Prince Harry's planned Netflix project about his late mother, Princess Diana, has dominated royal headlines this week. Behind the noise, however, there are signs that Prince William may not simply sit back and watch the story unfold without him.
Key Takeaways:
- Prince Harry is reportedly working on a Netflix documentary about Princess Diana.
- A rumoured meeting between William's side and the BBC's Director-General has fuelled talk of a rival film.
- Insiders have downplayed the idea of William making his own documentary.
- Royal commentator Tom Sykes believes William could back an official, carefully controlled film instead.
- Access to the royal archives and Diana's friends may be the real bargaining chips.
The speculation centres on a reported Thursday meeting between the heir to the throne and Matt Brittin, the BBC's Director-General. According to the buzz, a documentary marking 30 years since Diana's death was floated during that conversation. Palace-friendly sources were quick to push back, pointing out that a William-led film would look too much like a direct response to his brother's project.
That has not stopped commentators from asking how the future king might answer Harry in a quieter way. Tom Sykes, Editor-at-Large of The Royalist podcast, explored the question in a recent Substack column. His own view is that William is unlikely to front a film of his own, and he considers that the wisest path.
Sykes instead suggests a more subtle option: lending quiet support to a respectful production, possibly one made by ITV. In practice, that could mean sharing personal photographs, opening up the family archive, or granting some access to the royal archives.
He suspects this is exactly what was on the table in the BBC meeting. In his reading, discussions are now underway over which broadcaster gets the green light, how much material from the royal archives it will be allowed to use, and which of Diana's close friends will be encouraged to take part.
If that is true, William would be shaping the narrative without ever appearing on camera, leaving Harry's Netflix film to compete with a version that carries the stamp of the institution itself. For now, none of this has been officially confirmed, and it remains informed speculation rather than fact.
