Princess Diana Reportedly Tried To Shield Prince Harry From ‘Spare’ Label, According To A Royal Expert

This month marks the 25th anniversary of her death, but we are still finding out brand new information about the late Princess Diana; this time, regarding how she parented her two sons – Prince William, who was born to be second in line to the throne, and Prince Harry, who was dubbed the ‘spare’ by the media from birth.

In his new book, Diana, William, and Harry: The Heartbreaking Story of a Princess and Mother, 75-year-old best-selling author James Patterson shines a light on the Princess of Wales’ devotion to her two sons, as she always believed that her greatest and most important role in her life was as a mother. And according to Patterson, it’s because of that fierce devotion to her sons that she made a huge effort to try and shield them from the ‘heir and the spare’ labels they were given to them in the press, as he believed she was always “troubled” by it.

“I think she tried to control it as much as she could,” Patterson told Fox News Digital, while promoting the new book, which was released on August 15th. “I think she was troubled about it. That’s a standard thing for families. One of the kids who do better in school or become a better athlete seems to be a little more charming and lovable. How do you make the other kids feel that they’re just enough? It happens pretty much to all families. And in this case, the stakes are much higher because one is presumably going to be king someday.”

“I think she was very aware of the situation,” Patterson continued. “She had experienced how difficult it was to be in her role as a princess… She wanted to have her own life. And that was very hard for her. She didn’t want the boys to experience the same struggles she faced. She tried as much as she could to control it. She simply wanted them to be normal kids and understand that the real world doesn’t operate in the same way it worked within the palace. They shouldn’t see themselves as special or different.”

Patterson went on to say that Princess Diana’s protection of her sons went even further, as she tried hard to show them life outside the palace walls and to give them as much of a normal upbringing as possible. Not only did it involve taking her sons to homeless shelters and bringing them along to some charity events, but it also consisted of much simpler things, such as taking them to theme parks and fast food chains.

“She wanted them to be as normal as they could be. She insisted on taking them to McDonald’s because that’s what kids did,” Patterson added. “Queen Elizabeth wound up going to McDonald’s, but she didn’t understand. She didn’t think the burgers were that good.” He then said that “Diana tried to explain that it was about the Happy Meal and the toys that came with it. But she also took them to homeless shelters. She wanted them to see the other side. Not everyone drives around in fancy cars. A lot of people have no money… She also explained that not everybody likes them, which might be tough for a kid to swallow, but she insisted on them experiencing the real world.”