would succeed in his role as future king, but she was apprehensive over how the monarchy's heir-and-spare dynamic would affect Harry, now 42.

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"Kate!: The Courage, Grace, and Power of the Woman Who Will Be Queen" by Christopher Andersen is available now. (Gallery Books)

"Wise, sensitive, an old soul — these were some of the words that Diana used to describe William," Andersen said. "She saw him as being mature far beyond his years. While Diana knew much would be demanded of William in the future, she never doubted that he would be up to the task."

"Harry was another matter entirely," Andersen said. "The world saw Harry as a charming scamp, and there definitely was that side to him, but Diana knew better than anyone that always being in his brother's formidable shadow could leave the Spare with deep-seated feelings of insecurity and gnawing self-doubt."

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However, Andersen expressed his opinion that Diana had faith in the strength of the bond between William and Harry and would not have foreseen their future estrangement.

"Looking back, it's so odd to remember how close the brothers truly were," he said. "They had their moments, as all siblings do, but the boys were always so emotionally dependent on each other."

Royal experts said that Diana believed the brothers shared an "unbreakable bond." (Tim Graham Photo Library via Getty Images)

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"Diana always felt that, whatever challenges they faced, William and Harry would weather the storm together," Andersen continued. "She viewed the brothers as a unit. As far as Diana was concerned, theirs was an unbreakable bond."

Royal expert Kinsey Schofield agreed that Diana did not fear that there would be a rift between the brothers but argued that the late princess worried more over William's burden as the future king than Harry's supporting role.

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"Based on my research, Diana was more concerned about the pressures of royal life affecting her sons individually than the possibility of them becoming estranged," the host of YouTube’s "Kinsey Schofield Unfiltered" told Fox News Digital.

"Diana understood that William and Harry were destined for very different lives," Schofield continued. "William was born to be king. Harry was born to support him. She wanted them to remain close because she understood the importance of William having someone he could trust."

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"Prince William’s future weighed heavily on Diana because she understood the responsibility he would inherit," she added. "She knew that William would never have the freedom to simply walk away from his destiny. She spoke to him about the importance of finding a suitable and supportive partner. She believed in his leadership but worried about his reluctance as a child."

"Harry, on the other hand, had opportunities William would never enjoy. He could pursue his own interests, build a career around charitable causes, and enjoy a degree of independence that his brother couldn’t."

Schofield argued that Diana worried more that William would struggled with the burden of being future king. (Anwar Hussein/WireImage)

Schofield pointed out that Harry was once a favorite of the British public and celebrated for his achievements.

"He was enormously popular," Schofield said. "He had a successful military career, founded the Invictus Games, and was one of the most beloved members of the royal family."

"Harry wasn’t destined for failure because he was born second," she continued. "He had every opportunity to build a meaningful life within the institution."

"I think Diana would have been more concerned about William carrying the weight of the Crown than Harry having to share the spotlight," Schofield added.

The royal experts agreed that Diana would have been shocked and distraught over William and Harry's current estrangement.

"Diana would have been heartbroken, and it's hard for me to imagine that the split ever would have happened if she had been alive," Anderson said. "Things just wouldn't have gotten so out of hand."

"I think Diana would be devastated," Schofield told Fox News Digital. "Prince William and Harry shared an experience that very few people on earth could understand. They lost their mother in front of the entire world. That shared grief should have been something that united them for life."

Schofield said that the brothers should have been united by their shared grief over Diana's death. (Jeff Overs/BBC News & Current Affairs via Getty Images)

Reports of tensions between the brothers first emerged in 2018, with Harry publicly acknowledging the strain in their relationship the following year when he said the brothers were on "different paths."

The divide widened further after Harry and his wife Meghan Markle announced their decision to step down from their roles as working royals in January 2020. The two's relationship continued to deteriorate in subsequent years following Harry and Markle's bombshell 2021 interview with Oprah Winfrey, the couple's 2022 Netflix series "Harry & Meghan" and Harry's explosive 2023 memoir "Spare."

However, British royals expert Hilary Fordwich cautioned against viewing Diana's decades-old concerns through the lens of events that unfolded long after her death.

"Hearing tapes today made back in 1991 though shouldn’t be taken as a current verdict regarding events and complicated results of events Princess Diana isn’t tragically alive to witness," Fordwich told Fox News Digital.

While Diana herself was known for challenging royal conventions and became increasingly more independent following her 1992 separation from Charles, she continued carrying out public duties and remained committed to many of the causes she had championed as a working royal.

Andersen and Schofield said that Diana would not have supported Harry's decision to step away from royal duties. (Reuters)

Andersen and Schofield argued that Diana's rebellious streak does not necessarily mean she would have supported Harry's decision to leave royal duties and his subsequent actions.

"Diana definitely knew that Harry would have to forge his own path to some extent — certainly more so than William, whose role in royal life is preordained," Andersen said. "But I don't believe Diana would have approved of Harry abruptly bailing on the monarchy the way he did."

"True, Diana was a rule-breaker and a rebel but she also had a strong sense of duty and of history," he continued. "Diana believed that Harry had an important role to play. Harry probably would never be king, but he was the son of one and as such had his own unique destiny to fulfill within the monarchy."

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"Of course Diana would have wanted above all else for her sons to be happy, but it never would have occurred to her that Harry would simply turn his back on the rest of the royal family," Andersen added.

"Diana might have sympathized with Harry’s frustrations, but I don’t believe that means she would have supported everything he’s done since leaving," Schofield said.

Diana understood what it meant to feel trapped," she continued. "But Harry had choices his mother never enjoyed. And he exercised them."

Schofield said that Diana most wanted her sons to be "happy" and "close." (Rota/Pool/Getty Images)

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Whatever new insights the recordings may offer into Diana's private concerns, Schofield said they could serve as a reminder of the priorities that shaped her life as a mother.

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"Diana wanted both her sons to be happy," Schofield said. "She wanted them to be close. And she wanted them to grow into compassionate men who understood their responsibilities to others."

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"If these recordings remind Americans of anything, I hope it’s that Diana’s legacy belongs to both her sons," she said.