Diana's devastating request in will for when Harry and William turned 30

904     0
Princess Diana was devoted to her two sons (Image: Getty Images)
Princess Diana was devoted to her two sons (Image: Getty Images)

The world was stunned by the news that Princess Diana had been killed in a car crash in Paris on 31 August 1997 at the age of 36.

At the time, her sons William and Harry were 15 and 12 respectively. Diana was incredibly close to her boys - and they were understandably at the forefront of her mind when she sat down to write her will years earlier.

The original document was signed by Diana on June 1, 1993 and later amended in 1996. She named her mother, Frances Ruth Shand Kydd, and sister Lady Elizabeth Sarah Lavinia McCorquodale, as co-executors and trustees.

Diana requested almost all her possessions be divided between William and Harry. The rest were distributed among her 17 godchildren, while £50,000 was given to her butler Paul Burrell.

Diana wanted the bulk of her estate to be placed in a trust, which she requested William and Harry have access to when they turned 25. However, her mother and sister were allowed by the court to change a few details of her will after her death. Instead of the princes inheriting at the age of 25, it was changed to when they reached the age of 30.

Strictly's Molly Rainford and Tyler West fuel romance rumours while on tour qhidqhiktithinvStrictly's Molly Rainford and Tyler West fuel romance rumours while on tour

And there was one very poignant item left to the brothers - Diana's fairytale wedding gown. Prior to William turning 30, the dress was looked after by Diana's brother Earl Spencer and had been the centrepiece of an exhibition, which raised money for the Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fund. It was then transferred to his possession, along with a number of other items bequeathed to him by his mother.

Former butler Paul previously spoke about some of the items William and Harry received following Diana's death. Paul remembered that William said: "I'd like mummy's Cartier watch, the one that Grandpa Spencer gave to her for her 21st birthday," whereas Harry wanted to keep her sapphire engagement ring.

Paul recalled that Prince Harry said: "'I remember when I held mummy's hand when I was a small boy and that ring always hurt me because it was so big,' which is why it had sentimental meaning for him."

Famously, the engagement ring ended up on Kate Middleton's finger when William popped the question in October 2010. It was widely reported that Harry had gifted the ring to his brother - but he blasted those claims in Spare.

"The Palace announced that Willy was going to marry. November 2010. News to me," he wrote. "All that time together in Lesotho, he'd never mentioned it.

"The papers published florid stories about the moment I realised Willy and Kate were well matched, the moment I appreciated the depth of their love and thus decided to gift Willy the ring I'd inherited from Mummy, the legendary sapphire, a tender moment between brothers, a bonding moment for all three of us, and absolute rubbish: none of it ever happened."

The Duke added: "I never gave Willy that ring because it wasn't mine to give. He already had it. He'd asked for it after Mummy died, and I'd been more than happy to let it go."

Copy Kate Middleton's look for less with royal-approved brand's up to 70% off sale

Gemma Strong

Print page

Comments:

comments powered by Disqus