The Queen reportedly acted to ensure her grandchildren learned of Princess Diana’s tragic death only from their father, King Charles, on the morning of August 31, 1997
The world was left in shock when Princess Diana tragically passed away on 31 August 1997.
Now, a royal expert has revealed that Queen Elizabeth II took immediate action to protect her grandsons, Prince William and Harry, from hearing the devastating news through the media.
As millions woke up to the heartbreaking news of Diana’s death, so too did William and Harry, who were informed by their father, Prince Charles.
To ensure the young princes didn’t first learn of their mother’s passing from the news, the Queen reportedly had two items removed from their Balmoral residence where they were staying at the time.
In Channel 5’s The Day Diana Died documentary, which aired last night (30 August), Tina Brown, author of The Diana Chronicles, reflected on how the Royal Family planned to break the news to Diana’s sons.
It was decided not to wake William and Harry during the night, leaving it to Prince Charles to deliver the heart-wrenching news later.
Eager to prevent the boys from hearing the news any other way, Tina revealed that the Queen temporarily banned two items from their Balmoral home: “The Queen immediately said that every TV, every radio set had to be removed. The only TV sets that remained were in the private rooms of the Queen and Prince Philip.”
Tina shared her immediate thoughts on her two grandsons, stating: “For her, the only important thing was to protect Harry and William from the loss of their mother.”
In his 2023 memoir Spare, Prince Harry disclosed how his father delivered the heartbreaking news, writing: “My dear son, mum has had a car accident.”
He further added: “There have been complications. Mum has been seriously injured and has been taken to hospital, my dear son.”
Princess Diana tragically lost her life on August 31, 1997, when the car she was in with her boyfriend, Dodi al-Fayed, crashed into a pillar in the Pont de l’Alma tunnel in Paris.
The sole survivor among those inside the car was the princess’s bodyguard, Trevor Rees-Jones.
