Prince William Declines Documentary on Diana's Death to Avoid Conflict With Prince Harry

Prince William will not participate in any television documentaries commemorating the 30th anniversary of his late mother Princess Diana's death, citing a desire to avoid further conflict with his estranged brother, Prince Harry. Royal sources confirmed the decision, stating that the Prince of Wales does not want to be "pitted against each other" in any film.

William, who was 15 when Diana died in a Paris car crash in August 1997, had been contemplating whether to engage with any commemorative programs. He reportedly received multiple offers and even held private discussions with BBC director-general Matt Brittin at Kensington Palace. However, he has opted against appearing on screen, with reports suggesting he remains deeply emotional about Diana's death.

The Sunday Times reported that William views the upcoming anniversary as a difficult occasion and believes his public tributes nine years ago, during the 20th anniversary of Diana's death, served as his public "catharsis."

In 2017, both William and Harry appeared together in the ITV documentary 'Diana, Our Mother: Her Life And Legacy.' At the time, William remarked that the brothers would not speak about their mother as openly or publicly again.

Despite Prince Harry's return to Britain last month, the brothers remain estranged and have not spoken since Queen Elizabeth II's funeral in September 2022.

Meanwhile, Prince Harry is understood to have approached several of Diana's friends and relatives about participating in a commemorative film. His uncle, Earl Spencer, has indicated in his new memoir that he wrote the book to avoid becoming a "talking head" in productions about his sister. Details of Harry's potential project remain unconfirmed, with sources indicating he is exploring various ways to honor his mother's legacy for the significant anniversary.

Any documentary project from Harry could potentially be developed through Archewell Productions, his and Meghan Markle's production company, which has a first-look agreement with Netflix. Kensington Palace declined to comment on how Prince William will mark the anniversary.