'Diana was astonishing, but a complicated figure'

Gen Z has fallen in love with Princess Diana but why are they so fascinated by her? And what would she have thought of Meghan? Author Edward White explores the iconic royal’s enduring influence

- INTERVIEW BY CHARLOTTE HEATHCOTE

Although it will be 28 years in August since Princess Diana died, her grip on the public imagination grows stronger with every year that passes.

Many see her complicated, emotional personality living on in Prince Harry, who recently made headlines with a BBC interview in which he said, “I would love reconciliation with my family”.

LEGACY

It certainly begs the question of how Diana would have responded to the enduring tensions between her sons. “Doubtless, she'd have been horrified,” says author Edward White, who has explored her enduring appeal in his new book Dianaworld.

“But her sons are arguing about what their mother's true legacy is. Diana said that she was trying to raise a future king that would ensure the monarchy survived into the 21st century – and William is trying to do a Diana reboot of the monarchy, combining the best of his mother and his grandmother.”

But others say that Harry is the real defender of her true legacy. “There's something about Diana that encourages people to read whatever they want into her. The way people can look at Diana as embodying totally differing sides of an argument even applies to her sons,” he says.

But Edward is confident Diana would have got the brothers in the same room to thrash out their differences. And, though he considers Diana and Meghan to be “extremely different people”, he believes that Diana would have warmed to her daughter-in-law.

“Meghan has this preternatural force to advance herself, she's got strategies. With Diana, it was all improvised and haphazard. But I think if Diana felt Meghan made her son happy, she'd have been well disposed towards her. And Meghan and the two children seem to have brought Harry much more happiness than being a member of the Royal Family did.”