Princess Diana had some wishes for her sons, Prince William and Prince Harry. In a letter written in November 1995, Princess Diana replied to a letter written to her by a fan, addressing her famous interview with the BBC, where she discussed her relationship with Prince Charles and the reasons behind their separation.
© Tim GrahamPrincess Diana's letter was addressed to Michael Barratt, who, in his letter, praised her interview and her response to the challenging situation that she found herself in. The contents of the letter were shared by the Reeman Dansie's "Royalty, Antiques & Fine Art" auction.
In it, Diana wrote about “how touched she is by the contents and by his profound words, and in particular relates to his sentiments of self-knowledge and moving on in life."
© Julian ParkerShe wrote that she hoped that the interview would help women overcome similar situations. She also wrote that she hoped it had an impact on her sons, “sharing with and teaching William and Harry the importance of communication on a deeper level.”
30 years later, Princess Diana's words feel bittersweet. Prince William and Prince Harry have been estranged for years, with their relationship reaching a breaking point following Harry and Meghan's departure from the British royal family. Throughout their youth, Diana spent a lot of time with her sons, with the three often photographed together doing fun activities.
The William and Harry rift, explained
© Justin Goff Photos/Getty ImagesWhile William and Harry's relationship hit a public breaking point in 2020, when Harry and Meghan left the UK, reports of their struggles date back to years before, at the start of Harry and Meghan's relationship.
Harry addressed the rumors in 2019. "Part of this role and part of this job, and this family, being under the pressure that it’s under, inevitably, you know, stuff happens,” he said. "But look, we’re brothers, we’ll always be brothers. And we’re certainly on different paths at the moment, but I’ll always be there for him, as I know he’ll always be there for me.”
In the following years, the rift grew worse, with Harry publishing his book "Spare," which explored the rift with his brother in depth. In 2024, at the funeral of their uncle's funeral, the brothers seemed to ignore each other.
In September of last year, Harry reunited with his father for the first time in years. It marked the first time that the two had seen each other since Charles' cancer diagnosis was revealed to the public. The two reportedly met for 55 minutes, enjoying some tea together.
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