Within the royal family, marriages were traditionally upheld with great reverence, and private struggles were kept from public view. The notion of a royal divorce was considered unthinkable—until King Charles III and Diana, Princess of Wales, announced their separation. The news, while historic, did not come as a complete surprise, given longstanding rumors of Charles’s affair with Camilla Parker Bowles, now the Queen Consort.

Diana spoke candidly about the difficulties in her marriage and even confronted Camilla about the affair in 1989. The couple formally separated in 1992, after just over a decade of marriage. Matters became undeniably public when Charles admitted to infidelity in a 1994 television interview, though close observers had long sensed the truth.

Behind the scenes, Diana endured profound pain during the split, worsened by intense media scrutiny. She felt constantly pursued by the press and believed the royal family did little to shield her. This scrutiny only intensified as her marital troubles became public knowledge.

Tragically, Diana died in a car accident on August 31, 1997, leaving behind her two sons, Prince William and Prince Harry. In the years since, Harry has spoken openly about the lasting trauma of losing his mother so young and so publicly.

Reflecting on her funeral, Harry recalled walking behind her coffin as a 12-year-old, watched by thousands in person and millions on television. “I don’t think any child should be asked to do that, under any circumstances,” he later said.

Harry acknowledged that his grief led him toward unhealthy coping mechanisms in his youth, including excessive partying. Though he has since built a happy family with Meghan Markle and their two children, he has shared that the loss remains a source of ongoing trauma—feelings that resurfaced with the death of his grandfather, Prince Philip, in 2021.