{"id":384214,"date":"2025-08-30T04:23:14","date_gmt":"2025-08-30T04:23:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/384214\/"},"modified":"2025-08-30T04:23:14","modified_gmt":"2025-08-30T04:23:14","slug":"prince-william-once-made-a-promise-to-his-mother-princess-diana-that-brought-her-to-tears","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/384214\/","title":{"rendered":"Prince William Once Made a Promise to His Mother Princess Diana That Brought Her to Tears"},"content":{"rendered":"<ul>\n<li>Prince Charles and Princess Diana finalized their divorce on August 28, 1996\u201429 years ago today.<\/li>\n<li>In the divorce agreement, Charles and Diana were given joint custody of their sons Prince William and Prince Harry, and Diana was allowed to keep her apartment at Kensington Palace and received a lump sum and a yearly allowance.<\/li>\n<li>That said, she lost her Her Royal Highness (HRH) title in the divorce, which prompted William to make his mother a thoughtful promise he never got to fulfill.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p id=\"mntl-sc-block_2-0\" class=\"comp mntl-sc-block mntl-sc-block-html\"> After nearly four years separated, <a class=\"recommendation-inline-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.instyle.com\/king-charles-begged-prince-william-not-make-mistake-he-made-11737354\" link-destination-recommendation=\"true\" data-component=\"link\" data-source=\"inlineLink\" data-type=\"internalLink\" data-ordinal=\"1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Prince Charles<\/a> and <a class=\"recommendation-inline-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.instyle.com\/princess-diana-unexpected-mantra-when-marriage-prince-charles-became-difficult-11729099\" link-destination-recommendation=\"true\" data-component=\"link\" data-source=\"inlineLink\" data-type=\"internalLink\" data-ordinal=\"2\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Princess Diana<\/a>, at last, finalized their often-contentious divorce on August 28, 1996\u201429 years ago today.\n<\/p>\n<p id=\"mntl-sc-block_4-0\" class=\"comp mntl-sc-block mntl-sc-block-html\"> In the divorce settlement, Diana received a lump sum payment of 17 million pounds, with an additional 350,000 pounds annually to run her private office, according to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mirror.co.uk\/news\/royals\/prince-williams-heartbreaking-promise-diana-35802631\" data-component=\"link\" data-source=\"inlineLink\" data-type=\"externalLink\" data-ordinal=\"1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The Mirror<\/a>. The Princess of Wales also was able to keep her apartment at Kensington Palace, and Charles and Diana were given joint custody of their sons <a class=\"recommendation-inline-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.instyle.com\/prince-william-wont-be-pushed-around-11759097\" link-destination-recommendation=\"true\" data-component=\"link\" data-source=\"inlineLink\" data-type=\"internalLink\" data-ordinal=\"2\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Prince William<\/a> and <a class=\"recommendation-inline-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.instyle.com\/prince-harry-declined-buckingham-palace-stay-8776057\" link-destination-recommendation=\"true\" data-component=\"link\" data-source=\"inlineLink\" data-type=\"internalLink\" data-ordinal=\"3\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Prince Harry<\/a>. But, in addition to losing her marriage of 15 years, Diana also lost her Her Royal Highness title when the divorce was finalized, which left \u201cher distraught,\u201d The Mirror reported.\n<\/p>\n<p> Prince Charles and Princess Diana just before their separation was announced in 1992.<\/p>\n<p>Getty Images<\/p>\n<p id=\"mntl-sc-block_7-0\" class=\"comp mntl-sc-block mntl-sc-block-html\"> \u201cLosing the HRH meant it was no longer necessary for friends or staff to bow or curtsy in Diana\u2019s presence,\u201d the outlet reported. \u201cIt also meant she would now have to curtsy to her husband, her two sons, and a whole host of minor royals.\u201d\n<\/p>\n<p id=\"mntl-sc-block_9-0\" class=\"comp mntl-sc-block mntl-sc-block-html\"> Seeing his mother\u2019s distress over losing her HRH title\u2014and all that came with it, far beyond bows and curtseys\u2014a 14-year-old William made a promise to his mother: \u201cDon\u2019t worry, Mummy, I will give it [her HRH title] back to you one day when I am king,\u201d he said.\n<\/p>\n<p> Prince William and Princess Diana.<\/p>\n<p>Terry Fincher\/Princess Diana Archive\/Getty Images<\/p>\n<p id=\"mntl-sc-block_12-0\" class=\"comp mntl-sc-block mntl-sc-block-html\"> According to Diana\u2019s former butler Paul Burrell, this exchange left Diana in tears. William, of course, never got the chance to fulfill that promise\u2014his mother died just 368 days after her divorce was finalized, in a Paris car accident on August 31, 1997. She was just 36 years old.\n<\/p>\n<p id=\"mntl-sc-block_14-0\" class=\"comp mntl-sc-block mntl-sc-block-html\"> Though the divorce was finalized exactly six months later, Diana had agreed to the divorce on February 28, 1996, which she called the \u201csaddest day of my life.\u201d While she would lose her HRH status, she would still be known as Diana, Princess of Wales, per the agreement, a decision that ultimately came down to <a class=\"recommendation-inline-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.instyle.com\/queen-elizabeth-last-photo-prince-philip-connection-8715465\" link-destination-recommendation=\"true\" data-component=\"link\" data-source=\"inlineLink\" data-type=\"internalLink\" data-ordinal=\"1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Queen Elizabeth<\/a>.\n<\/p>\n<p> Princess Diana and Queen Elizabeth.<\/p>\n<p>Tim Graham Photo Library via Getty Images<\/p>\n<p id=\"mntl-sc-block_17-0\" class=\"comp mntl-sc-block mntl-sc-block-html\"> The Queen \u201chad to decide on the future title, but she always made it clear to Diana, which was comforting, that she would have all the access she wanted to the boys,\u201d Diana\u2019s biographer Andrew Morton told <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eonline.com\/news\/1354691\/the-heartwarming-ways-prince-william-supported-mom-princess-diana-during-her-split-from-prince-charles\" data-component=\"link\" data-source=\"inlineLink\" data-type=\"externalLink\" data-ordinal=\"1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">E! News<\/a>. \u201cThe one thing [Diana] feared above all else was that the boys would be taken away from her, and she knew that the royal family had the constitutional and the legal right to do that if they wanted. But the Queen made it perfectly clear that wouldn\u2019t happen.\u201d\n<\/p>\n<p id=\"mntl-sc-block_19-0\" class=\"comp mntl-sc-block mntl-sc-block-html\"> The Queen and Diana\u2014despite rumors to the contrary\u2014had a \u201cmutual respect\u201d for one another, Morton said, though when it came to public image, \u201cthe Queen was the stiff upper lip and Diana was the trembling lower lip.\u201d Diana\u2019s title being stripped reflected the Queen\u2019s belief that \u201cthere had to be a distance between them.\u201d\n<\/p>\n<p> Princess Diana on June 17, 1997.<\/p>\n<p>Getty<\/p>\n<p id=\"mntl-sc-block_24-0\" class=\"comp mntl-sc-block mntl-sc-block-html\"> \u201cI would never do anything to hurt the monarchy,\u201d Diana told royal biographer Ingrid Seward after her divorce was finalized. \u201cI have no wish to upset what is essentially William\u2019s inheritance, whether he likes it or not.\u201d\n<\/p>\n<p> Kate Middleton.<br \/>\nMax Mumby\/Indigo\/Getty Images<\/p>\n<p id=\"mntl-sc-block_27-0\" class=\"comp mntl-sc-block mntl-sc-block-html\"> As his parents\u2019 marriage broke down, Diana gave William poignant advice that he has heeded in his marriage to <a class=\"recommendation-inline-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.instyle.com\/kate-middleton-qatar-state-visit-8754169\" link-destination-recommendation=\"true\" data-component=\"link\" data-source=\"inlineLink\" data-type=\"internalLink\" data-ordinal=\"1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Kate Middleton<\/a>: \u201cI went to the school and put it to William, particularly, that if you find someone you love in life, you must hang onto it and look after it, and if you were lucky enough to find someone who loved you, then one must protect it,\u201d Diana said. Nearly 25 years into his relationship with Kate, it\u2019s advice William has clearly taken to heart\u2014and the current Princess of Wales wears Diana\u2019s sapphire and diamond engagement ring to this day in a subtle yet profound homage to the mother-in-law she never knew.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Prince Charles and Princess Diana finalized their divorce on August 28, 1996\u201429 years ago today. In the divorce&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":384215,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7708],"tags":[7709,7730,7731,1760,7710,519],"class_list":{"0":"post-384214","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-royals","8":"tag-british-royal-family","9":"tag-charles","10":"tag-charles-iii","11":"tag-king-charles","12":"tag-royal-families","13":"tag-royal-family"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/115115812725624892","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/384214","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=384214"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/384214\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/384215"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=384214"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=384214"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=384214"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}