Princess Diana left her sons enough money for many lifetimes but more importantly, she left them a part of herself.
There have been many trailblazing women in the world but only one of them is known for redefining royalty as much as Princess Diana. The royal rebel didn't start out with the intention to take on powerful people head-on, but she brought about a transformation through her fearless compassion and honesty. Her candid interviews with international media houses like the BBC were unprecedented. As a mother, she refused to follow the tradition of a royal parent. She was hands-on, so much so that she would attend her kids' school events and drop them every morning. She carved out time for them from her busy schedule of attending humanitarian events.
When she passed away, her prized possessions were passed on to her children, Prince William and Prince Harry. In 1997 when she died in the Paris car accident, William was around 15 and Harry was about 13. They inherited around £12,966,022 ($14,549,432), which was reduced to £8,502,330 ($9,540,634) after inheritance tax, according to Mirror UK.
Diana had received a hefty sum after her divorce from Prince Charles, who had rekindled his romance with former girlfriend Camilla Parker Bowles. Over the years, her net worth had also gone up, and she left money to several people who were close to her, such as her butler, her sisters and mother, and her godchildren apart from her two sons, according to CheatSheet.
The money that was passed on to Prince William and Prince Harry had been invested, and when they turned 30, they came into almost $16 million each. Diana’s mother and sister, who were the executors of the will, made it possible for her two boys to collect interest once they turned 25 but the entire amount would be available to them only at the age of 30.
But, money wasn't all that she left them. Among the items they received were some of the most prized possessions. One of those things was her wedding dress, which they could have once they turned 30. When Prince William turned 30, Diana's brother, Earl Spencer, handed the dress to him.
The dress had been created by the husband-and-wife design team David and Elizabeth Emanuel. It was an intricate ivory taffeta gown with elaborate embroidery, 10,000 pearls, and a 25-foot-long train, according to GoodHousekeeping. It was so big that it hardly fit into the glass coach she took to St. Paul's Cathedral, where her wedding was held. As a result, there were visible wrinkles upon her arrival, but nobody has been able to recreate that stunning look.
There were two more items that the princes picked from her jewelry collection. William picked Diana’s iconic gold Cartier Tank watch her father gave her, while Harry picked her engagement ring, a 12-ct sapphire and diamond number, reports SCMP.
Later, when Prince William wanted to propose to Kate Middleton in 2010, the brothers traded the items. The older sibling gave his then-fiance the ring that marked the beginning of his parents' marriage. Princess Diana’s engagement ring from Garrard has inspired many imitations since then.
Harry and Kate had a close relationship back then and he made the sacrifice for his brother and sister-in-law's happiness. Otherwise, Meghan Markle could have had the beautiful sapphire on her finger.
However, both William and Harry’s wives, Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle wear rings that were Diana's. They are also often seen wearing other jewelry of the late princess. During Archie Harrison's christening, Kate Middleton wore her mother-in-law's earrings, according to CheatSheet.
When Prince Harry wanted to propose to Meghan, he had worked with jewelers Cleave and Company to custom design the ring. He used a diamond from Botswana and two smaller stones from Princess Diana's collection, as per Town&Country.
References:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/special/politics97/diana/panorama.html
https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/prince-william-inherited-jaw-dropping-22214793
https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/prince-william-prince-harry-inherit-princess-diana.html/
https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/beauty/fashion/g4655/princess-diana-wedding-dress/
