Princess Diana left her entire estate to "one person" is false. Upon her death in 1997, Diana’s will clearly divided her substantial fortune—valued at approximately £21.7 million ($28 million at the time)—between her two sons, Prince William and Prince Harry, along with several other beneficiaries.
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The Actual Distribution of Her Estate
Princess Diana’s will, dated June 1, 1993, and amended in February 1996, structured her bequests as follows:
The Residuary Estate: The vast majority of her assets (roughly £12.9 million after taxes) was split equally into two trusts for William and Harry. These funds were held in trust until they turned 30, with access permitted from age 25.
Paul Burrell: Her longtime butler received a tax-free gift of £50,000.
Godchildren: Her 17 godchildren shared various personal effects, including sentimental photographs, paintings, and china.
Discretionary Fund: A fund of £100,000, plus all her wearing apparel (including her iconic wedding dress), was placed in a trust to benefit her sons, their future spouses, children, and designated charities. This fund also receives royalties from the commercial use of her image and name.
What About Her Childhood Home?
A common point of confusion involves Althorp, the Spencer family estate where Diana grew up. This property was never part of her estate to give away. As the ancestral home of the Spencer family, it is entailed and passed down through the male line to the current Earl Spencer, Diana’s brother, Charles Spencer. Therefore, neither William nor Harry inherited Althorp, but this was due to inheritance laws regarding entailed estates, not a choice in her will to leave it to "one person."
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