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Prince William declined a film project about his late mother, Diana, to avoid further tension with brother Harry, according to reports, as the 30th anniversary of her death approaches.
Prince William, the Prince of Wales, has reportedly turned down opportunities to create or participate in a film about his late mother, Princess Diana, to prevent exacerbating his rift with Prince Harry. The decision, cited by The Sunday Times and reported in Metro, comes as both brothers navigate their complex relationship amid ongoing public scrutiny of their family’s legacy. William, who was 15 when Diana died in a car crash in Paris in 1997, reportedly made his stance clear in 2017, emphasizing a desire to honor her memory privately.
William’s Private Approach to Diana’s Legacy
The move contrasts with Harry’s known involvement in projects about their mother. A 2022 Netflix series on Harry and Meghan, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, suggests the platform’s interest in their stories. Netflix was thought to be a frontrunner for the Diana project, as the streaming giant previously made a six-part series on the couple in 2022. However, Harry’s exact role in any new project remains unspecified.
Tensions and Memoirs Underline the Divide
The decision comes amid lingering tensions between the brothers, exacerbated by Earl Spencer’s memoir, which criticized the king for allegedly downplaying Diana’s legacy shortly after her death. Spencer claimed in his book that the king had said we’ll forget her soon enough
in reference to Diana soon after her death. Buckingham Palace issued a firm denial in a formal statement, which included the assertion that fraternal grief can cloud reason, affect judgement and colour memory.
When questioned about the reactions of his nephews to the book, Earl Spencer stated to People Magazine that Harry was completely fine about it,
though he did not reveal William’s response. The brothers have not spoken since the late Queen’s funeral in September 2022.
The last public appearance of the brothers together was at a 2021 statue unveiling, following Harry and Meghan’s 2021 Oprah interview, which intensified their estrangement. This development follows closely on the heels of Earl Spencer’s memoir, which included harsh criticisms of the king. William is believed to have received no prior warning regarding the book’s release, during which the author disclosed being approached by Harry to participate in a documentary about Diana. The brothers’ collaboration for the 20th anniversary of Diana’s death included an ITV programme entitled Diana, Our Mother: Her Life and Legacy, where William said his mother’s legacy lives with him every single day,
while Harry said her death was as unexpected as an “earthquake.”
This dynamic shows how fragile the balance is between familial duty and personal boundaries. While William’s choice emphasizes privacy, Harry’s potential project risks framing their mother’s legacy through a lens of public conflict. As the 30th anniversary nears, the brothers’ diverging approaches highlight the enduring complexity of their relationship—and the weight of Diana’s enduring influence.