Princess Diana tragically died on August 31, 1997, and the news was met with a wave of grief across the world — but the Royal Family were determined to break the tragic news to Prince William and Harry themselves.
WINDSOR, UNITED KINGDOM – MAY 31: Princess Diana With Her Mother-in-law The Queen Watching Polo. (Photo by Tim Graham Photo Library via Getty Images)
The Queen reportedly removed two things from Balmoral when Princess Diana died(Image: Tim Graham, Tim Graham Photo Library via Getty Images)
The world was left in shock when news of Princess Diana’s death broke on 31 August 1997.
Now, a rare glimpse into how the Royal Family were informed about the tragic event has been revealed by an expert, who disclosed that Queen Elizabeth had two items removed from Balmoral.
As millions woke up to the devastating news of Princess Diana’s untimely passing in the early hours, Prince William and Harry were informed by their father, King Charles.
However, in an attempt to ensure that the brothers didn’t first learn about their mother’s death from the news, the late Queen reportedly made a concerted effort to have two items taken away from their Balmoral residence.
Diana, Princess of Wales, wears an outfit in the colors of Canada during a state visit to Edmonton, Alberta, with her husband.
Lady Diana passed away on this day 23 years ago(Image: Bettmann, Bettmann Archivevia Getty Images)
In Channel 5’s The Day Diana Died, which aired last night (30 August), Tina Brown, author of The Diana Chronicles, reflected on how the Royal Family planned to break the news to Diana’s two sons.
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After the Royal Family decided in the early hours that William and Harry would not be woken up during the night, it fell to King Charles to later deliver the devastating news to his sons.
Keen for the boys not to discover the news any other way, Tina revealed how the Queen temporarily banned two things from their Balmoral home: “The Queen immediately said every TV, every radio set had to be removed, and the only TV sets that remained were in the private rooms of the Queen and Prince Philip.”
Eton,England September 6, 1995. Princess Diana, Prince Harry, Prince William, Prince Charles at Prince William’s first day at Eton. (Photo by Tom Wargacki/WireImage)
The author revealed that the Queen had banned two things from Balmoral after Diana’s passing(Image: Tom Wargacki, WireImagevia Getty Images)
Tina shared her immediate concern for her two grandchildren, stating: “For her, the only important thing was to protect Harry and William from the loss of their mother.”
In his 2023 memoir Spare, Prince Harry disclosed how his father delivered the tragic news, writing: “My dear son, Mum has had a car accident.”
Diana Princess Of Wales, Prince William & Prince Harry Visit The ‘Thorpe Park’ Amusement Park. (Photo by Julian Parker/UK Press via Getty Images)
Prince Harry has previously spoken of how he found out about his mother’s passing(Image: Julian Parker, UK Press via Getty Images)
He further added: “There have been complications. Mum has been seriously injured and has been taken to hospital, my dear son.”
Princess Diana tragically passed away on this day in 1997 (31 August) when the car she was travelling in with her boyfriend, Dodi al-Fayed, collided with a pillar in the Pont de l’Alma tunnel in Paris.
The sole survivor among those inside the car was the Princess’s bodyguard, Trevor Rees-Jones.
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