On July 29, 1981, the world saw the marriage of 20-year-old Princess Diana and 32-year-old Prince Charles (who is now King) in what was dubbed the “wedding of the century.”
Diana went from Lady Diana Spencer to Princess of Wales as her wedding ring slipped onto her finger, carrying a title that would allow the entire world to appreciate her lovable nature but also put her through years of difficulties in her marriage and compelled her to conform to the countless number of royal expectations.
But, she discovered satisfaction in welcoming and raising her two boys, Prince William and Prince Harry, who were born in 1982 and 1984, respectively. When it came to her sons, the adoring mother was willing to bend the rules to accommodate them.
One thing he will always remember about his mother is how she smothered Harry and him in love. He still feels the love mom provided them after twenty years, which is a testimonial to her huge heart and remarkable ability to be a great mother,” said Prince William.
Though her bond with her children was perfect, her relationship with her husband was fraught with difficulties, along with an affair.
Prince Charles and Princess Diana declared their divorce in 1992, yet she continued to fulfill royal obligations. The Queen advised the pair to divorce in 1996, and they did so two months later after reaching an agreement. Princess Diana agreed to give up her title of “Her Royal Highness” and anything else that might enable her to make future claims to the British monarchy. The deal, however, permitted her to preserve the title of ‘Princess of Wales.’
It was said that it took them years to finalize their divorce due to arguments about money and access, but also, and especially, Diana’s title. She wished to retain the title ‘Her Royal Highness,’ since nothing could erase the reality that she is and always will be the mother of the future heir to the kingdom.
She would lose all formal links to her sons if she lost this title. It would imply that if Princess Diana desired to preserve her connection with her boys, she would have had to observe the various royal standards, including curtsying to her own kids.
Queen Elizabeth II decided that Princess Diana should preserve the title. However, Prince Charles was allegedly “adamant” about stripping his former wife of the title and the benefits that came with it.
Princess Diana was so angry over losing the title that when her mother argued that starting again without the weight of a royal title may be a positive thing, Diana stopped speaking to her for months.
When the crisis unfolded, Prince William was just 14 years old, and the youngster could not stand seeing his mother in such a situation. According to Paul Burrell, Princess Diana’s former butler, he sought to console her while she was in “sadness.”
The butler relayed Prince William’s earnest vow to his mother at the moment. She told him how, when she was devastated over HRH’s death, he sat with her, wrapped his arms around her, and murmured, ‘Don’t worry, Mummy. I will give it back to you one day when I am King,’ Burrell writes about this in his book, A Royal Duty. Burrell said that the conversation had left the Princess in tears.
Sadly, Princess Diana will never see her son rise to the throne since she died in a car accident in 1997, only a year after the divorce was completed.
Losing his mother at such a young age left Prince William in shock, and it took him years to come to terms with it.
If he had mental health difficulties, he would gladly discuss them. He believes the closest he came was the devastation he had when he lost his mother, the magnitude of the sadness, and he still hasn’t coped with that sorrow as effectively as he could have throughout the years, as per Prince William.
When asked why it took him so long to one-up her, Prince William responded, he is in a better position than he has been in a long time, where he can talk about her more freely, more truthfully, remember her better, and openly talk about her better. It took him about 20 years to reach that point.
