Prince Harry has found allies in the late Princess Diana's family amidst his ongoing feud with the British Royal Family, according to former royal butler Paul Burrell. The Duke of Sussex, who has been at odds with the Royal Family following his bombshell allegations against them, was supported by Earl Charles Spencer and Lady Jane Fellowes, both siblings of Princess Diana, during his recent visit to the UK.
Despite not meeting with any members of the Royal Family during his time in London, including his father, King Charles, and his estranged brother, Prince William, Harry was accompanied by the Spencer family at a commemorative event held in St. Paul's Cathedral to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Invictus Games, an international competition for wounded or injured servicemen and women that Harry helped establish as founding patron in 2014.
Speaking to Bella Magazine, Burrell said that Princess Diana "would be devastated" if she knew the extent of the royal feud and that she would have intervened to prevent it from escalating. "She would have seen this starting and she would have stopped it," he explained. "She would have made Harry apologise to Charles, and Diana would have been the broker of that - she was always the peacemaker. She wanted the four of them to stay together."
Burrell added that the disintegration of the family's unity "broke her heart" and that she would have predicted the problems between William and Harry once that happened. However, without Diana's presence to mediate, Burrell believes "it's a lost cause."
Royal expert Tom Quinn has also weighed in on the significance of the Spencer family's support for Harry, telling The Mirror that their decision to attend the Invictus Games event "speaks volumes about where their loyalties lie." Quinn noted that the Spencer family has always felt uncomfortable with the Royal Family after Diana's death, with Earl Spencer being openly critical of the way they treated his sister, particularly focusing on Prince Charles (now King Charles).
"The fact that the Spencers were out in force for Harry on this visit speaks volumes about where their loyalties lie. Like Harry, the Spencers still see the Royal Family, to some extent, as the enemy," Quinn said, highlighting the "bitterness" that still surrounds the family's relationship with the monarchy.
During his time in London, Harry also spoke on a panel and delivered a reading at St. Paul's during a Service of Thanksgiving for the Invictus Games. Although his wife, Meghan Markle, did not accompany him on this trip, the couple is set to reunite later in the week when they visit Nigeria at the request of the nation's Chief of Defense Staff to meet with service members and participate in activities designed to highlight the Invictus Games.
Harry's spokesperson confirmed that he would not be able to meet with King Charles during his visit due to the monarch's full schedule, stating, "The duke, of course, is understanding of his father's diary of commitments and various other priorities and hopes to see him soon."
Since stepping away from the royal family, Harry has maintained a relationship with the Spencer side of his family, with his aunt and uncle continuing to support him publicly. Although he remains estranged from Prince William, Harry shared kind words for his brother and sister-in-law, Princess Kate Middleton, when news of her cancer diagnosis broke in March, wishing them "health and healing" and hoping they could navigate the situation "privately and in peace."
