Prince William Refuses to Participate in Princess Diana Documentaries

Prince William is reportedly unwilling to repeat the pattern of the 20th anniversary of his mother’s death in 2017, which served as a public catharsis, the Times reports. That year, Prince William and Prince Harry collaborated on the ITV documentary Diana, Our Mother: Her Life and Legacy, in which they spoke about their mother and their memories of her. “We won’t speak as openly about her again,” Prince William said at the film’s screening at Kensington Palace.

Meanwhile, Prince Harry is reportedly considering honoring his mother’s memory through a new film project. “I am told that one of the reasons Harry’s here is to make a television film, his own film, about his mother,” Daily Mail reporter Richard Kay said on the publication’s Palace Confidential web series.

“Let’s not forget who Harry spent time with when he was here in July, it was Diana’s family at Althorp.”

This is a project Prince Harry would take on without the help of his older brother, as relations between the two have been strained for many years. The Sussexes’ dramatic departure from the royal family, followed by their public accusations, have left the heir to the throne deeply upset. The two brothers had appeared together in 2021 to unveil a statue of their mother, erected near Kensington Palace, where they grew up. They were last photographed in the same room during their father’s coronation in May of 2023. They did not appear to speak with each other, and Prince Harry left for California as soon as the ceremony ended. They saw each other again in August 2024 at the private funeral of their uncle, Lord Robert Fellowes, where they reportedly behaved like complete strangers.

Prince Harry isn’t the only one who wants to publicly pay tribute to Princess Diana. Her brother, Charles Spencer, recently penned a book about her entitled Swan Song: Diana, My Sister. The earl explained his decision to the Guardian, saying “With the 30th anniversary of Diana’s tragic death on the skyline, I’ve been inundated yet again with requests for interviews about my sister.”

“This has convinced me to write down my own thoughts and memories, once and for all, rather than having the discomfort of again reading the opinions of others, many of which are based on untruths that have become accepted over time,” he continued.