No mum ever wants to tell their children their marriage is over due to infidelity.
But that’s exactly what Princess Diana was forced to do in 1995 after she separated from Prince Charles.
The mum-of-two sat down with her eldest son, 13-year-old William, and broke the news to him.
But the way she told him has probably shaped him into the man he is today.
During a sit-down interview with the BBC’s Martin Bashir in 1995, Princess Diana infamously said, “There were three of us in this marriage, so it was a bit crowded”. She also admitted Prince William knew about his father’s affair with Camilla Parker-Bowles.
“I told William, ‘If you find someone you love in life, you must hang onto it and look after it,'” she said. “‘And if you are lucky enough to find someone who loves you, then you must protect it.'”
During the interview, the Princess also admitted she didn’t want a divorce but she needed to know where the relationship was heading.
“I don’t want a divorce, but, obviously, we need clarity on a situation that has been of enormous discussion over the last three years,” adding, “I await my husband’s decision of which way we are all going to go.”
After the interview, the Queen sent letters to both Diana and Charles requesting they divorce immediately.
The divorce was finalised on 28 August 1996 and almost one year later Diana was killed in a car accident. This year marks the 21st anniversary of her death.
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Top Comments
my parents broke up when I was 11, I knew what my father had done. I was more like 11 going on 30. And I didn't have media attention like William did obviously! Some kids are very mature and knowing for their age, William might well have been like that when she told him. He probably already knew.
I've never agreed with the Queen ordering a divorce. That's archaic. When the monarchs had absolute power, no courtier or family member could marry without their consent, and they often arranged marriages. The British monarch no longer has absolute power, and divorce is up to the couple to decide.
To be fair, neither party was acting responsibly or appropriately at the time, so it was best that she did step in (somebody had to, god knows!).
She could have ordered them to stay off the media and only talk to registered marriage counsellors who couldn't blab.
No one has the right to order a couple to divorce.