How Diana Would Have Stepped In: Biographer Says She’d Be the Peacemaker for Harry and William

Quinn Parker here, coffee mug in hand and ready to spill the royal tea at top speed. I am that aunt who talks fast, thinks faster, and honestly can’t believe we’re still watching brothers act like daytime soap royalty — except with corgis and state visits.

If Princess Diana were still alive, her biographer Andrew Morton says she would have physically rolled up her sleeves and tried to repair the ongoing rift between her sons, Prince William and Prince Harry. Morton, who collaborated with Diana on the 1992 book “Diana: Her True Story,” told People that Diana believed strongly in the younger sibling’s role as a supporter to the elder, noting that she “always used to say she had two boys for a reason — the younger would be there to support the older in the lonely task as future king.” That specific quote — a small, poignant reminder of Diana’s expectations — is the fulcrum for the argument that she would have acted as a peacemaker.

Let’s be clear about where we are: Harry, now 40, and William, 43, are living very different lives on opposite sides of the globe after Harry and Meghan’s exit from frontline royal duties in 2020. They have not maintained regular contact, and public-facing moments of reconciliation have been few and visibly strained. At high-profile events where both men have attended, sources told outlets they deliberately kept their distance. For example, at the funeral of the late Lord Robert Fellowes, insiders said the brothers were physically present in the same space but not engaged in meaningful conversation. That scene is more than awkward family dynamics — royal historians say it’s a tangible loss for the monarchy.

Royal historian Robert Lacey described the rift as “very profound and very long-lasting,” telling People that it likely will not change until Harry makes a conciliatory move and offers an apology. Amanda Foreman, another historian, suggested that reconciliation is stymied because both sides are waiting to reconcile “on their own terms,” with each believing their stance is rooted in principled positions. That mutual insistence makes a negotiated, private thaw difficult; it’s a blame match rather than a bridge-building exercise.

Morton’s portrait of Diana as the inevitable mediator is bolstered by palace insiders who say Diana’s influence still lives on in her boys, even if it’s not smoothing things over. “This is the sadness of it — they aren’t supporting each other like they should be,” a palace source told People, adding a humanizing note: any mother would want her children to be each other’s support system.

Recent small steps at diplomacy include a reported meeting in July where Harry’s press team sat down with King Charles’s communications secretary, described in press as a “peace summit” aimed at ironing out communications and trust issues. Still, Buckingham Palace insiders indicate the king remains cautious and wary — trust was damaged, and top aides are reportedly assessing whether the olive branch is genuine or just PR choreography.

Their cousin Peter Phillips’ upcoming wedding has put the brothers back in the speculative spotlight. Invitations are expected to be extended to both princes, and commentators are watching to see if William and Harry will both attend and whether any meaningful interaction will take place. Attendance could offer a carefully staged rapprochement or yet another freeze-frame of distant cousins and clipped nods. Adding to the tension is Harry’s loss earlier this year of taxpayer-funded UK security, which complicates travel and attendance choices for family events.

So what would Diana have done? According to Morton, she would have stepped in full throttle — maternal stubbornness, emotional intelligence, and that knack for peeling back stubborn pride to reach the heart of a problem. Would it have worked? We can only speculate, but the consensus among historians quoted is that Diana’s direct, nurturing intervention would probably have produced a different outcome than the prolonged stalemate we see today.

Okay, I need to calm down after that — but if Diana were here, you can bet she’d have turned the tea into action and forced a family sit-down, whether anyone liked it or not.

Sources: Celebrity Storm and People, The New York Post
Attribution: Creative Commons Licensed