In 2014, a seemingly innocuous comment by Prince Charles reignited painful memories for those close to the late Princess Diana.
As Kate Middleton was expecting her second child, Prince Charles expressed a hopeful sentiment to a well-wisher in London, saying, “I hope it will be a girl this time,” according to the Daily Mail.
For many, this remark echoed a bitter moment from the past, marking a significant point of no return in the troubled marriage between Prince Charles and Diana, Princess of Wales.
In the 25 years since Princess Diana’s tragic death, numerous secrets about her marriage to Prince Charles have come to light.
One particularly poignant revelation was shared by Diana herself to her biographer, Andrew Morton, in his 1992 book, “Diana: Her True Story.”
While this detail received limited public attention at the time, it resurfaced during the birth of Princess Charlotte in 2015 and again when Prince Harry and Meghan Markle started their family.
The comment highlighted by Diana provided a glimpse into the complexities and tensions that plagued her relationship with Charles.
When Diana was pregnant with Prince Harry, Charles had been desperately hoping for a baby girl. Upon Harry’s birth, Charles’s first comment struck Diana deeply: “Oh God, it’s a boy.”
Although Charles later dismissed the remark as a joke, it left a lasting impact on Diana, who was already struggling within their marriage.
Prior to Harry’s birth, the couple had been working on their relationship, growing closer during those weeks.
Diana, aware of Charles’s preference for a daughter, chose to withhold the news that she was carrying a boy, hoping the birth of a healthy son would bring them joy.
The hurt did not end with Charles’s initial comment. He followed it up with another offhand remark: “And he’s even got red hair.”
This comment was particularly cutting for Diana, whose family tree was filled with redheads.
It also touched a sensitive nerve, as Diana had previously had an extramarital affair with James Hewitt, a redhead.
Although the affair had ended two years prior and Hewitt couldn’t have been Harry’s father, the implication stung Diana deeply.
Diana’s pain was compounded by the physical and emotional toll she had endured. She had gone through nine hours of natural childbirth and had previously suffered a miscarriage before becoming pregnant with Harry.
Charles’s remarks, therefore, were not just thoughtless; they came at a time when Diana was particularly vulnerable.