Royals
Prince William Opens Up About Princess Diana’s Divorce from King Charles: ‘You Learn From It’
Prince William reflected on his parents’ sensational divorce in a candid interview on Apple TV+ series The Reluctant Traveler that debuted on Friday, October 3.
According to the royal, his mother, the late Princess Diana, fostered a warm atmosphere at home when he was growing up. “You have to have that warmth, that feeling of safety, security, love,” William, 43, told host Eugene Levy of how he does the same with wife Princess Kate and kids Prince George, 12, Princess Charlotte, 10, and Prince Louis, 7.
“That was certainly part of my childhood,” he revealed, but added, “My parents got divorced at 8, so that lasted a short period of time.”
Diana and King Charles III separated in 1992 and finally divorced amid confessions of infidelity from both in 1996.
“You take that and you learn from it and you try and make sure you don’t do the same mistakes as your parents,” the prince said.
“I think we all try and do that and I just want to do what’s best for my children,” he continued, “but I know that the drama and the stress when you’re small really affects you when you’re older.”
He blamed part of his parents’ split on constant public scrutiny. “The media were so insatiable back then — it’s hard to think of it now, but they were much more insatiable,” he explained.
“They wanted every bit of detail they could absorb, and they were in everything, literally everywhere,” William said. “And if you let that creep in, the damage it can do to your family life is something that I vowed would never happen to my family.”
