Opinion: Will Diana’s Legacy Be the Next Flashpoint in Her Sons’ Royal Blood Feud?

DOMINIC LIPINSKI / POOL/AFP via Getty Images The Royalist can exclusively reveal that Prince William is not planning to attend this year’s Diana Awards, which are being held at a fancy London hotel next month, potentially leaving the path clear for Harry to anoint himself as the standard-bearer of his mother’s legacy.

As part of the charity established in 1999 in memory of Princess Diana to recognize young people making a positive impact in their communities, a flagship Legacy Award is presented every two years.

The date of this year’s awards falls right in the middle of a big week when Harry will be undertaking a raft of public engagements, especially around the WellChild Awards and Invictus.

It would seem extraordinary if Harry did not attend, given that he has attended by video link in previous years.

Indeed, in 2024, both brothers were so keen to be associated with the event that William delivered a speech in person at the Science Museum ceremony, while Harry participated via video link from Montecito after his brother had departed.

Don’t forget that the last time Harry and William were photographed together was at a Diana event: the unveiling of her statue.

For all his faults, Harry is a natural star with the public and can put people at ease in a way that echoes his mother.

It is not necessarily the case that William’s absence is a reaction to Harry’s arrival.

He simply wasn’t going to go, presumably because he has other plans .

But there has been past criticism of the Prince and Princess of Wales for not doing enough; one thing you are certainly going to see moving forward is William and Kate being forced to be far more visible.

The return of Harry could, paradoxically, be the making of William, forcing him to get out there and raise his profile again.

Harry intends to compete for the title of true inheritor of Diana’s legacy.

And let’s face it, one of the things Diana seemed quite keen on doing was undermining the monarchy, a tradition Harry is certainly continuing.

The decision to post photographs on Meghan’s social media of the children walking through Althorp to lay flowers at Diana’s grave now seems very loaded indeed, drawing an implicit contrast with the way Harry was made to parade behind his mother’s coffin as a boy.