Princess Diana reportedly believed that a shy Prince William may not have wanted to be king and quietly considered the possibility that Prince Harry could one day take the throne instead, according to a close friend's newly resurfaced claims.​

Veteran royal journalist Richard Kay, a longtime friend and confidant of Diana, recently said on the Daily Mail's "Palace Confidential" podcast that the late Princess of Wales doubted whether William truly wanted what she called the "top job."

Kay explained that William was a "shy young man" who, during his mother's lifetime, appeared reluctant about his future role, prompting her to think more broadly about the line of succession, according to Style Caster.

According to Kay, Diana began informally preparing Harry for a possible future as king, even giving him the affectionate nickname "Good King Harry," a phrase she used in private conversations. Reports state that she considered the idea that Harry could one day take on the role if William did not want it, though the official line of succession was never altered.

Reports also point to Diana's awareness that Harry often felt like the "spare," and that she worried he would live in William's shadow as the heir, influencing how she spoke to both boys about their futures, Express reported.

Past accounts have recalled that, as children, William sometimes told his mother he did not want to be king, with Harry allegedly responding that he would take the role if his brother refused, a story that has resurfaced amid the new discussion.

Diana died in a car crash in Paris in August 1997, leaving William and Harry to grow up under intense public scrutiny and within the rigid structure of the royal family.

In later years, Harry stepped back from royal duties and relocated to the United States with his wife, Meghan Markle, while William remained in the U.K. and continued to assume a leading role as Prince of Wales and heir to the throne, as per Radar Online.

Tags
Princess Diana, Prince William, Prince Harry, Royal family