Royals jealous of Diana's popularity says ex-guard

Ken Wharfe, a former Scotland Yard officer who guarded the princess for five years until 1993, had claimed when she died that the royal family was “jealous” of her popularity.

But in a new book, he acknowledges that the Duke of Cambridge and Prince Harry have followed in her footsteps by carrying on her work.

“We now know Diana did change and modernise, whether we like it or not,” Mr Wharfe said.

“What we see today with William and Harry, in the way that they now conduct themselves as two leading royal figures, is so different from what royalty was in the 1980s.”

He said Diana’s influence was reflected not only in how she conducted royal engagements but in the way she brought up William and Harry.

“She would take them to Kensington High Street, take them to the cinema. They were great regulars of Bill Wyman’s Sticky Fingers restaurant,” Mr Wharfe said.

But he claimed there were some within the monarchy who appeared threatened by the affection in which the public appeared to hold their princess.

“They could not deal with her popularity, they couldn’t cope with it– basically they were jealous,” he said.

“They couldn’t do it themselves and they wouldn’t acknowledge just how good she was at it.

“Their attitude was, ‘This has been going on for a few hundred years - let’s not wreck it’.”

He said that had Diana lived, she would now be at the forefront of international fundraising.