MOTHER’S BOY
William, more mature than Harry, acted as Diana’s emotional crutch throughout her marriage. He had a natural knack of supporting her when she needed it most.
When the divorce was finalised and it emerged the princess would be stripped of her royal title, it was William who threw his arms around her and exclaimed, “Don’t worry, Mummy. I’ll give it back to you one day when I’m king.”
When William was at Eton, Diana missed him dreadfully and took to phoning him, sometimes crying hysterically down the line. At first, he found this difficult, but as it increased he stepped in and asked his mother not to criticise or say things about his father to him. He didn’t want to have to take sides.
On a visit to the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford-uponAvon, William went to a pre-performance dinner with his father; journalist and broadcaster Bel Mooney; and her daughter, Kitty Dimbleby.
Charles chatted about his love of the comedy group The Goons then Bel burst into a chorus of the Goons’ The Ying Tong Song. When Kitty turned to William and pointed out how embarrassing parents could be, his response was telling, “Papa doesn’t embarrass me, Mama does.”