Princess Diana would be “very upset” to see the state of Prince Harry and Prince William’s relationship today and would have “worked towards a reconciliation,” her biographer has claimed.

Andrew Morton, who collaborated with the princess in 1992 on the publication of the bombshell book Diana: Her True Story, has told Times Radio in a new interview that the royal was clear in her view that Harry’s role was to support his older brother, whose destiny was to take on the burden of the crown.

“There’s absolutely no question at all in my mind that she would have been very upset and would have worked towards a reconciliation between them,” Morton said of the brothers, whose well-publicized feud has become the subject of international press coverage over the past five years.

“I think Harry himself has said that if his mother had been alive things might have been different. Diana always said to me, and she was quite clear about this, that she anticipated Harry as being, as it were, William’s wingman, not a hitman. As far as she was concerned he was there to support the future Prince of Wales.”

Prince Harry (L) and Prince William (R) photographed in 2024. And (inset) Princess Diana photographed in 1997. The princess would be “very upset” by the breakdown in her sons’ relationship, her biographer has claimed. MAX MUMBY/INDIGO/GETTY IMAGES/ASSOCIATED PRESS
When asked if he believed Diana could have foreseen a falling out between her two much-loved sons, Morton said he did not think so.

“We’ve all seen with our own eyes the affection and the friendship that these two brothers had before it all went wrong,” he said. “I mean, you know, Harry went down the same road as other ‘spares.’ It’s not the first time this has happened… it’s not an unusual thing for there to be a spare, and to come to terms with the fact that they’re always in the shadow of their big brother or big sister.”

The term “spare” relates to an old British saying denoting an “heir” and a “spare” in relation to children who will one day inherit their parents’ estates. The “heir” is the first in line, with the “spare” acting as an insurance policy in case anything should happen to the heir.

“He’s misunderstood the difference between popularity and position, and his position is as number two to his brother and it will always be like that,” Morton went on to say about Harry. “He may have been for a time more popular when he and Meghan first strode out together but popularity changes.”

Newsweek approached representatives of Prince Harry via email for comment.

Princess Diana would be “very upset” to see the state of Prince Harry and Prince William’s relationship today and would have “worked towards a reconciliation,” her biographer has claimed.

Andrew Morton, who collaborated with the princess in 1992 on the publication of the bombshell book Diana: Her True Story, has told Times Radio in a new interview that the royal was clear in her view that Harry’s role was to support his older brother, whose destiny was to take on the burden of the crown.

“There’s absolutely no question at all in my mind that she would have been very upset and would have worked towards a reconciliation between them,” Morton said of the brothers, whose well-publicized feud has become the subject of international press coverage over the past five years.

“I think Harry himself has said that if his mother had been alive things might have been different. Diana always said to me, and she was quite clear about this, that she anticipated Harry as being, as it were, William’s wingman, not a hitman. As far as she was concerned he was there to support the future Prince of Wales.”

Prince Harry (L) and Prince William (R) photographed in 2024. And (inset) Princess Diana photographed in 1997. The princess would be “very upset” by the breakdown in her sons’ relationship, her biographer has claimed. MAX MUMBY/INDIGO/GETTY IMAGES/ASSOCIATED PRESS
When asked if he believed Diana could have foreseen a falling out between her two much-loved sons, Morton said he did not think so.

“We’ve all seen with our own eyes the affection and the friendship that these two brothers had before it all went wrong,” he said. “I mean, you know, Harry went down the same road as other ‘spares.’ It’s not the first time this has happened… it’s not an unusual thing for there to be a spare, and to come to terms with the fact that they’re always in the shadow of their big brother or big sister.”

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The term “spare” relates to an old British saying denoting an “heir” and a “spare” in relation to children who will one day inherit their parents’ estates. The “heir” is the first in line, with the “spare” acting as an insurance policy in case anything should happen to the heir.

“He’s misunderstood the difference between popularity and position, and his position is as number two to his brother and it will always be like that,” Morton went on to say about Harry. “He may have been for a time more popular when he and Meghan first strode out together but popularity changes.”

Newsweek approached representatives of Prince Harry via email for comment.

In his 2023 memoir, titled Spare, Harry wrote that he was forced to come to terms with his role as a secondary character to his brother at an early age and that emphasis was repeatedly placed on the circumstances by the press, public, and on some occasions even royal family members.

Princess Diana, Prince Harry and Prince William photographed in Canada, 1991. The princess discussed her sons’ relationship in interviews given to biographer, Andrew Morton. ASSOCIATED PRESS
When Diana collaborated with Morton on his 1992 biography, she did so under a cloak of deniability. She did not provide the author with quotes herself, instead she recorded interviews with a mutual friend who passed them on to him.

When the book came out it caused a sensation, revealing for the first time in-depth the princess’ unhappiness in her marriage, her attempts at self-harm and experience with the eating disorder bulimia nervosa.

Though many knew and speculated as to the extent of Diana’s involvement with the book, Morton did not confirm she was his main source until after her untimely death in 1997.

In transcripts of the tapes she recorded for him which were published after her death, Diana described her belief that Harry was destined to support his brother as he prepared to one day take on the crown.

“Harry was supposed to be a girl,” she said. “[Charles] was absolutely amazed and he adores him. But I know we had two boys for a reason. We were the only people in the family to have two boys.”

“The rest of the family had a boy and a girl and we were the first to change and I know fate played a hand there,” she added. “Harry’s a ‘backup’ in the nicest possible way. William is going to be in his position much earlier than people think now.”