The tragic way Diana’s death contributed to the feud between Will And Harry

How Prince Williams’ heartbreaking final phone call with their mum has sparked a rift between the two brothers.

OPINION
From the moment we saw those two tear-stained boys sitting in Westminster Abbey at their mother’s funeral in 1997, dwarfed by both the magnitude of the situation and the weight of bearing grief like princes rather than children, Harry and Will have always had a piece of our hearts.

They’ve grown into men, husbands and now fathers in the shadow of their Diana’s loss, but in the past month rumours of a deep rift between their two households has dominated the news cycle.

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Rumours of tension between to royal couples have dominated the news cycle of late. Picture: Chris Jackson

All eyes were on the brothers at Diana’s funeral in 1997. Picture: Adam Butler

While the global press is intent on turning Meghan Markle into some sort of royal Yoko Ono, there are fragments of the same theme in every story about the brothers that point to another woman being at the heart of their feud.

The death of their mother Diana, her absence in every major milestone a presence in itself, is thought to be a contributing factor in the friction between the siblings and their families.

Diana’s untimely death shocked the world and no doubt have a profound effect on her sons. Picture: Jamal A. Wilson

According to The Sun’s Emily Andrews, Meghan’s refusal to engage with her father, Thomas Markle, was a bone of contention between the two brothers because of Will’s approach to the situation.

The Duke of Cambridge reportedly “couldn’t understand ignoring a parent, whatever they’d done”, having lost his mum at such a young age.

To say Diana was a magnet for controversy while she was alive is an understatement — but her loss has solidified for her eldest son the importance of maintaining family relationships at all costs.

Diana, although dubbed the “People’s Princess”, was a magnet for controversy. Picture: Tim Graham

In a one-off TV documentary last year, William admitted his final phone call with his mum before her death was cut short, something he regrets to this day.

“At the time Harry and I were running around minding our own business, you know, playing with our cousins and having a very good time,” he said.

“And I think Harry and I were just in a desperate rush to say goodbye, you know, see you later and we’re going to go off.

“If I’d known now obviously what was going to happen I wouldn’t have been so blasé about it and everything else.

“But that phone call sticks in my mind quite, quite heavily.”

Prince William says his last phone call with his mother sticks with him to this day. Picture: Tim Graham

For Harry, Diana’s loss has engendered in him a fierce protectiveness over his new bride.

Rumours of Harry being disappointed in William’s welcome of Meghan into the family, as well as his insistence on staff going over and above to accommodate his bride’s ever desire are thought to be additional factors in the spat.

A royal courtier reportedly told The Sun: “It’s my opinion that Harry feels he couldn’t protect his mother, so he’s going all out to protect his wife. This is his way of atoning.”

It has been suggestion Harry is protective of Meghan because he feels he could not protect his mother. Picture: Supplied.

He has said of Diana’s death in recent years that he was overcome with grief, and “put his head in the sand,” in its aftermath, not knowing how to deal with the emotion of it.

The heartbreaking idea that Harry - a boy of 12 years old at the time of Diana’s death, might have blamed himself in some way for being unable to protect his mum, is yet another layer of tragedy in this saga.

The idea that those long-held hurts might be the cause of a breakdown in the other most important relationship of his life is devastating.
— Bek Day is a writer for whimn.com.au. Continue the conversation on Twitter @Bek_Day

— This story was originally published on whimn.com.au and is republished with permission