Princess Diana believed William ‘never really wanted the top job’ and quietly worked to pave the way for a potential King Harry, the Daily Mail’s Editor-at-Large Richard Kay has told Palace Confidential.

For over 40 years, he has dedicated himself to the Mail, spending much of that time as the paper’s royal correspondent, focusing intently on the British monarchy.

Kay developed a close friendship with Princess Diana during the final years of her life. His insightful reporting on her untimely passing in Paris during the summer of 1997 earned him the distinguished Royal Reporter of the Year award.

It is widely believed that Kay was among the last individuals to converse with the Princess, speaking with her on the phone on the evening of August 30, 1997, mere hours before the fateful accident that took her life.

Speaking to Palace Confidential host and former You magazine editor Jo Elvin, Kay revealed that Diana believed William, ‘a shy young man’ at the time, would grow up not wanting to be King.

Diana believed William ‘never really wanted the top job’ and quietly worked to pave the way for a potential King Harry, the Daily Mail’s Editor at Large Richard Kay has told Palace Confidential

Kay revealed that Diana believed William, ‘a shy young man’ at the time, would grow up not wanting to be King

Elsewhere in the episode, Kay looked ahead to what a William reign might look like and how it would differ from those of his father and grandmother before him 

“The generation I’ve closely observed is that of William and Harry. They were just infants when I began, and it’s been fascinating to watch their evolution,” he commented.

“William has been somewhat surprising. During his mother’s lifetime, he was notably reserved. Diana often mentioned to me her belief that William didn’t aspire to the throne,” Kay recalled.

“In her thoughts, Diana envisioned a future where Harry would follow his father. She affectionately referred to him as ‘good King Harry,’ reminiscent of a medieval era,” he added.

‘Of course, things didn’t work out like that. I think we’re all rather grateful that they haven’t worked out like that.

‘I think the consensus is that we got the right one. We’ve got the right one in William as Prince of Wales.’

Elsewhere in the episode, Kay looked ahead to what a William reign might look like and how it would differ from those of his father and grandmother before him.

He believes William will have his work cut out, with the monarchy’s popularity among the British public at arguably its lowest ebb since the death of Diana.

To hear insider stories from Richard Kay’s time as Princess Diana’s confidant, watch the latest episode of Palace Confidential 

The Andrew-Epstein scandal in particular, Kay noted, has heightened demands for greater transparency from the Palace and reignited debates about the family’s finances.

William will therefore have to grapple with a ‘paradox’, Kay said, of satiating calls for a slimmed down, more modern and open monarchy, while preserving those elements that set the British royals apart from their European counterparts.

‘I think William is going to take on some of his father’s ideas. For example, slimming down the monarchy even more’, he said.

‘We will eventually become much more like the Scandinavian and European royal families, where they are not quite so involved in the daily life of those countries. Presumably, that will make the family less expensive to run.

‘The big question William has got to answer is: why do the royals have all these homes? Why do they need so many at a time of great financial difficulty for so many people? That sense of extravagance is bad for the family.

‘William is a young man who is appreciative of that – I think we have to be very grateful to the Middleton family, who have a terrific grasp on what matters to ordinary people.’

To hear insider stories from Kay’s time as Princess Diana’s confidant, listen to the latest episode of Palace Confidential, wherever you get your podcasts – or on YouTube.