Princess Diana prepared Prince Harry for the royal role, says a royal expert

As the rift between Prince William and Prince Harry escalates, an account has resurfaced that Princess Diana once quietly groomed her youngest son to become king.

Veteran royal writer Richard Kay, who was very close to the late Princess of Wales, revealed on the Daily Mail’s “Palace Confidential” podcast that Diana believed William already knew about her future, but remained “shy” and uncomfortable about the future.

“I think William has been a miracle,” Kay said. “He was a shy young man. Certainly, when his mother was alive, she used to tell me that she never thought that William wanted a ‘high job,’ as he called it. The idea that one day he would carry the title.”

PRINCE WILLIAM HONORS PRINCESS DIANA WITH A LAST-EVER-SEEING UK MOTHER’S DAY PICTURE.

“He was, in his mind, preparing the way for Harry to succeed his father,” he said. “And he had a little nickname for Harry: he used to call him ‘Good King Harry’ – a throwback to medieval days. And of course, things didn’t work out that way.”

Several royal experts who spoke to Fox News Digital dismissed the claim, saying Diana always knew who would be king – and it wasn’t Harry.

Princess Diana and her sons Prince William (left) and Prince Harry (right) at the Heads of State Memorial Service in Hyde Park on May 7, 1995, in London. (Anwar Hussein/Getty Images)

“Prince William didn’t come out of the gate campaigning for the crown,” Kinsey Schofield, host of “Kinsey Schofield Unfiltered,” told Fox News Digital.

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“He grew up in it. That line fits well with the modern monarchy, which values ​​duty over ambition. It casts him as thoughtful, balanced, and unencumbered by entitlement. Conversely, those who claim conformity often reveal exactly why they weren’t qualified for the top job in the first place.”

“This is like a prophetic insight and it’s like a mother carrying two very different little boys,” Schofield said.

Princess Diana is seen here taking her sons to Thorpe Park in 1993. (Photo by Julian Parker/UK Press via Getty Images)

“Diana was very sensitive to Harry feeling in the best of circumstances, so floating the idea of ​​’Good King Harry’ sounds like emotional equity, not constitutional foresight. Prince William was always a thoughtful person, burdened prematurely by the weight of expectation. Diana didn’t predict the future so much as try to soften it.”

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Royal experts told Fox News Digital that Princess Diana quickly noticed that Prince William (right) was shy and reserved. (Tim Graham Photo Library via Getty Images)

“Sovereignty is never guaranteed by sequence, only by emotion,” Schofield continued. “Diana understood the emotional cost of the role better than most, and she saw that William felt it deeply. Asking if he wanted it wasn’t questioning the institution; he was acknowledging that the job came with an emotional cost. That’s a mother’s reality, not a constitutional concern.”

Kay noted that, similarly, people often speculated whether Princess Margaret would be better suited to the role of king than her sister, Princess Elizabeth.

Queen Elizabeth II (left) is seen here with her younger sister Princess Margaret. (Tim Graham Photo Library via Getty Images)

“I think the consensus is ‘we got the right one,’ and I think we got the right one,” he said. “We got the right one in William as the Prince of Wales. He seems to have grown into the role. As viewers, we almost all agreed that he seems a little shy, hesitant, a little shy. But he’s really grown.”

Prince William listens to scientists during a visit to Isambard-AI, the UK’s most powerful supercomputer, at the University of Bristol on Jan. 22, 2026 in Bristol, England. The Prince of Wales was visiting Bristol to see the city’s sustainability achievements. (Chris Jackson/Getty Images)

“What I like most about him is that he comes up with different ways to talk to the king,” said Kay. “I think he realizes that some aspects of the monarchy … don’t fit well with modern society. And I think he knows he’s going to have to make some big changes to make sure he survives.”

Before William accepted his royal destiny, he wanted a badge, not a crown, British broadcaster and photographer Helena Chard told Fox News Digital. It is reported that the dream of a young heir provoked a reaction from his brother.

Royal experts told Fox News Digital that Prince William had childhood dreams of becoming a police officer so he could protect his mother. (Tim Graham Photo Library via Getty Images)

“When he was young, William expressed his displeasure at being king,” said Chard. “Instead, he wanted to be a police officer to protect his mother from the news. In fact, like many children, he was obsessed with being a police officer, something William passed on to his son, George.”

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Prince William (right) with Diana, Princess of Wales (left) and Prince Harry (centre) on the day he joined Eton in September 1995. (Photos by Anwar Hussein/WireImage/Getty)

“Harry couldn’t believe his ears, he decided he would step into his brother’s shoes and become king,” said Chard. “Princess Diana comforted Harry, naming him ‘Good King Harry’ to comfort him, knowing he needed more love and reassurance.”

Schofield pointed out that in later years, Diana made it known who would one day be king.

From left: Earl Charles Spencer, Prince William, Prince Harry and Prince Charles follow Princess Diana’s coffin at her funeral on September 6, 1997, in London. (Photo by Anwar Hussein/WireImage)

“Let’s be clear, in the BBC ‘Panorama’ interview, he never once suggested Prince Harry as the future king,” she said. “In his words, if the line of succession ever crossed anyone, he pointed to Prince William at that time. That’s not a mystery. It’s certainty. He knew exactly who he believed should carry the crown. It was his eldest son.”

Martin Bashir is seen chatting with Princess Diana at Kensington Palace on the television show “Panorama.” (© Pool Photograph/Corbis/Corbis via Getty Images.)

“Diana was always worried about Harry’s future role in life, as William was always given special privileges,” said royal expert Ian Pelham Turner.

“Giving Harry a personal makeover may be his way of redressing the balance. I believe William has every desire to be king. … Harry has shown strength in leadership in the military and in protecting his family abroad.”

In this photo released on Jan. 21, 2013, Prince Harry sits in the front seat of the cockpit of an Apache Helicopter Pilot/Gunner on a British-controlled airfield at Camp Bastion in Afghanistan. (John Stillwell – WPA Pool/Getty Images)

Royal experts agreed that rivalry between the brothers was inevitable. Diana saw that early on and urged them to stay close despite the very different paths that will separate them.

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Prince Harry’s “Spare” book is seen on display at the WH Smith branch opposite Windsor Castle on Jan. 10, 2023, Windsor, England. (Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)

“We’ve always thought that the brothers were close, but Harry’s ‘Spare’ wrong memory clearly shows that he was jealous of his brother, his future was clearly planned, and his was not,” said royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams.

“Harry may still be fifth in line to the throne, but he is not a working member of the royal family, from whom he is currently estranged.”

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex stepped down as members of the Royal Family in 2020. (Karwai Tang/WireImage)

“William may have been shy at one time, but as his future role approaches, he has succeeded in balancing his duties. He is deeply involved in several charities, has great political skills, puts his family first, and uses his unique profile as the future head of the world’s highest monarchy both in the world and abroad with great skill.”

Prince William, seen here with his wife Catherine, Princess of Wales, is the heir to the British throne. (UK Press Pool/UK Press via Getty Images)

Diana died in 1997 from injuries sustained in a car accident in Paris. He was 36 years old. Harry and his wife, Meghan Markle, stepped down as members of the royal family in 2020 and moved to California. William and Harry last met in August 2024 at a memorial service for their uncle, Lord Robert Fellowes. The brothers are said not to get along.