Princess Diana reportedly knew she was expecting a second son without sharing that information with King Charles.
Royal biographer Ingrid Seward makes the allegation in her new book Catherine & Diana, her account of the two royal women.
The claim adds a striking layer to King Charles’ alleged reaction to Prince Harry’s birth in 1984. The then-Prince of Wales publicly described the arrival as “absolutely marvellous”.
Why Princess Diana allegedly kept Harry’s sex private
Seward writes that Diana “never told him she was expecting another boy”.
The biographer alleges Diana knew Charles wanted a daughter and felt “extremely vulnerable” during the pregnancy. According to Seward, that vulnerability led Diana to keep the baby’s sex from her husband.
Her account also places the decision during a rare period of closeness between the couple. The specific allegation remains Seward’s account, and Charles has not publicly addressed it.
Princess Diana recalled change after Prince Harry’s birth
In past recordings made for a book by Andrew Morton, Diana discussed the final weeks of her pregnancy.
She reportedly said they had never been closer than during the six weeks before Harry’s arrival. Those recordings were later used in a documentary.
However, Diana described a sudden downturn once Harry was born.
“And then as suddenly as Harry was born, it just went bang, our marriage,” she said.
She added that Charles had wanted two children and had hoped their second child would be a girl. Seward similarly characterises those weeks as a brief happy period in the marriage.
King Charles later spoke of wanting a girl
Harry’s birth in 1984 prompted excitement among royal fans and the press outside St Mary’s Hospital.
Prince Harry has also recounted an apparent joke from his father about receiving an heir and a spare. That recollection could indicate delight at a second son, but it does not resolve Seward’s allegation.
Years later, Charles openly celebrated the arrival of his first granddaughter, Princess Charlotte, in 2015.
During a Poundbury visit, he said he had hoped for a girl and called Charlotte beautiful. He also expressed hope that a granddaughter would care for him when he became very old.
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Those comments concerned a granddaughter, rather than his hopes during Diana’s pregnancy. They therefore cannot confirm what Charles privately expected before Harry’s birth.
Seward’s central claim remains an allegation about a private decision more than four decades ago. Diana’s own recordings nevertheless show how strongly she linked Harry’s arrival with a change in the marriage.
ED! has contacted representatives for Buckingham Palace for comment.
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