In a surprising revelation from a new royal biography, it has been disclosed that Queen Elizabeth II once believed that Princess Diana was “far better suited” to Prince Andrew than to her eldest son, Charles.
The surprising revelation comes from Ingrid Seward’s latest book, My Mother and I, shedding light on the Queen’s reservations about Diana’s compatibility with the now King of England.
According to the author, Queen Elizabeth had just two concerns regarding the blossoming relationship between Diana and Charles. One reservation was whether the young Diana “could differentiate between the man and the prince”. The second, and more intriguingly, was the monarch’s belief that “the Spencer girl would be far better suited to her younger son, Andrew”.
Reflecting on what could have been, the revelation that Queen Elizabeth once considered Diana a better match for Prince Andrew raises intriguing questions about the dynamics of the Royal Family.
Had this alternative path unfolded, the course of history for Diana, Andrew, and the entire monarchy might have taken a dramatically different turn.
Elsewhere in the book, Seward reveals that Diana reportedly went to great lengths to win over the Royal Family during house parties at Balmoral.
Her efforts proved successful, as everyone found her “enchanting,” making a lasting impression on both the family and staff.
During Balmoral’s shooting parties, Diana’s commitment to embracing royal life was evident.
An anonymous staff member reminisced, “If you looked out of your window at a quarter to eight, you would see her walking in the garden, and she made a great point of being there to see them off.”
“It was then that she played her sharpest card. She would go around telling everybody how much she loved Balmoral and that it was such a magical place and how she loved it beyond imagination,” they added.
In another royal revelation, Prince Philip’s unique nickname for Meghan Markle was also uncovered in Seward’s book, shedding light on the Duke of Edinburgh’s perspective on the American actress who joined the Royal Family.
The late Prince Philip, it has been reported, coined the shorthand “DoW” for Markle “from the moment he detected her apparent similarity to” Wallis Simpson, the Duchess of Windsor.
The Duchess of Windsor, Wallis Simpson, played a pivotal role in British history when she prompted King Edward VIII to abdicate the throne in pursuit of their love. Prince Philip, having witnessed the consequences of such romantic entanglements within the Royal Family, maintained a cautious stance throughout.
While Queen Elizabeth II initially approved of Prince Harry’s fiancée during their first meeting at Buckingham Palace, Prince Philip remained skeptical, wary of succumbing to what he perceived as Markle’s “charm offensive”.
The Queen’s initial approval of Markle was rooted in optimism for the positive impact the American actress could have alongside Prince Harry, especially for the youth of the Commonwealth.
Despite her popularity, Seward, in a section serialised in the Daily Mail, recounts Prince Philip’s consistent skepticism.
“One of the few wary of succumbing to her charm offensive, however, was Prince Philip,” she wrote.
“While the Queen continued to champion Harry’s new love, he warned his wife to be cautious. It was uncanny, he told her, how much Meghan reminded him of the Duchess of Windsor.”