Princess Diana left tear-jerking request in her will for when Prince Harry turned 30
The Princess had special items put aside for her sons – and one of them was later used by William to propose to Kate. Prince Harry was included in a tearjerking clause of Princess Diana’s will. Before her death, Diana had written several final wishes, including what should be gifted to her sons Prince William and Prince Harry in the event of her death.
The original document was signed by Diana on June 1, 1993 and later amended in 1996. The “People’s Princess” tragically died at 36 alongside boyfriend Dodi Fayed, 42, in a car crash in Paris in 1997. Frances Ruth Shand Kydd, and sister Lady Elizabeth Sarah Lavinia McCorquodale, were named as co-executors and trustees for the will. In the will, Diana requested that nearly all her possessions be divided between William and Harry.
Her 17 godchildren received the rest and £50,000 was given to her butler Paul Burrell. According to reports, Diana wanted the bulk of her estate to be placed in a trust, which she requested William and Harry have access to when they turned 25. But the court allowed Diana’s mother and sister to change a few of the will’s details. The age at which the princes received their share was changed from 25 to 30.
The items included Diana’s iconic 1981 wedding dress, which was to be gifted to the pair when Harry marked his 30th birthday. Meanwhile William received his mother’s engagement ring – which he later used to propose to Princess Kate. The dress was made up of thousands of pearls, layers of silk and a 25ft train, and was returned to her sons in 2014 after a global tour.
The treasured heirloom was transferred into the princes’ possession, alongside other cherished personal items. It had previously been looked after by her brother Earl Spencer and had been the centrepiece of an exhibition, which has raised money for the Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fund.
The Cincinnati Museum Center in the United States also displayed the dress for six months. Mr Emanuel said in 2014: “That gown has earned its keep. It has been around the globe many, many times. I think more people abroad have seen it than British people. “What’s extraordinary is, after so many years, people are still talking about it.”
