Prince Charles married Princess Diana in July 1981, and in November, they announced their first pregnancy with Prince William. Then, in February 1984, the royal couple announced that they were expecting their second child, which, of course, is a big deal in Britain’s royal family.
According to royal biographer Ingrid Seward, Princess Diana was aware during that pregnancy that the baby was a boy, but kept this fact under wraps from then Prince Charles. Why would she hide the fact that they were expecting a second boy from her husband?
Why Did Princess Diana Hide The Fact That The Baby Was A Boy?
It might sound strange that she kept the information away from the then-Prince Charles. However, according to Seward, Princess Diana hid the fact that their baby was another boy from him because the future king was hoping for a daughter.
The royal biographer claims that Charles was completely taken by surprise when Princess Diana gave birth to another son. However, naturally, Diana knew all along, and kept that critical piece of information under wraps.
The information came out after Princess Diana’s bodyguard spoke of Charles’ parenting of Prince William and Prince Harry. According to the Express US, Diana was trying to shield Charles’ feelings because he was hoping for a daughter.
“Oddly, despite the closeness she had felt with Charles before Harry’s birth, she never told him she was expecting another boy,” Seward writes in her biography, “Catherine & Diana.”
“She knew he longed for a daughter, and her extreme vulnerability made her keep this piece of intimate information from him,” she added.
Diana & Charles Were Close At That Time
Meanwhile, Andrew Morton wrote in his book titled “Diana: Her True Story,” that Diana said their relationship was close prior to Prince Harry’s birth. In fact, she said this was “the closest we’ve ever, ever been and ever will be.”
Diana also revealed to the biographer that Charles voiced his disappointment after finding out that the baby was a boy, and had red hair. “Oh God, it’s a boy. And he’s even got red hair,” Charles apparently said.
Diana made recordings as a foundation for her official biography, and these also revealed Charles’ comments and disappointment led to significant distress within the Spencer family. Moreover, the late Queen Elizabeth II was also deeply disappointed.
Diana said in the recordings, “At Harry’s christening, Charles went up to Mummy [Queen Elizabeth] and said ‘we’re so disappointed, we wanted a girl’ and Mummy snapped his head off and said ‘you should realise you are lucky to have a child that’s normal’.”
The late princess also explained that this exchange had a lasting and damaging impact on Charles’ relationship with his mother. “Ever since that day, the shutters have come down. That’s what he does when he gets somebody answering back at him,” Princess Diana added in her recording.
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Why Did Princess Diana Hide That Prince Harry Was A Boy From Charles During Pregnancy?