How Did the Royal Family React to Princess Diana’s Death?
Princess Diana‘s tragic death was a titular moment in royal family history. However, the clan, known for keeping a stiff upper lip in the most devastating circumstances, handled things uniquely. How did the royal family react to Princess Diana’s death?
Here’s how Prince Harry and Prince William reacted to the news of Princess Diana’s death
In an interview with Newsweek, Prince Harry explained how difficult it was to try and understand the enormity of his mother’s death. He regretted partaking in one particular aspect of her funeral procession.
“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 explained. “I don’t think any child should be asked to do that. I don’t think it would happen today.”
In turn, his older brother explained that the emotions one feels when losing a parent is like “nothing in the world,” Prince William revealed in the HBO documentary Diana, Our Mother: Her Life and Legacy. “There really isn’t.”
He concluded, “It’s like an earthquake has just run through the house and through your life and everything. Your mind is completely split. And it took me a while for it to actually sink in.”
William celebrates Diana’s life via his charity work. Photos of Diana are on display at the Kensington Palace apartment he shares with his wife, Kate Middleton, and their children Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis.
How did King Charles react to Princess Diana’s passing?
Royal expert Christopher Andersen, who wrote The King: The Life of Charles III, wrote of King Charles’ reaction to Princess Diana’s death. He wrote the senior royal was left “ashen and trembling” when he received the fateful phone call.
“He let out a cry of pain was that so spontaneous and came from the heart,” Andersen wrote. “Palace staff rushed over to Charles’ room and found him collapsed in an armchair, weeping uncontrollably.”
Andersen continued, “I don’t think people realize how really stricken he was by her death. I interviewed the nurses in the hospital who saw him when he came into the room and saw her body for the first time, and he looked like he’d been hit in the face.”
“He reeled back. They thought he was going to faint. They were surprised to see how emotional Charles was after her death,” he concluded.
Prince Philip acted protectively of Princes William and Harry
In Tina Brown’s book The Palace Papers, Prince Philip reportedly acted protectively of his two grandsons after learning of their mother’s death. Brown interviewed an aide who helped plan Diana’s funeral, who told her that Philip stepped up and tried to shield Charles and Diana’s children from further pain.
She wrote, “The Spencer side had been saying what the role of the children had to be. Philip blasted, ‘Stop telling us what to do with these boys! They have lost their mother!'”
However, Prince Philip also cajoled his grandsons into walking behind their mother’s coffin as the world watched. Brown wrote, “The unforgettable sight of three generations of royal males solemnly walking behind Diana’s coffin made the powerful dynastic statement the monarchy required.”
Queen Elizabeth took five days to respond to news of Princess Diana’s death
Queen Elizabeth’s first public address regarding Princess Diana’s death came five days after her passing. At the time, the public appeared to turn on the monarch for not responding to the tragedy sooner.
However, in the documentary Diana: 7 Days, Prince William revealed that Queen Elizabeth was trying to “protect her two grandsons, and my father as well.” He continued, “Our grandmother deliberately removed the newspapers and things like that, so there was nothing in the house. So we didn’t know what was going on.”
The queen returned to Buckingham Palace to find her country in deep mourning. Elizabeth filmed a message saying she wanted to “pay tribute to Diana. She was an exceptional and gifted human being.”
She continued, “In good times and bad, she never lost her capacity to smile and laugh, nor to inspire others with her warmth and kindness. I admired and respected her — for her energy and commitment to others, especially her devotion to her two boys.”
Princess Diana died alongside her friend Dodi Al Fayed and driver Henri Paul in a car crash at the Pont de l’Alma tunnel in Paris, France. There was only one survivor, Trevor Rees-Jones.
