
Prince Harry has made the choices he felt were best for him in recent years: namely, leaving the U.K. and speaking out about life in the Royal Family via a Netflix docuseries, a memoir, and various TV interviews.
But according to his late mother Princess Diana's former butler, this is not the path the princess would have chosen for herself.
"I think he’s convinced himself that this is the way his mother would want him to go but I could counsel him with that and say, 'your mother was a huge supporter of the Royal Family. She was very proud of you, Harry, being part of that family, and your brother,'" Paul Burrell tells Marie Claire on behalf of Slingo (opens in new tab).
"'She always supported the monarchy, she was proud to be a royal princess too. Even when she died she was still a princess—Diana, Princess of Wales—and she wanted to continue to support the Crown in anything she did.
"'There is a huge difference between your mother’s work and what she wanted in [her] life and yours. Just because she wanted to have a bolthole in Malibu in California to take you and your brother on vacation once or twice a year isn’t to say she was about to abandon the country.'"
With all that said, these claims from Burrell actually contradict ones he previously made in 2003.
At the time, the A Royal Duty author implied that Diana wanted to make a new life for herself in California.
"A lovely house … saw all the plans for it. It was going to be in Malibu," he said.
"I saw the plans. We sat on the floor, spread out all the maps and the layout of the house.
"She said, 'This is our new life, just won't it be great, think of the lifestyle the boys—nobody's judgmental here in America, you don't have the class system, you don't have the establishment.'"
Of course, it's likely we'll never know what Diana's plans really were, since she tragically passed away in 1997.
Iris Goldsztajn is a London-based journalist, editor and author. She is the morning editor at Marie Claire, and her work has appeared in the likes of InStyle, Cosmopolitan, Bustle and Shape. Iris writes about everything from celebrity news and relationship advice to the pitfalls of diet culture and the joys of exercise. She has many opinions on Harry Styles, and can typically be found eating her body weight in cheap chocolate.
-
If Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Don't Show Up to the Coronation, It Would Be a "Fatal, Irreversible Blow" for the Royal Rift: Expert
That sounds about right.
By Iris Goldsztajn
-
I’m a Shopping Editor—My All-Time Favorite Going Out Top Is On Sale at J.Crew
*So* many great things are 40% off right now
By Julia Marzovilla
-
Beauty Around The Clock: Becky G
The Latin music sensation and beauty guru talks positivity, finding balance, and why mental health is so important for women of color.
By Gabrielle Ulubay
-
If Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Don't Show Up to the Coronation, It Would Be a "Fatal, Irreversible Blow" for the Royal Rift: Expert
That sounds about right.
By Iris Goldsztajn
-
Prince Harry Has "Torpedoed" Any "Remaining Bridges" With King Charles With Court Witness Statement, Source Says
Dramatic, much??
By Iris Goldsztajn
-
Prince William Once Said The Queen Mother Wanted Party Invites When He Went Off to College
HAHAHA.
By Iris Goldsztajn
-
Meghan Markle's Blog, The Tig, Is Cleverly Named: Branding Expert
She's a smart businesswoman.
By Iris Goldsztajn
-
Princess Kate Is "Pushing the Boundaries" of Royal Protocol With Her Latest Campaign, Commentator Says
She's doing great work.
By Iris Goldsztajn
-
Princess Diana Set Prince Harry Up for Success in His New Life in America, Celebrity Lawyer Suggests
She taught him well.
By Iris Goldsztajn
-
Prince Harry Says He Brought Legal Claim Against Associated Newspapers Because He Loves the U.K.
He gave his witness statement on Tuesday.
By Iris Goldsztajn
-
A Royal Reconciliation With Prince Harry Is "Almost Impossible," According to One Royal Expert
Never say never!
By Iris Goldsztajn