EXCLUSIVE: Princess Diana 'Would Have Been Heartbroken and Devastated' Over Sons William and Harry's Estrangement
Princess Diana seeing her sons estranged may have been too much to handle.
Feb. 12 2026, Published 6:00 p.m. ET
Princess Diana would have been destroyed over her sons' estrangement and the "state of the world" had she lived to witness today's turmoil, according to sources who have told RadarOnline.com her extreme emotional sensitivity left her overwhelmed even by the crises of her own era.
Diana Spencer, the former Princess of Wales, was killed in a high-speed car crash in Paris on August 31, 1997, and left behind two sons, Prince William, now 43, and Prince Harry, now 41.
Princess Diana and Her 'Crying Fits'
Princess Diana embraced emotional openness during her royal life.
During her lifetime, she became known for her emotional candor, breaking with royal convention by publicly embracing AIDS patients, comforting landmine victims, and speaking openly about her struggles with mental health and bulimia.
At a time when stoicism defined the monarchy, Diana's vulnerability reshaped its public image.
One source who knew the "People's Princess" intimately said, "Diana would fly into crying fits at the drop of a hat because she felt everything so intensely.
"News on TV of a bombing, a hospital visit, even a personal family decision – it all went straight to her heart. That emotional transparency was not a weakness. It was the very thing that redefined how the public saw the monarchy."
Princess Diana is said to have worried intensely about her sons while they attended boarding school.
The insider added Diana's deep empathy, while transformative, left her fragile.
"If she were alive today, seeing war, division, and even the distance between William and Harry, it would have devastated her," the insider said.
"She internalized global pain as if it were personal. The estrangement between her boys alone would have broken her heart..."
Princess Diana and Worries About Her Children
Broadcaster Eamonn Holmes recalled her tearful reaction to tragic news.
Broadcaster Eamonn Holmes, 66, also recently described Diana's highly strung nature.
Recalling a private meeting, he said, "One day, I remember I complimented her on her outfit that she was wearing."
Holmes said Diana replied: "Yes, RUC green, what do you think?" – referencing the former Royal Ulster Constabulary in Northern Ireland.
He claimed: "She started crying about a bomb explosion that had happened in Northern Ireland, and she was very, very close, very connected with all of that."
Holmes added she was "very knowledgeable" about the Troubles. The conversation, he said, then turned to her children.
"She then went on to talk about William and Harry going to school and how that upset her," he claimed. "They went to boarding school or whatever it is, and so we talked about all those things."
Princess Diana's Struggles With Distance From Her Children
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Princess Diana's empathy left a lasting mark on her sons and the monarchy.
According to a royal insider, even routine separations from her boys could overwhelm Diana.
"She adored her sons and found the physical distance incredibly painful," the source said. "Even the thought of them struggling away from home could reduce her to tears."
Prince Harry reflected on his mother's extreme empathy in 2023, saying: "In the midst of all that uncertainty, she led with empathy, finding the humanity in all around her and demonstrating the power of connection in the face of fear."
Prince William echoed similar themes during a visit to Cape Town in November. He said, "I'm trying to do it differently, and I'm trying to do it for my generation. I'm doing it with maybe a smaller 'r' in the royal, if you like. It's more about impact, philanthropy, collaboration, convening, and helping people."
William added, "I'm also going to throw empathy in there as well, because I really care about what I do. It helps impact people's lives. I think we could do with some more empathetic leadership around the world."
Another source said Diana's emotional openness came at a cost.
"She absorbed the pain of others - from terrorist attacks to family tensions," the insider said. "That empathy made her extraordinary, but it also made her vulnerable in a world that has only grown harsher."
