Diana, William, and Harry: The Heartbreaking Story of a Princess and Mother Paperback – July 11, 2023

I typically don’t enjoy reading books about the same subject, but thought this one would be a wonderful read and it was. For as thick as it is, the pages fly by. The content is well written, interesting and familiar.So many happy times from their childhood to the horrible loss of their beautiful mother. She raised such wonderful boys she would be so proud of.What struck me was how Prince Harry was so close to his brother and sister in law before his wife entered the picture. He was so loving and confident and well respected. That all seems to have changed since Meghan Markle. I hope for Prince Harry’s sake it turns out well and he returns to a time when he seemed so much happier and without such a negative influence surrounding him.

Well researched and well written. This book offered detailed insight into the lives of Princess Diana and her sons. It's been a long while since she died but reading this book brought so much about her back to mind... in a positive way... not the make-believe way Charles and Camilla's spin doctors unfairly portray her.It's easy for the younger generation who did not follow Princess Diana through her engagement and marriage to be gaslit into believing that she was "unstable". She was not. Princess Diana suffered extreme cruelty in being engaged to, married to and parenting with someone who used her and did not care that his infidelity and indifference was making her life hell. Who among us would not act out when oppressed with such intolerable abuse?Charles and Camilla should be ashamed of themselves for the decades of abuse they heaped on Diana's shoulders. All she wanted was her husband's love and she had every right to expect that.As for those of us who are old enough to remember, we do not forget what Charles and Camilla did to Diana. We're simply biding our time until William is on the throne.May Diana rest in peace and may Prince William one day, as King, restore his mother's HRH and move her to be buried in royal grounds with a proper royal monument to the mother of the king where she may be visited and remembered properly by those of us who still think, pray and remain loyal to her and her memory.

Diana, William, and Harry by James Patterson is a very timely book, published soon before the 25th Anniversary of Diana's tragic death in 1997. There are really nice photographs of Diana and Charles at their wedding; William and Harry; and photos of The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and their children; and Harry and Meghan and their children. It begins with the story of Diana's childhood , her wedding to Prince Charles, the births of her sons, her royal tours and work, the marital difficulties, and eventual divorce and separation, and the effects of Charles and Diana's respective television interviews (Charles in 1994 and Diana in 1995). After Diana's death, the author writes about William and Harry as they complete their educations, serve in the military, and espouse some of their mother's causes. The story of William and Harry is told from their births to ca. Summer 2022. Patterson recounts the story based on resources including interviews of Diana, Charles, and their sons, among other sources. Patterson's book is very positive and upbeat, compared to some of the recent books about the royals. There are some quibbles, for instance the Spencer Tiara is passed down the line to the eldest son, it is doubtful Princess Charlotte would inherit it. The current Earl Spencer would need to lend the tiara to a relative for use-- to his daughters and his sons' future wives and to his nieces and nephews. Diana had the Spencer tiara lent to her by Earl John Spencer (her father) to wear at her wedding to Charles. Prince Charles is said to have applauded (according to the author) Charles Spencer's speech about Diana at the funeral; which is doubtful because Charles and Spencer were not getting along that day and Charles had negative feelings about the eulogy and Charles was influential in having Diana's HRH removed in the divorce settlement. I also think there should have been more coverage of Diana's relationship with Dr. Khan; they had a serious relationship and Diana was the one who broke up with him because he did not want to "go public" with the relationship. After she died, he told the media he loved her and had tried to contact her late in August 1997. This book is recommended to those interested in the late Princess.

love my Prince Diane. I will read all of her books.

I didn’t know what to expect since so much has been written about this family over the years. However, there apparently was a lot more to learn. You get an overwhelming sense of the vast difference between perception and reality and how often one is mistaken for the other. I suppose, as with any public role one puts oneself out there for the private sector to judge, but the readiness of people to judge without charity as a first response is difficult to read about page after page. There was much of that in the life of Diana and ultimately in the lives of her sons as we're all aware these days. This was a heartbreaking book to read.

This book commands a response rather than a review. As a newcomer to the appreciation of the monarchy, I tread lightly as I cannot imagine the experiences recorded in the pages of this book. Some I knew, many I didn't. The reader's companion that stayed with me throughout the nearly 400 pages was the overwhelming sense of the vast difference between perception and reality and how often one is mistaken for the other. And the resulting fallout. I suppose in one sense as with any public role one puts oneself out there for the private sector to judge. But the readiness of people to judge without charity as the first response is difficult to read about page after page. There was much of that in the life of Diana and ultimately in the lives of her sons as we're all aware these days. This is a heartbreaking book to read. That said, I did sense a particular personal appreciation of Diana by Patterson and Mooney. Without that, I don't think I could have finished this book.