Prince William 'rejects multiple offers' to participate in documentaries on Princess Diana

Svar Nanan-Sen Sun, September 27, 2026 at 1:56 PM UTC

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Prince William | Source: GETTY

With the 30th anniversary of Diana, Princess of Wales's death approaching next August, Prince William has rejected multiple proposals to participate in or produce documentary tributes to his late mother.

The Prince of Wales, aged 15 when Diana was killed in a Paris car crash in 1997, is keen to prevent a scenario in which he and the Duke of Sussex are "pitted against each other" through competing film projects.

The estranged brothers have had no contact since the period surrounding Queen Elizabeth's funeral in September 2022.

While William has stepped back from any on-screen involvement, sources close to Harry confirmed last week that the duke had been exploring "a number of possible projects" to honour the milestone "in the most meaningful way," with Netflix, which holds a "first look" deal with the Sussexes, believed to be among the contenders.

Those close to the Prince of Wales describe the approaching anniversary as "a difficult situation for him," noting that he remains "really emotional" about losing his mother.

William regards the documentaries he contributed to for Diana's 20th anniversary in 2017 as a "final catharsis", a public reckoning with his grief that he has no desire to repeat.

At 44, he has yet to settle on how he will acknowledge next year's milestone, though friends expect him to do so in a private capacity rather than through any formal public tribute.

The publication of Earl Spencer's memoir has compounded matters. William is understood to have received little forewarning about his uncle's book, which contains sharp criticisms of the King and other senior royals, and he has found the resulting fallout "difficult."

Prince William | Source: GETTY

Harry, by contrast, appears to be actively pursuing commemorative projects.

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Sources confirmed he had discussed several potential ventures, including a possible film, to mark the anniversary.

Netflix, which produced a six-part series with Harry and Meghan in 2022, is thought to be a leading candidate for any such production.

Earl Spencer's memoir, Swan Song: Diana, My Sister, published on Tuesday, disclosed that Harry had approached his uncle about taking part in a documentary about Diana.

Harry and William’s relationship with Diana's public legacy was not always so fractured. In 2017, they jointly produced two documentaries for the BBC and ITV to mark the 20th anniversary of her death.

At a Kensington Palace screening of the ITV film Diana, Our Mother: Her Life and Legacy, William told guests: "We won't speak as openly about her again."

In that documentary, William described losing his mother as "like an earthquake," saying: "There's not many days that go by that I don't think of her." Harry recalled how Diana "smothered us with love."

Their final joint public tribute came in July 2021, when they unveiled a statue of Diana in the Kensington Palace gardens.

The occasion was marked by visible strain between the pair, who barely exchanged words, coming months after the Sussexes' Oprah Winfrey interview.

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