Princess Diana’s Brother Said the Royal Family Lied to Him About Prince William and Prince Harry After Diana’s Death
Following Princess Diana’s death, the images that are ingrained in the minds of many are her two sons, Prince William and Prince Harry, walking behind their mother’s coffin on Sept. 6, 1997.
Seeing the princes, who were just 15 and 12 at the time, follow Diana’s casket to Westminster Abbey was heartbreaking and royal fans have debated for years if they should have been made to do so. The princess’s brother, Charles Spencer, has his own opinion and says the royal family lied to him about his nephews.
Charles Spencer said the royals lied about what William and Harry wanted
Princess Diana died following a car crash in Paris on Aug. 31, 1997. In the days following, plans for her funeral were made and Spencer decided to walk in the procession behind his sister’s casket. But he argued against the young princes doing that with him and said the royal family lied telling him they wanted to.
“I was lied to and told that they wanted to do it, which of course they didn’t,” Spencer told the BBC’s Radio 4 program.
Diana’s brother went on to say that it was a “bizarre and cruel thing” for the royals to force William and Harry to join him.
“It was the worst part of the day by a considerable margin, walking behind my sister’s body with two boys who were obviously massively grieving their mother,” he explained.
Why the princes agreed to walk behind Diana’s casket
It’s been reported that at first Prince William refused to march in his mom’s funeral cortège but agreed when his grandfather, Prince Philip, offered to stand by his side and walk in it as well.
People noted that Philip asked both William and Harry, “If I do it, will you?”
In the documentary Diana, 7 Days, the princess’s oldest son spoke about his choice.
“It wasn’t an easy decision, and it was a collective family decision to do that,” William said. “It was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. But we were overwhelmed by how many people turned out, it was just incredible. There was that balance between duty and family and that’s what we had to do.”
Prince Harry reveals how he felt about being in the funeral cortège
Prince Harry has also opened up about walking behind Diana’s casket that day.
“My mother had just died and I had to walk a long way behind her coffin surrounded by thousands of people watching me while millions more did on television,” Harry previously told Newsweek. “I don’t think any child should be asked to do that under any circumstances. I don’t think it would happen today.”
The Duke of Sussex later reflected on everything again when speaking to the BBC and revealed that “looking back on it, he is glad to have been part of the day.”
