It was recently reported that Kate Middleton and Prince William had agreed to send their eldest son, Prince George, to his dad’s alma mater, Eton College. Now, a former royal butler has claimed that Princess Diana had reservations about sending Prince Harry to Eton, even though his brother, Prince William, already attended the prestigious school. Seemingly, the former Princess of Wales was incredibly protective of the Duke of Sussex for several reasons.
Princess Diana’s former royal butler, Paul Burrell, spoke about Prince Harry’s Eton attendance on behalf of Casino.org, for Express.co.uk. “Even when it came to school, [Diana] worried that Harry would constantly be compared to his brother and judged by William’s standards,” Burrell told the outlet. “When they went to Eton, Diana didn’t want Harry to attend Eton; she knew that he would be compared to William, who had gone before him.”
As for why Diana was especially apprehensive about Harry attending Eton, Burrell explained, “William is much brighter, and he excelled; Harry wasn’t and didn’t. And so, she knew it would be a difficult path for Harry.”
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Prince William and Prince Harry visiting Eton with their parents.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
In his memoir Spare, Prince Harry claimed that Prince William didn’t welcome him to Eton College. Instead, the Prince of Wales allegedly told his brother (via the BBC), “You don’t know me Harold. And I don’t know you.”
Furthermore, William reportedly told Harry “that during his first two years there, Eton had been a sanctuary,” the Duke of Sussex wrote. “That was without the burden of a little brother who would bother him with questions or stick his nose in his social circle.”
Prince William and Prince Harry visiting Eton with their parents.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
In Spare, Prince Harry also detailed the heartbreaking moment he told Prince William that he wouldn’t interfere with his life at Eton. “I will forget I know you,” the Duke of Sussex told his brother.
It would appear as though Princess Diana’s instincts about her youngest son attending Eton were correct, after all.
