Princess Diana would be "thrilled" her youngest son Prince Harry has quit the UK and realised her own dream of living in America, a royal expert has said.
Diana died 25 years ago today aged 36 following a tragic car crash in Paris that left two others, including her companion Dodi al-Fayed, dead. Her shocking passing came just a year after her divorce from Prince Charles was finalised and at a time when she had escaped the shackles of royal life. Shortly before her death, royal author and expert Ingrid Seward spent time alone with Diana at Kensington Palace, where they talked about all manner of topics including her sons William and Harry.
The two men have ended up going down completely different paths in their adult lives with William pledging his future to the monarchy - and Harry quitting as a working royal and leaving the UK.
And Ingrid, editor in chief of Majesty magazine, tells the Mirror that Diana herself also wanted to relocate across the Atlantic - and would be pleased Harry has done the same.
She said: "She decided she wanted to settle in America and would be thrilled Harry has realised her dream for himself and done just that.
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"She knew William's destiny was the monarchy and would have been happy he has come to terms with his tough role.
"Diana would have been sad the Queen was having so many troubles at her great age, but she would have known however frail she might appear, the Queen can deal with anything."
Meanwhile, at the time of her death, Ingrid says although Diana had plans for her future - she was still worried about her once royal role - and above all her sons.
She added: "Once Diana’s divorce was finalised on August 28, 1996, she hoped she would find a new sense of freedom.
"At last, she would be able to be her own person, do her own thing and spend her own money, as and how she wished.
"It wasn’t quite like that as she discovered. The royal family still wanted to control her and place restrictions on her future activities and she was terrified she would lose William and Harry to the system she had escaped from herself.
"She insisted she still loved Prince Charles, but once the panic of losing him and being on her own subsided, she began to look for new projects that might benefit from her involvement.
"After the success of her landmines campaign, her attention was caught by child abuse and forced prostitution in Asia. She wanted to do everything she could to eradicate what was taking place in India, Pakistan and Thailand.
"As it turned out it was one of her final wishes, although she didn’t have any idea of how exactly she was going to do it.
"It was Diana’s membership of the royal family that defined her. No matter how hard she tried to take charge of her own destiny, she only managed to break free in the last year of her life. She was happy.
"Helping others was always her calling and if she was still here it would be the same today.
Ingrid Seward is editor in chief of Majesty magazine and author of The Queen and Di and Diana the Last Word.
