Royalist Richard Kay has popped his head out to talk about the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, and of course, Princess Diana. Kay actually knew Diana and he was, for a brief moment, one of Diana’s go-to royal reporters. In recent years, Kay has gotten a lot of suspiciously lopsided briefings from Prince William’s inner circle AND Charles and Camilla’s inner circle. I braced myself for yet another royalist declaring that Princess Diana “would have wanted” Harry to stay in the institution and that Diana would be so disappointed in Harry alone. That isn’t what Kay said to the Mail, curiously enough. Here are some highlights from his interview with the Mail’s Palace Confidential:
Kay on Diana’s legacy and her sons: Kay, who was a very good friend of Princess Diana and would speak with her up to six times a day, said Harry and William have been fighting over her ‘legacy’. He told Palace Confidential: ‘[They’ve] been tussling over Diana’s legacy, they’ve been pulling apart Diana’s legacy, [and picking] which part suits them best. I think it’s a great tragedy. What I knew about Diana was, first and above all, was her love for her sons, that was clear to the whole world, she loved those boys. I think she would’ve been broken-hearted. The big question is, would it have still happened had Diana still been with us? My own view is that it probably wouldn’t have because she would’ve remained the pivotal figure in both their lives and prevented the fallout from happening.’
Diana would have been proud of William & Kate? Meanwhile, Kay said he believed Princess Diana – who died in a car crash in Paris in 1997 – would have been ‘proud’ of William and Kate for stepping into their places as Prince and Princess of Wales. ‘I think she would’ve been proud of William and Catherine and what a stylish edition they’ve made and how they’ve seamlessly stepped into hers and Charles’ shoes with a young family,’ he added.
Diana would have been jealous of Harry: But the royal expert also said that Diana would have been ‘hugely jealous’ of the fact that Prince Harry was able to ‘break away’ from The Firm. ‘You’ve got to remember, Diana was a radical, she was very unhappy, she was trapped within the royal system, she did try and break away, she couldn’t quite before her death. I think she would’ve been fiercely proud of the fact that Harry has chosen a life outside of the royal circle.’
I always hate these “what would have happened if Diana had lived” thought exercises. The answer is always: everything would have been different. Her sons would be fundamentally different people. Charles and Camilla’s relationship would be fundamentally different, and I’m not sure they would even be married. I’ve always thought that Diana would have seen through the Middletons right away. She probably also would have moved out of the UK once Harry turned 18 as well. One thing is for sure, Diana wouldn’t appreciate her memory being used for royalist fan-fiction to prop up the institution.
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images.
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- FILE PHOTOS: As the 20th Anniversary of the death of Princess Diana approaches (31st August 2017), Cover Images take a look at these re-digitized images from the archives of celebrated British Photographer, Mauro Carraro. Approximate date of images is shown in caption below. August 1987 Princess Diana with Prince Harry on holiday with teh Spanish Royal family in Majorca,Image: 347670758, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: ***Not Available for Subscription Clients***Editorial Use Only. No stock, books, advertising or merchandising without photographer's permission***, Model Release: no
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- HRH PRINCESS OF WALES (Visiting the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, Queen Square, London) COMPULSORY CREDIT: UPPA/Photoshot Photo UKWT 011125/26 06.03.1996,Image: 502658732, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: World Rights – Fee Payable Upon Reproduction – For queries call Photoshot Global HQ – London + 44 (0)20 7421 6000 , also New York Office Tel : + 1 646-429-8731 and Hamburg Office Tel +49 (0)40 530 240 5959, Model Release: no, Credit line: Photoshot / Avalon
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- Diana, Princess of Wales,Image: 514932301, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: WORLD RIGHTS – Fee Payable Upon Reproduction – For queries contact Avalon.red – sales@avalon.red London: +44 (0) 20 7421 6000 Los Angeles: +1 (310) 822 0419 Berlin: +49 (0) 30 76 212 251 Madrid: +34 91 533 4289, Model Release: no, Credit line: John Shelley Collection / Avalon
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- HRH PRINCESS OF WALES (HRH Princess Diana). Seen at the VJ Day Celebrations. With Prince Harry, Prince William and Prince Charles, the Prince of Wales,Image: 526293424, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: WORLD RIGHTS – Fee Payable Upon Reproduction – For queries call London + 44 (0)20 7421 6000 , New York + 1 646-329-6242 or Hamburg + 49 (0)40 530 240 5959, Model Release: no, Credit line: RK / Avalon
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- PRINCESS DIANA OF WALES, LADY DI. 1996 WASHINGTON DC PHOTO WAS ON THE COVER OF US NEWS MAGAZINE AND WAS THE BEST SELLING ISSUE IN 70 YEARS. . LADY DI . PORTRAIT. RETRATO. HEADSHOT,Image: 538725362, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: World rights – Fee Payable Upon Reproduction – For queries contact Avalon: +44 (0) 20 7421 6000 sales@avalon.red, Model Release: no, Credit line: Look Press Agency/Look Press / Avalon
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- Prince Charles, Prince of Wales, and Diana, Princess of Wales, visit Australia Princess Diana in Tasmania The princess is wearing the Spencer family tiara and a dress by Bruce Oldfield. State Reception in Hobart,Image: 549283529, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: WORLD RIGHTS – Fee Payable Upon Reproduction – For queries contact Photoshot – sales@photoshot.com London: +44 (0) 20 7421 6000 Florida: +1 239 689 1883 Berlin: +49 (0) 30 76 212 251, Model Release: no, Credit line: John Shelley Collection / Avalon
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- Prince Charles, Prince of Wales, and Diana, Princess of Wales, visit West Wales At Rhydyronen station on the Talyllyn Railway Diana’s coat dress is made of tan coloured checked wool with brown leather cuffs and collar and was designed by designer Arabella Pollen.,Image: 549311926, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: WORLD RIGHTS – Fee Payable Upon Reproduction – For queries contact Photoshot – sales@photoshot.com London: +44 (0) 20 7421 6000 Florida: +1 239 689 1883 Berlin: +49 (0) 30 76 212 251, Model Release: no, Credit line: John Shelley Collection / Avalon
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- Prince Charles, Prince of Wales, and Diana, Princess of Wales, visit Beach Head Cemetery in Anzio, Italy, to honour those killed in the Allied landings of January 1944. Diana is wearing a dress by Catherine Walker,Image: 549498963, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: WORLD RIGHTS – Fee Payable Upon Reproduction – For queries contact Photoshot – sales@photoshot.com London: +44 (0) 20 7421 6000 Florida: +1 239 689 1883 Berlin: +49 (0) 30 76 212 251, Model Release: no, Credit line: John Shelley Collection / Avalon
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- HRH King Charles III, Queen Camilla, William, Prince of Wales and Catherine, Prince of Wales receive President of South Korea Yoon Suk Yeol during the state visit ceremonial welcome at Horse Guards Parade in London, UK, 21 November 2023,Image: 823428310, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: *** NO UK USE FOR 48 HRS ***, Model Release: no, Credit line: Tim Rooke/Shutterstock / Avalon
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- The Prince and Princess of Wales leave Buckingham Palace, central London, on day one of the President of South Korea Yoon Suk Yeol’s state visit to the UK. Featuring: Catherine, Princess of Wales and William, Prince of Wales Where: London, United Kingdom When: 21 Nov 2023 Credit: PA Images/INSTARimages **NORTH AMERICA RIGHTS ONLY**
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- Charles, Prince of Wales, and Diana, Princess of Wales, on holiday in Majorca, Spain, with their sons Prince William and Prince Harry. They are guests of King Juan Carlos of Spain and his wife Queen Sofia. They are staying at their holiday home, the Marivent Palace, which is situated just outside the capital city of Palma.
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- HRH PRINCESS OF WALES (HRH Princess Diana). With HRH PRINCE HARRY. Seen at the VJ Day Celebrations. COMPULSORY CREDIT: UPPA/Photoshot Photo URK 010143/G-29 19.08.1995
What is really infuriating is that either they gaslight Diana even in her grave, either they use her image to write fanfiction.
Diana would be proud of Harry, and probably she would have moved away from Salty Island too.
Jealousy belongs to the left behind British Royals…no she would not be jealous for two reasons:
Number one…That was NOT Princess Diana’s character… she wanted the best for her boys and other people’s children…and
Number Two…Hadshenotbeendeletedin1997(KC3), Diana and Dodi would’ve been living in Southern California. She would been here to welcome her son Harry and her daughter in-law Meghan, after they were kicked out of the UK, (QE2) for not wanting to sustain very uncomfortable treatment by the FIRM.
She would be very happy that he got out with his and his family’s lives!
Exactly! Plus, as Harry believes and has referenced in detail in Spare, Diana’s spirit is guiding him and Meghan. In fact, Harry first laid eyes on Meghan via a friend’s IG Snapchat on his mother’s birthday, July 1, 2016! There are many other uncanny Diana-related connections that have occurred in the lives of H&M. ‘Jealousy’ has no relevance in how Diana regarded either of her sons and their welfare. She surely would be abundantly proud of Harry, and very sad about Willy’s raging narcissism, fostered by the firm’s ‘men in gray.’
If Diana had lived, Harry probably would still have met and married Meghan, with Diana’s happiest blessings. 🌈 Willy, OTOH, more than likely would have been advised by Diana not to pursue a relationship, much less a marriage, with Kate Middleton! 😞
I believe Princess Diana once toyed with the idea of moving to the US. Had she lived, I suspect she would have done so.
Kay misspelled “proud AF”
👏👏👏
Speculating on a deceased person’s reaction to current events is always a dicey proposition. That said, I don’t think Diana would be jealous. I think thrilled is the word he is searching for. And she would be living in NY or LA by now too.
Totally agree @BrassyRebel and I’ll also add she would have been “fighting” Doria for Grandma Duties! There is absolutely no way any of her grandchildren wouldn’t know who she was and they would know she’d always be there to give them cuddles. Unlike their “concerned” grandfather who wouldn’t know Archie and Lili if they jumped out in front of him. I also believe if Diana was still around KCIII (and his wife) wouldn’t have dared to have evicted H&M from Frogmore.
Tell Dickie Arbiter too. He’s another one that likes to say, “If Diana were alive …” because she can’t defend herself and Dickie is just another sycophantic coward in the BM.
Or Diana would have been remarried and happy and she was already not part of the “institution”. So she would have been proud of W&K for being stylish, inheriting a title and having children? That’s it? No examples of amazing “work” they have done? (s) That is where he gets ridiculous. I can more imagine how proud and supportive she would have been of IG and all H&M’s other work. All these RR’s act as if her life would have been frozen as it was when she died.
Kay is saying Diana could not break away
The thing is Diana was only divorced a year and was still planning her new role outside of the royal family. She would not leave the UK because her children were there but she might have purchased a residence in the USA where she could spend part of the year.
I tend to agree, Diana was a British girl through and through. Whilst she may have loved the US, I doubt she would have lived there permanently. It would depend on her private life too. Although, having said that, I doubt she would have been able to stand seeing Queen Camilla …
Proud of William and Kate for being a “stylish addition”? Sounds like a tacit admission that they’re f–king useless. And also manages to be insulting to Diana, implying that she would value style over substance. All these years later, and most of these people who claim to have been so close to her STILL do not understand or appreciate the sharp, determined, compassionate, utterly unique woman that she was.
That caught my eye, too, Miranda. Like, that’s all they got?
They denigrate all those qualities Miranda outlined here, because the palaces compel them to; because Harry *has* inherited her sharp, determined, compassionate genes. William inherited the Windsor Jealous Gene and Charles’ and Philip’s propensity to fly off the handle in anger.
Diana would find Kate off putting because of the way she treated meghan.
No Kate couldn’t have played mean girl with Diana around. Kate wouldn’t have made the cut at all. Kate’s slavish dedication to catching Willy would have been a waste. And no head in Carole’s lap and cheese toasties and ‘normal’ family. Kate’s lack of interest, lack of intelligence, and her laziness – she would never have made it past the smell test.
That’s true wagiman. William wouldn’t have needed the fake cosy informality of the Mids because Diana herself could have provided the real deal.
She was grounded and down to earth and liked the informal suppers and doing normal stuff together.
Stylish addition? Lmao, he’s not even going to touch all the “work” they do. And let’s be real. They’re not that stylish either.
I’m not sure anyone who knows anything about style would call William stylish. Kate at times appears over styled almost like she is wearing a costume and is afraid to show us her true self. Not sure this is something to be proud of.
Neither stylish, or much of an addition. The only real thing they have added to the royal family is three more members.
There are no charities anyone can point to and say, “wow, what inspirational work they do with X!” Earthshot isn’t old enough to be anything other than that one time someone noticed William was about to turn 40 without a single accomplishment to his name. There isn’t even an event anyone can point to and say, “yes, Will and Kate can always be counted on to show up for X!”
Harry isn’t even a working member of the royal family anymore, and five years later we know he’ll show for the WellChild awards every single year. It’s no BAFTAs, and Harry will still be there.
Which is a long-winded way of saying William and Kate have never added value to anything.
I don’t think Kay thinks much of Willy and Katie but he can’t say what he thinks because he works for the Daily Fail and has to toe the line.
Looking back on Diana’s humanitarian work, the way she made sure issues such as HIV/AIDS and landmines became important projects, there’s no way she’d ever have supported the Lamebridges of Wales.
Not only that, she’d surely have had issues with Kate and her laziness, and the grifting Middletonedeafs of Bucklebury Palace. As we all know, Kate can’t deliver a speech even if the text is in front of her, she has a bad posture, her gurning, guffawing, and rictus grin is the stuff of legends.
I’m sure though she’d have gotten along well with Meghan, who was a humanitarian and an activist long before she married in.
And Diana would absolutely have moved to the US eventually.
That said, Diana was a busy woman. I highly doubt she talked to Kay six times *a day*.
Well I’m sure Kay’s mother is embarrassed she raised a horrible racist that spreads hatred. I absolutely despise these people. She was killed because of people like him and he has the arrogance to act like it’s his right to continue to spread lies decades after her death. Let her rest in peace! Only her children should be allowed to even mention her.. (would prefer Peggy would stop also if he’s only going to call her names like paranoid)
Well said. The fact that anyone who was a royal reporter at the time of Diana’s death feels they have any right to speak her name is enraging.
Stupid speculation. Spare started out with Diana’s death and Harry’s life spiraled after that. He might not have felt so lonely and invisible if Diana had been around. Carole Middleton wouldn’t have been playing surrogate Mum to William if Diana had been around. Probably neither of the boys would have married as they did. As for Diana, the British press were calling her a whore up to the very day she died – that wouldn’t have changed, so yeah, probably she would have moved to the US
I am going to disagree with your comment Eurydice.Prince Harry would have still found Meghan. Harry was and is devoted to philanthropy and started his first charity when he was in his early twenties.If you look at Meghan’s philanthropic record, she was moving away from acting and was also increasing her charity work as a UN ambassador, traveling to India and Africa.Prince Harry wasn’t interested in any woman who was going to be a show pony. And he knew they would have to have the backbone of steel to deal with his family. Harry’s only other serious relationship was with Chelsey Davy( who is lawyer) and she bowed out because she could not handle the pressure. Given Meghan’s degrees in international relations, her ability to speak Spanish and her long philanthropic record, I think Princess Diana would have been proud to welcome her as a daughter in law.
Maybe, but it’s incredibly difficult to predict a 20-year trajectory difference between “Diana dead/not dead.” Meghan’s not the only philanthropically minded woman in the world – and Harry might have met someone else through Diana’s work. And we also have to consider Meghan’s trajectory – she could have had more success in acting and as a lifestyle influencer and could have met someone else through all her connections.
She wouldn’t be jealous she would have been there waiting for him with open arms. She literally would have already been there, possibly in Santa Barbara too.
Exactly @Murphy! 💯 🎯 🫂
I imagine that Harry’s kids know more about their grandmother Diana than they know about Charles. Her photo is displayed prominently in their home, and I’m guessing Harry talks about her often …
Why could he say about Charles? Your grandfather doesn’t want to make time for you?
It’s so easy to put words in a dead person’s mouth and so very disgusting as well.
If Diana had not died, the funeral would never have happened, and that alone would have changed everything.
I truly believe what we’re seeing now is a consequence of the way Charles and QEII used those boys for their own PR. Their behavior today reflects how they felt about being forced to publicly comfort others while their own grief went ignored.
William has turned out truly awful, but I think being forced to comfort the masses with a smile on his face fundamentally broke him. And it caused him to come to hate the people, which is why he looks so furious and insincere when he’s out amongst them. I think deep down he blames the people’s fascination for his mother for her death.
Harry, on the other hand, found solace in comforting others and came to a different conclusion that the blame for his mother’s death lay at the feet of the press and the stranglehold they have on his family.
The notion Diana would be “jealous” of either of her own sons is just weird.
^^ Definitely @Henny Penny! 👌🏽 ITA with your assessments. 🤺
Wow! I think you have it right.
Well said, Henny Penny!
The word “jealous” may very well express how Kay and the left behind royals feel about how Harry and his family have quite neatly escaped their clutches.
However, the rest of the description of Diana as “fiercely proud of the fact that Harry has chosen a life outside of the royal circle” seems closer to the truth. It’s also notable that Harry credits his mother’s inheritance with allowing him the freedom to move his family away.
Just think Harry is free! He do what he wants, go where he wants to and that is why his brother is so vindictive towards him. He doesn’t have to kiss the Royal Rota ring in fact he can sue those assholes if he chooses too. William and his dad have no control over his life. Just imagine he doesn’t have to put pics of his children in the Daily Fail like Kate had to under the title Kate’s Cuties. The tabloid press and media are the left behinds masters. Couldn’t happen to a more deserving bunch of horrible people.
I like to think Diana if she moved to the US would have been happier then in the UK. America certainly loved her for sure. I guess we will never know
As much as I’d like to think Diana would have moved to America solo and thrived, I’m not sure that’s the case. Harry’s doing it because he has Meghan, a non-royal, normal American to lead him through the changes and settle into a relatively independent existence.
Diana spent most of her aristo life extremely sheltered and extremely British. It’s like how you can’t just release a panda born in captivity into the wild. They don’t have the life skills.
I suppose it’s fun to speculate what “might” have been, but one thing for sure, if Diana had lived, her younger son would not have been treated like an orphan and barely given scraps from their table.
Agreed, Molly. The royals would have mounted a continuous media attack against Diana similar to what has been launched against Harry/Meghan. Diana is remembered so fondly that people forget the actual tone of the media coverage she was getting after her divorce. Her press wasn’t all positive and was beginning to take a hard edge. Instead of smearing Harry, Camilla would have smeared Diana directly. William was indoctrinated into the royal system from birth and at some point Diana’s influence would have been eroded by the continuous media blitzkrieg and the influence of the royal family. Willy may not have ended up with keener, but he would have never landed much better because he is too much like Charles and the royals didn’t want another married in superstar. Pulling Diana’s security made Diana extremely vulnerable because of her fame. Without world class security, something catastrophic was going to happen to her eventually.
But don’t forget that Diana had that tape about Fawcett raping another servant. Alive she could have told Camillas nasty side too, it wouldn’t be a so one sided story. And that would be easier from the US.
Yes, agree, Blubb. She had the tape/s, and about others, as well. Her own death I see as a tragic accident, but it is widely speculated that a protection officer with whom she was close in the 80s was killed in a ‘fixed’ motorcycle crash. There were hints of a romantic relationship, or at least an incredibly close one. I believe she’d have been delighted to get to America and start afresh, away from the suffocating BRF nastiness.
Diana would not have been the same person that Richard Kay spoke to six times ? a day…
So there is no way he would be able to decipher what she would’ve think about anything, her presence would have created a different trajectory for Harry at least.