'Good King Harry': Princess Diana Felt That Future Royal Tell-All Scribe Would Make 'a Better' Monarch Than Prince William
Diana, Princess of Wales, once nicknamed her youngest son "Good King Harry," due to his "general gusto" compared to the real future monarch and his elder brother, Prince William.
"William doesn't want to be king and I worry about that," royal author Angela Levin wrote in her book Harry: Conversations With the Prince when recounting the late royal's apparent feelings. "He doesn't want his every move watched."
Diana also recounted how Harry was eager to take over the "top job" if his "more introspective" brother was not up to it. She once said William wanted to become a "policeman" to watch over her.
The Prince of Wales turned 42 on June 21, and despite the millennial generation future king sharing the special day with his family, HRH was likely "missing" his late mother.
"His life with Kate gives him the security, love and friendship he needs," royal author Ingrid Seward shared. "He doesn't dwell upon the loss of his mother but knows the feeling of hurt will never go away completely."
It has been repeatedly written just how close William was to his mother while growing up. This led a former palace aide to recently reminisce about that special bond between a one-time future queen and Britain's king-in-waiting.
"She nicknamed him 'Wombat' during the tour of Australia and New Zealand in 1983," they shared. "He was only an infant then, but it was so easy to see how close mother and son were. It was all authentically recreated in The Crown. Today, she would certainly be proud of her Wombat."
The princess died tragically at the age of 36 in a Paris car crash on August 31, 1997. William was only 15 at the time, while his brother was just 12. But despite the next monarch having a "huge support network" to help him grieve and grow as a motherless adolescent, his recent trials and tribulations are said to be his most trying yet.
When it comes to the child she allegedly felt could handle kingship better, a former palace insider said in 2018 that the ex-HRH was particularly mindful of Prince Harry's future, aware that his role as the "spare" to the heir might lead to a "different kind of pressure and scrutiny." She often expressed concern about the challenges Harry might face compared to William.
"William is sensitive, he likes structure and has perseverance. He does not give up easily. His relationship with brother Harry upset him more than he would care to admit. But he found it easier to cut ties rather than allow himself to be continually annoyed," Seward concluded.
Times of India reported on Levin's remarks.