The Prince of Wales has reportedly hired the law firm that represented his mother Princess Diana in her divorce from King Charles. According to the Daily Mail's Richard Eden, Prince William, who was previously represented by his father's lawyers, Harbottle & Lewis, has turned to Mishcon de Reya to act on behalf of himself and his family. A Kensington Palace spokesman declined to comment to the outlet.
"William wanted to strike out on his own," a source told Richard. "He did not want to continue using his father’s lawyers. It’s as simple as that. He wants to be his own man."
Someone described as a "friend" also said, "William wants to do things differently from his father, and wants to be seen to do them differently."
Anthony Julius, the deputy chairman of Mishcon de Reya, was Princess Diana's attorney during her 1996 divorce from then-Prince Charles. The lawyer's page on Mishcon de Reya's website notes that Anthony was co-founder and first chairman, and then vice president, of the Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fund.
Per the Daily Mail, the firm Harbottle & Lewis has represented the royal family for decades, and its partner Gerrard Tyrrell is said to be one of King Charles' most trusted advisers. The outlet reported that Prince's William’s "decision is being seen at Buckingham Palace as the latest example of his desire to follow a different path from that of his father," and "shows that he is more than willing to shake up the status quo behind palace doors."
Last year, the Prince of Wales, who is first in line to the throne, spoke about wanting to do things differently. "I can only describe what I'm trying to do, and that's I'm trying to do it differently and I'm trying to do it for my generation," the Earthshot Prize founder, 42, told the BBC in November of 2024. "And to give you more an understanding around it, I'm doing it with maybe a smaller R in the royal, if you like, that's maybe a better way of saying it."
His Royal Highness added, "It's more about impact philanthropy, collaboration, convening, and helping people. And I'm also going to throw empathy in there as well, because I really care about what I do. It helps impacts people's lives. And I think we could do with some more empathetic leadership around the world."