‘A credit to their mother’
According to the man who was once one of Diana’s closest confidants, William and Harry are to be applauded for speaking out about their mum.
Paul Burrell, who was Diana’s butler and good friend, says he was moved by the documentary because it was so “candid, honest and raw. I want to say well done to the boys, they are a credit to their mother.”
The princes haven’t spoken to Paul since he released a memoir about his time working for their mother, but the butler, who can be seen in the background is some of the clips from the film, says he’s proud of William and Harry, who learned important lessons from Diana.
“She instilled in them her ideals, hopes and dreams. That’s what this programme is about. She gave them moments they will never forget.”
Meanwhile, the Queen’s former press secretary, Dickie Arbiter, has defended the princes against critics who say they should have kept quiet about their mother.
In a radio interview, he said the princes “have had to endure 20 years of news stories, some of them absolutely fiction.
A lot of things have been said without a lot of knowledge and they felt it was time to express their own personal views.
“It is a very personal and honest account, and I think it’s probably the right time to do it.”
Meanwhile, there has also been a backlash about the fact that William and Harry’s father, Charles, Prince of Wales (68) is hardly mentioned in the film, apart from a brief bit about the break-up of his and Diana’s marriage. Media commentator Sarah Vine says she thinks the omission will have upset him.
“My hunch is that he will be very bruised by this film, by the way it silently blames him, by the way it implicitly paints him as a neglectful husband and father, while she is held up as a saint.”
Royal biographer Penny Junor accepts that the film was meant to be all about Diana but adds, “They could have just said a little soft, kind word about their father’s love.
“They have turned out really well after the most terrible start in life. They have to credit their father with quite a lot of that. I think he might feel justifiably a little bit hurt, sad, that he doesn’t feature. It didn’t need to be much, just a nod to their father’s presence.”
Ingrid Seward, editor-in-chief of Majesty magazine, says Charles’ relationship with the boys was just as strong as their one with their mother, but much more private. She believes his bond with his sons will withstand any unintended snub from the film and that he would not have expected to play a part in it.
“He is not insecure enough to be upset by this,” she says. “If he thought this film was going to help them, he would have wanted them to do it. He loved Diana very much, he would be quite happy to have her lauded like this. He would be pleased for the boys to let some of their emotions go.”