Exclusive: Prince Harry Reveals Why He Thought Mom Diana Wasn’t Dead But Was Simply ‘Hiding’: “I Refused To….See More

Prince Harry once shared his long-held belief that his mother, Princess Diana, might still be alive. He revealed that for years, he thought she had faked her death to escape the relentless pressures of royal life. In his memoir, Spare, he described his initial disbelief upon being told the tragic news. As a 12-year-old, he shared that he had convinced himself she was simply ‘hiding.’ In conversation with Good Morning America, Harry argued that it was his ‘defense mechanism’. He also recalled how his father, now King Charles III, sat on the edge of his bed, hesitant, as he broke the horrid news.

In a shocking statement, Harry further shared that Charles did not hug him but instead placed a hand on his knee and told him it would be okay. He added that his brother, Prince William, had ‘similar thoughts’ and that they both wondered if their mum would return one day. Harry held onto that hope until he was 23 years old. In a 60 Minutes interview with Anderson Cooper, he admitted, “For a long time, I just refused to accept that she was gone. She would never do this to us, but also maybe this is all part of a plan,” The Wrap reported.

At the age of 20, Harry requested to see the police report and crash photos, hoping to find proof of what had happened. He said, “Proof that she was in the car. Proof that she was injured. And proof that the very paparazzi that chased her into the tunnel were the ones that were taking photographs—photographs of her lying half dead on the back seat of the car.” His personal secretary and advisor stopped him from looking at the more graphic images. It wasn’t until he visited the Pont de l’Alma tunnel in Paris, where Diana’s fatal accident occurred, that he finally accepted the truth.

In Spare, Harry recounts how he once asked his driver to replicate Diana’s fatal journey through the tunnel at the same speed, 65 mph, when he was in Paris for the 2007 Rugby World Cup semi-final. He penned, “I wanted to see whether it was possible, driving at the speed that Henri Paul was driving, that you could lose control of a car and plow into a pillar, killing almost everybody in that car. I needed to take this journey. I needed to ride the same route.” Harry also revealed that he and William considered reopening the inquiry into their mum’s death. Although the official reports claim Diana died in a ‘tragic accident,’ Harry admitted he still does not have all the answers.

Truth be known, no. I don’t think I do. And I don’t think my brother does either. I don’t think the world does.” However, he added, “Do I need any more than I already know? No. I don’t think it would change much.” Harry further revealed that he struggled with his emotions after Diana’s death, particularly his inability to cry. He wrote, “I wish I had the ability or the opportunity to do some form of therapy, or at least be able to talk more about losing my mum and celebrating her life.”