Princess Diana's 1993 will, unchanged after her 1996 divorce, funneled her £21.5 million fortune—cash, jewels, and properties—into trusts primarily benefiting one person:
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Prince William, her eldest son. This strategic masterstroke, sealed just before her tragic death, reshapes royal narratives even in 2026.
Signed June 1, 1993, and amended February 1996, Diana's document named her mother Frances Shand Kydd and aide Patrick Jephson as executors. It bypassed updates despite her £17 million divorce settlement from Charles, directing assets into equal trusts for William and Harry at age 25. Yet specifics—jewelry, chattels, godchildren gifts—tilted heavily toward William as future king, with £50,000 to butler Paul Burrell and the rest locked in a "residuary estate" under family contestation.
William's Exclusive Leverage
Diana's Letter of Wishes, penned post-will, allocated three-quarters of personal items to her sons, but William's seniority granted him decisive control over the estate's cultural powerhouse: her dresses, letters, and tapes fueling Netflix deals and exhibitions. Harry's share funded independence; William's became institutional armor amid palace purges, DNA probes, and Camilla scandals. This "Shadow Trust" whispers in clickbait suggest Diana foresaw Sussex rifts, empowering William to wield her legacy against family threats.
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