Princess Diana's Former Bodyguard Thinks Late Royal 'Would Have Discouraged' Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's Shocking Exit — Which Led To Nasty Family Feud
Princess Diana's former bodyguard reveals advice he thinks she would have given Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.
April 10 2025, Published 8:30 p.m. ET
Princess Diana's former bodyguard Ken Wharfe has opened up on what advice he believes Prince Harry's late mother would have given him on his decision to leave his royal life behind, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
Wharfe, who worked for Diana and her family for thirteen years, said he thinks the late Princess of Wales would have "understood" why her youngest son, 40, and daughter-in-law Meghan Markle wanted to leave the Firm.
Bodyguard Ken Wharfe worked for Diana and her family for 13 years.
Although Diana was famously open about her struggles with the Crown, as well as the expectations that came with being married to the future king, Wharfe believed she ultimately would have wanted Harry and Markle, 43, to "give royal life a chance."
He said: "One thing's for certain Diana would have understood perhaps why the Sussexes would want a different life.
"Diana herself had often talked about a different way of life but didn't (go through with it) because of her loyalty to the Queen and the country.
"I think she would have told Harry and Meghan to give royal life a chance and that he was being a bit premature."
Whafe believed Diana would have understood Harry and Markle wanting a 'different life'
If Diana – who died aged 36 in a fatal car accident in Paris in August 1997 – had been able to talk to Harry about the pressures he and Markle were facing as full-time working royals, Wharfe believes there was a possibly the current family rift could have been avoided.
Wharfe explained: "I think he would have listened and if that had been the case they could well have been a different outcome to this."
While reflecting on the 13 years he spent working for the royal family, the ex-bodyguard recalled meeting Diana – and her two young boys – for the first time.
The former bodyguard said Diana probably would ave told Harry to 'give royal life a chance'
He told the Sun's Life Stories: "I was rather nervous as I drove to Sandringham House in Norfolk to meet Diana.
"I was shown into an elaborate room by a very attentive butler and there was a four-year-old (Prince) William attempting to play a piano badly and Harry, two, de-stamenizing a vase of royal lilies.
"Diana said, 'I don't envy you Ken, looking after my children they can be a bloody nuisance,' at which point William shuffled around on this spiraling stool and said, 'I'm not a bloody nuisance,' while Harry fell off this table breaking the vase as he went."
"It was completely the opposite to what I had expected and meeting the Princess of Wales was actually like seeing a friend," Wharfe added.
Wharfe recalled Prince William and Harry being 'reluctant' to public life as children.
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Soon Wharfe became "Uncle Ken" to William and Harry, who he noted were both reluctant about being in the spotlight.
Wharfe said: "I remember my first job with William at Wetherby, his first school. Diana was telling him when we get to the school there are going to be lots of photographers and that she didn't want him 'mucking about. William responded, 'I don't like 'tographers.'
"Diana told him that he was going to get this for the rest of his life anyway and he'd better behave and just learn to live with it, it was quite shrewd advice really."
