20 years on from Princess Diana’s death and there’s so much the 36-year-old missed out on.
Most tragically, the Princess of Wales was robbed of watching her sons Prince William and Prince Harry grow up. Frozen in time forever, the brothers were only 15 and 12 when they lost their mother.
And now her youngest son Prince Harry is all grown up and set to marry the woman of his dreams, Meghan Markle.
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As Prince Harry prepares to marry the love of his life at the Royal Wedding this weekend, there’s no doubt Princess Diana would be incredibly proud of her boys and the very different paths they have forged.
William has become the ultimate family man, a dedicated husband and an adoring father preparing to become the Future King of England all the while giving his three children, Prince George, four, and Princess Charlotte, three, and newborn son Prince Louis the most normal upbringing possible.
“I would like to have had her advice. I would love her to have met Catherine and to have seen the children grow up. It makes me sad that she won’t, that they will never know her,” the 35-year-old told GQ earlier this year of not having his mum around.
While Prince Harry has totally reinvented himself from problematic party boy, to passionate humanitarian. Inheriting his mother’s Midas touch, Harry’s is the People’s Prince and the most popular royal in recent history.
“I know I’ve got a lot of my mother in me. All I want to do is make my mother incredibly proud. I will have to, in a good way, spend the rest of my life trying to fill that void as much as possible,” the 33-year-old explained to People magazine last year.
“I would like to have had her advice. I would love her to have met Catherine and to have seen the children grow up,” William has said.
But perhaps the biggest question mark that hovers over Diana’s sons’ lives is what their late mother would have thought of their respective partners, Meghan Markle and Duchess Catherine.
According to Princess Diana’s former bodyguard Ken Wharfe, the late royal would have adored them.
“She was the sort of mother who [would think]: ‘If that’s what my son wants, it’s not really for me to make judgements whether that person is right or wrong.'”
“And she would have assumed they’d made the right judgement, therefore you can guarantee Diana’s love and support,” Ken tells Now To Love.
Ken claims Diana would have been impressed with both William and Harry refusing to let ‘The Firm’ influence their choice in partners.
“William and Catherine are clearly unlike any other royal marriage, it’s a relationship that William found himself. No one introduced them, they met at university,” the 68-year-old says.
“She had a modernistic approach to life, and for that reason, would have supported them,” Ken says.
“By complete contrast, you have Harry here – the Prince that never will be King – off in a totally different direction and supposedly in love with an American soap star. You couldn’t write this!”
“It’s all part of this program of the modernisation of the royal family in the 21st century. Diana would have said, ‘Look, this is what my son wants and it works for him and he’s happy. Crikey, that’s what I tried in my life!'”
“She had a modernistic approach to life, and for that reason, would have supported them,” he adds.
Last year Ken’s former colleague, royal butler Paul Burrell, faced intense backlash after he said Duchess Catherine lacked the same X-factor as Diana.
“Diana would have said, ‘Look, this is what my son wants and it works for him and he’s happy!'”
But Ken refuses to make comparisons between the two.
“He’s never worked with Catherine, neither have I, so to say she’s less charismatic is a bit unfair and an unwise comment.”
“Diana was Diana, Kate is Kate. How boring would it be if we all happened to be the same. I think Paul actually regrets ever saying that – I’d like to think so anyway.”
“Paul was a consummate butler, who unfortunately contracted a royal disease called Red Carpet Fever and unfortunately there’s no antidote. Once you’ve got it, you’re effectively finished,” Ken laughs.
Ken (R) has hit back at Paul’s (L) claims that Kate isn’t as charismatic as Diana.
