King Charles III and Princess Diana had a complicated marriage, to say the least. There was a significant age gap between the two, which reportedly contributed to their divorce
, as did infidelity on both sides and diverse personalities. But one surprising incident involving an 8-year-old William, Prince of Wales, seemed to be the nail in the coffin for the late princess.Back in 1991, Prince William was playing with a friend when he accidentally took a major hit to the head. According to Andrew Morton's
book "Diana: Her True Story — in Her Own Words," the young royal was taken to the hospital, where he'd need surgery right away for his "depressed fracture of the skull" (via Daily Mail). Morton's book said, "They made it clear that there were potentially serious risks, albeit relatively small, both in the operation and in the possibility that the Prince could have suffered damage to the brain during the initial accident." That's scary enough when you're an adult, but having to watch your elementary school-aged son go through something like that is extra terrifying. While both Diana and Charles were physically there for William initially, the future king decided to leave the hospital so he could attend an opera.
Morton's biography of the princess writes that Diana was not shocked her then-husband abandoned his son in his time of need for Charles's royal obligations. His behavior was reportedly "nothing out of the ordinary."
Read more: What Happens To Queen Camilla When Prince William Becomes King?
Prince William Is A Different Kind Of Father To His Kids
To make matters worse, King Charles III's callousness didn't end with the opera. He then got on a train bound for North Yorkshire to make it in time for another event the next day. Meanwhile, William, Prince of Wales, had endured a 75-minute surgery and was recovering from the procedure. Thankfully, Charles didn't quietly get away with his behavior. The Daily Mail noted that the press got wind of what Charles was doing, and The Sun even posted a story with the headline, "What kind of dad are you?" Diana knew Charles wasn't supportive, nor did he put his children first. Meanwhile, she did the complete opposite for their sons.
Despite this incident, Prince William and Charles do have a fairly good relationship. (The same can't be said of the tense relationship between Charles and his younger son, Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex.) As involved as William seems to be with his three young children — Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis of Wales — it'd be truly shocking if William would ever abandon one of them for his royal duties. He appears to be such a hands-on dad, like when he took Charlotte to the 2025 UEFA European Women's Championship in July 2025, giving her his undivided attention at times. He also gets them involved in causes important to him and that were important to Diana, like when William discussed homelessness with his kids to keep them from growing up out of touch.
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