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Princess Diana Didn’t Want Harry to Follow in William’s Footsteps, According to Her Former Butler

Those who have followed the British royal family for years might be upset with the way Prince Harry is handling his departure (i.e., his tell-all memoir). However, Princess Diana’s former butler is setting the record straight on what the late royal would have wanted for her children.

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Kirsty Wigglesworth/Pool/Getty Images

On behalf of Slingo, Paul Burrell shared details about his experience working as a royal butler. He revealed that Princess Diana didn’t want Prince Harry to follow in Prince William’s footsteps, particularly when it came to attending Eton College. According to Burrell, Princess Diana’s biggest fear was that Prince Harry would be compared to his older brother and, as a result, would develop resentment toward Prince William.

“Diana didn’t want Harry to follow in the wake of William because she knew he wasn’t as academic as William,” he told PureWow. “She knew he wasn’t as sharp as William, she knew he wasn’t as intellectual as William, and she thought that Harry would be compared to his brother at school and she didn’t want him to suffer that.”

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Burrell revealed that Princess Diana had other plans for Prince Harry, but they were rejected by King Charles. “She wanted him to go to a different school, but she lost that battle to [King Charles] who insisted both his sons went to Eton,” the former butler added. “Had she had her way, Harry might have turned out differently.”

Only time will tell what happens next.

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greta

Senior Editor

Greta Heggeness is a California-based editor at PureWow and has been writing about entertainment since 2015. She covers everything from awards shows to exclusive celebrity...