Prince William declines to join Princess Diana documentaries for 30th‑anniversary commemorations

The Prince of Wales said he would prefer to mark the anniversary privately rather than in a major television production.

By Felo News Desk · Published Sun, 27 Sep 2026 19:44:43 GMT

Prince William has declined to participate in several documentary projects that would mark the 30th anniversary of his mother Princess Diana’s death, according to reports from the Sunday Times and the London Standard. The decision is said to stem from a wish to avoid fresh tensions with his brother, Prince Harry, who has recently returned to the United Kingdom and is reportedly involved in his own media projects about Diana.

The Sunday Times reported that the Prince of Wales turned down the requests in part to avoid a new source of conflict with Prince Harry, who has been approached about a number of anniversary‑related projects. The Standard added that the heir to the throne wishes to prevent comparisons with Harry’s media engagements and prefers a private commemoration.

Both outlets noted that William, who was 15 when Diana died in a car crash in Paris in 1997, had already spoken publicly about his mother’s legacy. He took part in a series of tributes for the 20th anniversary of her death in 2017 and is said to regard those reflections as his final public comments on the subject.

While the reports do not name the broadcasters involved, the Standard mentioned that Netflix was among the potential partners linked to the project. The Sunday Times did not specify any broadcasters.

Prince Harry, meanwhile, is reported to have been approached about a number of projects linked to the anniversary. The Duke of Sussex and his wife Meghan have an ongoing relationship with Netflix, which released a six‑part documentary series about the couple in 2023.

William’s decision comes amid a broader context of renewed scrutiny of the royal family, following the release of the Earl of Spencer’s memoir and the return of Prince Harry to the UK. The family has faced questions about how it manages public memory of Princess Diana and how it navigates media engagements involving the late princess.

Key facts

Prince William declined to participate in documentaries marking the 30th anniversary of Princess Diana’s death (vanityfair.com)
The decision was partly to avoid fresh tensions with his brother, Prince Harry (standard.co.uk)
William had already spoken publicly about Diana’s legacy, including tributes for the 20th anniversary in 2017 (vanityfair.com)
Netflix was mentioned as a potential broadcaster linked to the project (standard.co.uk)

Background

The story is set against a backdrop of recent royal family controversies, including the Earl of Spencer’s memoir and Prince Harry’s return to the UK. Earlier Felo coverage highlighted tensions within the family and public scrutiny over how Princess Diana’s legacy is handled.