Prince William Learned This Important Lesson About the Press from Princess Diana

Being royal comes with a lot of perks, but it also has its drawbacks, the most notable of which is the overwhelming lack of privacy. Prince William (opens in new tab) struggled with the idea of the press covering his every move in college and, thankfully, the royal family was able to make a deal with British reporters: Leave Will alone when he's on campus and we'll give you special access to him at other times.

The deal also applied to Will's gap year (opens in new tab), during which he was able to travel the world and experience life without the fear of constantly being pursued by the press. But, when he returned from his travels and prepared to start college, it was time for Will to live up to his half of the bargain and appear at his first solo press conference.

In her book Kate: The Future Queen (opens in new tab), royal expert and biographer Katie Nicholl (opens in new tab) explains that Will's approach to the press had been shaped by his mother, the late Princess Diana, who died in a car crash while trying to escape the lenses of paparazzi in Paris.

Will's skill with the press (opens in new tab) has only increased as he's gotten older, of course, but he still follows the "rule" he learned from Diana and never says too much.

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