Princess Diana Had an Amazing Reaction When Asked If Prince William Should Succeed the Queen Instead of Prince Charles
From the outside looking in, being a member of the British royal family seems like a life full of privilege and luxury. Certainly, there are some major perks with the roles including luxe wardrobes, posh living quarters, and a life funded by taxpayers and the crown. However, as the old saying goes, “all that glitters isn’t gold.”
Unfortunately, Princess Diana learned this lesson the hard way. The late princess was just 19 when she married Prince Charles in the biggest television event of the decade. Though the princess was hopeful about her marriage, she and the prince never connected, she was also very ill-prepared for royal protocol and the spotlight.
Having to endure in her role as the Princess of Wales, Princess Diana was desperate for her boys to experience something different. Though she was well aware that Prince William would one day become the Crowned king, her reaction to the future was very telling.
Princess Diana desperately wanted Prince William and Prince Harry to feel normal
Since she felt so ostracized and isolated in royal life, when it came to raising her boys, Princess Diana wanted the exact opposite for them. Often defying royal tradition, Queen Elizabeth II, and Prince Charles, the princess made sure her sons were grounded and had some normalcy in their childhoods.
Prince William and Prince Harry were the first royals to attend public school at their mother’s insistence. They also went on family vacations, volunteering trips, and even ate fast food.
“I’ve taken the children to all sorts of areas where I’m not sure anyone of that age in this family has been before,” she told BBC in 1995. “And they have a knowledge – they may never use it, but the seed is there, and I hope it will grow because knowledge is power.”
Prince William used to resent the idea of becoming king
From the beginning, Prince William knew he was going to be king. Much like his son, Prince George, he had a special bond with the queen and often spent quality time with her without his brother or cousins.
Unfortunately, as a young boy that did not warm the prince up to the idea of stepping into the role as the sovereign monarch. Instead, for many years, Prince William resented his destiny.
“We talked about our children, and [Princess Diana] said William often told her that he didn’t really want to be king, and then Harry would say, ‘If you don’t want the job I’ll have it,’” journalist Jeremy Paxman recalled.
This is how Princess Diana reacted when she was asked about Prince William becoming king
Princess Diana also had her own opinions about her eldest son became king, especially if it meant that he would succeed the queen instead of prince Charles for whatever reason.
In a November 1995 BBC1 Panorama she spoke to Martin Bashir about the possiblity of Prince William, who was just 13 at the time, becoming king over Prince Charles.
“Well, then you have to see that William’s very young at the moment, so do you want a burden like that to be put on his shoulders at such an age? So I can’t answer that question,” Princess Diana said. “My wish is that my husband finds peace of mind, and from that follows others things, yes.”
