King Charles told Diana that he was disappointed after Harry’s birth. Here’s why

The door of opportunity may have been shut once more for Prince Harry to consider healing his equation with his estranged father King Charles. In previously unheard tapes secretly recorded by Princess Diana in the early 1990s that were made public on Friday, the late royal made a startling claim about her ex-husband. Diana stated that during a chat with her mother Frances Shand Kydd, Charles expressed “disappointment” in Prince Harry’s birth. The conversation was recorded decades ago for author Andrew Morton, who used the tapes to write Diana: Her True Story – In her Own Words. The clips were released in the United States just one day after the 26th anniversary of her death in a car crash. Also read: Explained: The many, many controversies of Britain’s King Charles III Shocking revelation When Harry was christened, the late Princess Diana recalled, “Charles went up to mummy and said, ‘We’re so disappointed, thought it would be a girl.’” “Mummy snapped his head off and said, ‘You should realise how lucky you are to have a child that’s normal,’” Diana added, “Ever since that day, the shutters have come down. That’s what he does when gets somebody answering back at him.” [caption id=“attachment_13070132” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] Britain’s Princess Diana and son Prince Harry during a Heads of State Ceremony in Hyde Park, in London, Britain. Reuters[/caption] According to Dailymail, this taped excerpt, along with other previously unheard details about her life as a royal, may be featured in a future documentary on the late princess that will be released next year. While still married to the then-Prince Charles, Diana recorded about seven hours of testimony for Morton, with the majority of the tapes being unreleased until the 2017 broadcast of the documentary Diana: In Her Own Words. Also read: Explained: Why Harry & Meghan should be strictly controlled at King Charles coronation Other revelations The fight between Diana’s stepmother and Charles wasn’t their first. She claims on the recordings that Charles “won’t even talk to mummy.” Diana also discusses her unpleasant relationship with her stepmother in the tapes. Following the departure of her mother Frances Shand Kydd, Spencer wed Diana’s father John in 1976. She departed the family home in Althorp when John passed away in 1992 as a result of her tense relationship with stepson Charles, according to Independent. Diana said, “I was so angry. I said ‘I hate you so much. If you only knew how much we all hated you for what you’ve done. You ruined the house. You spent daddy’s money. I have said everything I possibly could. Raine said, ‘You have no idea how much pain your mother put your father through.’” “I said, ‘Pain, Raine? It’s one word you don’t even know how to relate to. In my job, I see people suffer like you never see. You call that pain?’ I said, ‘You’ve got a lot to learn’. I remember really going for her gullet.” The late princess and her siblings did not get along well with their stepmother; they called her “Acid Raine” and sang “Raine, Raine, go away!” frequently. [caption id=“attachment_13070122” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] Princess Diana and Prince Charles look in different directions on 3 November during a service held to commemorate the 59 British soldiers killed in action during the Korean War. Reuters[/caption] Diana describes her “ridiculous” 1981 wedding to Charles in another clip, which was previously made public in the 2017 documentary. She says, “It was so grown up. Here’s Diana, a kindergarten teacher. I mean the whole thing was ridiculous.” Also read: King Charles’ Coronation: The British royal family’s line of succession explained Using tapes for documentaries In an interview with ABC, Tom Jennings discussed how the tapes were used for both the 2017 documentary and the forthcoming one (which is intended to be a follow-up to the first). “When the first film came out, people were blown away because they had not heard Diana talk like this before,” he said, adding, “It’s a style of storytelling that is very difficult to do, but I think it is the closest thing to the truth that you can get because nothing gets in your way. It is important as part of Diana’s legacy to allow more of those tapes to be heard. [caption id=“attachment_13070152” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] Princess Diana arrives at the Royal Geographical Society in London for a speech on the dangers of landmines throughout the world June 12, 1997. Reuters[/caption] Diana’s connection with the book was a closely guarded secret when Morton first utilised the tapes to publish Diana: Her True Story in 1992. Nobody knew Diana was the primary source for the tell-all, but the claims made in the book about the princess’ unhappiness in her marriage, the depression she battled as a royal, and her suicide attempts were so damaging to the royal family that the book was widely banned from being sold in the UK. Morton republished the book with a new title following her death in 1997. The book Diana: Her True Story – In Her Words had transcripts of his discussions with the late princess, demonstrating that she was a collaborator. The beloved Princess of Wales’ marriage with Prince Charles and her relationship with Queen Elizabeth II are all detailed in the book, along with lots of other details. It is a totally uncensored viewpoint that still has resonance today. This is an essential addition to any longstanding royal fan’s book collection. Diana: In Pursuit of Love, published in 2004, followed this and described her relationships with men such as property developer Christopher Walley, heart surgeon Hasnat Khan, and soldier James Hewitt. With inputs from agencies