Princess Diana ‘tearful’ as she revealed Prince William’s advice to ‘leave England’ weeks before her death

Princess Diana reportedly confronted photographers taking her picture during a vacation in 1997.

Diana, Princess of Wales riding in a traditional sleigh with Prince William
(Image credit: Photo by Jayne Fincher/Princess Diana Archive/Getty Images)

Princess Diana was reportedly left “tearful” weeks before her death as it’s claimed she made a startling revelation about Prince William’s advice to “leave England”.


The late Princess of Wales was forever being photographed and as this intensified with her new relationship, it’s said she received a shocking piece of advice to “leave” her long-term home. Whilst the scrutiny surrounding Prince Charles and Diana’s relationship might have been somewhat expected during their marriage given their royal status, the fascination continued long after their divorce. 

It was Princess Diana’s love life which attracted the most attention, from her relationship with surgeon and cardiologist Dr Hasnat Khan, to her romance with film producer Dodi Fayed. She reportedly considered marrying again to Dr Khan, though after their relationship ended in 1997, she began dating Dodi and the scrutiny grew.

So much so that according to Express.co.uk, a photographer claimed she grew “tearful” and revealed a heartbreaking plea from her eldest son. 

Prince William At Confirmation With Prince Charles And Princess Diana At Windsor Castle

(Image credit: Photo by Tim Graham Picture Library/Getty Images)

The month before Princess Diana and Dodi Fayed’s tragic deaths in Paris in August 1997, she enjoyed a sun-filled vacation with Prince William and Prince Harry on his father’s yacht. However, just like at home in London, they were never far from a sea of photographers. 

The publication reports that in the 2007 documentary, Diana: Last Days of a Princess, long-standing royal photographer for The Sun, Arthur Edwards, spoke out about the moment she decided it was too much. 

“Suddenly, she strode down some steps and very rapidly got into a boat,” he alleged. “I remember picking up the camera and she said, ‘No pictures’.”

Confronting all the photographers who were there directly, Princess Diana reportedly asked why they were there, to which they replied that they were there because she was. 

Diana, Princess of Wales and son HRH Prince William are seen holidaying in summer 1997

(Image credit: Photo by Michel Dufour/WireImage via Getty)

Arthur then alleged that she replied, “William’s told me that I should leave England and go and live somewhere else.”

So shocked was he by her response that the royal photographer told documentary viewers, “I thought, ‘I don’t want to be the reason why she’s going to live in exile’”, adding that she appeared “tearful” and “obviously upset about something”.

At the time Prince William was just 15 years old and was left utterly devastated by her loss. Last year during a royal tour of Scotland, Prince William recalled the “dark days of grief” after hearing of Princess Diana’s death at Balmoral

Princess Diana Helping Prince William With A Jigsaw Puzzle Toy In His Playroom At Home In Kensington Palace

(Image credit: Photo by Tim Graham Photo Library via Getty Images)

Though in recent months the future king has also shared precious memories of his mother driving him to school listening to their favorite tunes.

“My mother, she'd be driving along singing at the top of her voice and we'd even get the policeman in the car, he'd be occasionally singing along as well,” he revealed, before later adding, “[W]hen I listen to it now it takes me back to those car rides and brings back lots of memories of my mother.”

Emma Shacklock

Emma is a Royal Editor with eight years experience working in publishing. Her specialist areas include the British Royal Family, ranging from protocol to outfits. Alongside putting her royal knowledge to good use, Emma knows all there is to know about the latest TV shows on the BBC, ITV and more. When she’s not writing about the next unmissable show to add to your to-watch list or delving into royal protocol, Emma enjoys cooking, long walks and watching yet more crime dramas!