Princess Anne Says The Queen Was 'Right' To Keep William & Harry In Balmoral So They Could 'Cope' With Diana's Passing

Oct 07, 2022 by apost team

Princess Diana was adored for her kindness and humanitarian work, and she was universally loved by not only the British public but by people the world over. She was always a trailblazer, from her stunning sense of style to her activism and the kind way she interacted with everyone she met. 

Diana used her influence to enact good, spending much of her time campaigning for humanitarian causes that improved the lives of others. She sat with people who were ill, helping to break the stigma of the then-new diseases HIV and AIDS. These are the reasons she became known as the "People's Princess" — she was a shining beacon of light in the royal family.

Diana died on Aug. 31, 1997, from the injuries she sustained in a car crash in a tunnel in Paris, France, which caused widespread media attention and mourning from people all over the world. She was buried on Sept. 6, 1997. Her untimely death has been the topic of conversations for many years, as people have continued to do their part to help carry on the late princess’ legacy.

And while the world mourned the loss of the princess, so did her two sons, Prince William and Prince Harry. However, Anne, Princess Royal, said that her late mother, Queen Elizabeth II, did her part to help keep William and Harry away from London so they could grieve on their own terms. The set of brothers was very young at the time of their mother’s passing, so the queen thought it would be best to keep them at Balmoral, where they could cope with their heartbreaking loss.

Scotland has become a very prominent place for the royal family. It is where the queen passed away on Sept. 8, 2022, following her time in Balmoral. And back in May 2021, William spoke about how Scotland had been a very helpful place for him following the death of Diana.

William said he found “comfort and solace” in the Scottish countryside after Diana died, according to PEOPLE. The outlet reported that William stepped out as Lord High Commissioner to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland in May 2021, which was the first time he carried out the role.

William began his tour of Scotland following his appointment just one day after he released an emotional statement condemning how the BBC handled the famous Panorama interview that Diana gave in 1995. In his statement, William said that this interview, which was conducted by Martin Bashir, was a "major contribution to making my parents' relationship worse." William also expressed his anger in the wake of the official inquiry into the circumstances leading up to Diana's interview with the BBC for the "deceitful way the interview was obtained."

In his address at the Church, he opened up about how much Scotland meant to him personally. In his heartfelt speech, he elaborated on how Scotland has been the location for his happiest as well as saddest memories, especially as he was in Scotland when he heard about his mother's passing.

In his speech, William said:

“Scotland is incredibly important to me and will always have a special place in my heart. I've been coming to Scotland since I was a small boy... Scotland is the source of some of my happiest memories. But also, my saddest.”

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William continued:

“I was in Balmoral when I was told that my mother had died. Still in shock, I found sanctuary in the service at Crathie Kirk that very morning. And in the dark days of grief that followed, I found comfort and solace in the Scottish outdoors. As a result, the connection I feel to Scotland will forever run deep."

Even though Scotland housed this painful memory for the Duke of Cambridge, Prince William also touched on how it was also the location of some of his most cherished times.

"And yet alongside this painful memory, is one of great joy. Because it was here in Scotland – 20 years ago this year – that I first met Catherine. Needless to say, the town where you meet your future wife holds a very special place in your heart," he said. 

According to Town & Country, William and Kate attended the University of St Andrews in Fife, Scotland, together, where the two had enrolled in 2001. In one of the most famous stories from their university days, Middleton caught the prince's eye after walking down the runway at a charity fashion show in a beautiful sheer dress. 

William added that Scotland is becoming dear to his children as well as he said, "George, Charlotte and Louis already know how dear Scotland is to both of us, and they are starting to build their own happy memories here too. We have no doubt they will grow up sharing our love and connection to Scotland from the Highlands to the Central Belt, from the Islands to the Borders."

According to ITV, it had been the late queen’s idea to keep William, along with his brother Harry, in Scotland following Diana’s death. While some people criticized the queen for coming off as “uncaring and distant,” Anne, Princess Royal, said that her mother “did exactly the right thing” by keeping William and Harry – along with their father, Charles – in Balmoral and away from London as they grieved.

Anne said:

“I think it’s absolutely extraordinary that any right-minded thinking parents should believe… (there) would have been an alternative to bring those children down here to London in all that hoo ha. I just don’t know how you could think that that would have been a better thing to do… I don’t think either of those two could, would have been able to cope had they’d been anywhere else.”

At the time of Diana’s death, William was 15 while Harry was 12. Anne continued:

“That was the only good thing that happened was that they were there, and they had that structure, they had people around them who could understand, give them the time, little time that they had, which was never going to be very much, to try and come – even in a fleeting sense – to terms with what had happened. It’s not possible for most people to do that in that space, never mind children at that age.”

Anne added that her mother showed a "belief in values of behavior towards each other." 

"I think that's her, what her life has shown, and if that’s the example that people find gives them the confidence for the future, then that's, I'm sure, an encouragement to all of us, but there's no doubt that her example has been absolutely key in that."

Did you know that the late Queen Elizabeth II had been such a prominent figure in helping William and Harry cope with their mother’s passing? Let us know, and be sure to pass this along to your loved ones.