Diana Was 'Devastated' After Prince Charles Brutally Compared Her to Another Royal: “Why Can’t You…”

The tumultuous marriage of Prince Charles and Princess Diana is still a topic of much public intrigue. To this day, sources once close to the royal couple continue to spill juicy details about their rocky union. Royal expert Jennie Bond, for instance, revealed that Charles had once told Diana to be more like her cousin Sarah Ferguson. The harsh comparison left her shattered, digging deep into her fragile self-esteem.

Diana and her sister-in-law Sarah Ferguson were fourth cousins. They knew each other since adolescence. Hence, it particularly hurt Diana when Charles made the snarky comparison. As her marriage crumbled, Diana often struggled to follow the royal rulebook. Meanwhile, Ferguson seemed to blend into the royal family effortlessly after her marriage to Prince Andrew. Bond revealed in Channel 5’s Fergie Vs Diana: Royal Wives at War, “Fergie fitted in really well [and] threw herself into the family life. She was the good fun, a frolicking girl who was the breath of fresh air.” Diana, on the other hand, was perceived as the 'moody' one by her family, as per The Mirror.

According to Bond, Charles was disappointed that his then-wife was not as chirpy and bubbly. So he allegedly asked, “Why can’t you be more Fergie?” These six words devastated Diana and cut through her low self-image. Psychologist Jo Hemmings weighed in and remarked, “That wasn’t just a rebuke. That would have been one of the most cutting, hurtful remarks that her husband could have made to her.” Despite being close friends, Ferguson recalled that her relationship with the late Princess turned sour before her untimely passing. In her 2011 book Finding Sarah, she recalled, “Sadly, at the end [of Diana’s life], we hadn’t spoken for a year, although I never knew the reason, except that once Diana got something in her head, it stuck there for a while,” as per Us Weekly.

Diana and Ferguson’s relationship goes back to the 1980s when they reconnected as friends. On one episode of her podcast, Tea Talks with the Duchess and Sarah, Ferguson revealed that their shared humor and love for charity formed their deep-knit friendship. She said, “We loved each other with all our hearts, and she made me laugh more than any other single person I've ever met in my life.” The Duchess of York was devastated by Diana’s passing. She said, “I really miss Diana. I loved her so much.”

Diana’s death in a fateful car crash deeply hurt the royal family. The Queen made a televised address to the nation, paying tribute to Diana as the ‘People’s Princess’ and expressing her sadness. Prince Charles, who had been estranged from her at the time of her death, publicly mourned her passing. He attended the funeral with his sons, Prince William and Prince Harry, and played a prominent role in her service.