Princess Diana’s biographer reveals the one question he never dared to ask her

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published 15 January 2023

Andrew Morton, the author behind the bestselling biography Princess Diana, Her True Story – In Her Own Words (opens in new tab), has revealed the one question he never dared to ask Princess Diana and shared why he believes Prince Harry (opens in new tab) will never regret writing Spare.

Andrew Morton, a royal biographer, has shared intimate insight into his relationship with Princess Diana and made several shocking claims about her life, as well as revealing the one question he never dared to ask her.
He also commented on Prince Harry's newly released memoir Spare (opens in new tab), saying he believes the Prince will never regret sharing his story.
In other royal news (opens in new tab), TK Maxx refute Prince Harry’s 'annual sale' shopping claim saying they 'don't actually do sales' (opens in new tab).

As Prince Harry's explosive memoir Spare grabs headlines and media attention across the world, Princess Diana's royal biographer has put his two cents into the conversation. Andrew Morton's best-selling royal biography, Princess Diana, Her True Story – In Her Own Words, published in 1992, much like Prince Harry's memoir, made waves that could be felt globe-wide.

Speaking on HELLO!'s new A Right Royal Podcast, the biographer went into great detail about his time with the late Princess Diana (opens in new tab), sharing details about her childhood and the lasting impact it had on her.

He said, "I remember occasions when Diana was in tears talking about some of the issues in her life, mostly her suicide attempts, and when I sent her to read through Chapter 6, she was in tears reading it because it just brought back so many memories.

"She did have a difficult childhood, an unhappy childhood, and talking about that as well it was like ploughing a field, it brought to the surface all kinds of unhappiness."

As a royal biographer himself, who has witnessed the impact of sharing insider stories about The Firm, Morton went on to reveal why he believes Prince Harry will never regret writing Spare.

He said, "Harry will have thought long and hard before doing this, but he also has the undivided support of his wife, which is very different. I mean, this is a huge contrast between Harry and Diana, Diana was talking about a broken marriage, an unhappy marriage. Harry's talking about unhappiness with an institution.

"Diana, and let's just get straight, never regretted for a living second, having cooperated with the book and even wrote to us to say as much. There's been all kinds of speculation to say, 'Oh, she regretted it.' She never did."

He summed up what he believed to be Harry's feelings, "I'm sure he feels like he has done the right thing."

Andrew was then asked by the podcast hosts why he thought Prince Harry had decided to write a memoir and what he thinks his mother, Diana, would think of the book. The author then surprised both the hosts and listeners by revealing the one question he never asked the late Princess.

"The one question I never asked her was, 'why are you doing it?'," he said, referring to her taking part in the biography. "Because she might have thought to herself, 'Why am I doing it'?"

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Charlie Elizabeth Culverhouse is royal news and entertainment writer for Goodto.com. She began her freelance journalism career after graduating from Nottingham Trent University with an MA in Magazine Journalism, receiving an NCTJ diploma, and earning a First Class BA (Hons) in Journalism at the British and Irish Modern Music Institute. She has also worked with BBC Good Food and The Independent.