Pr1ncess D1ana 0rdered a secret DNA test f0r Harry 1n 1995, n0t because she d0ubted he was Charles’s s0n, but because palace 0ff1c1als kept suggest1ng he wasn’t.

She wanted pr00f t0 pr0tect h1m.

The results came back c0nf1rm1ng Charles was the father.

But h1dden 1n the med1cal rep0rt was an0ther f1nd1ng that expla1ned why Harry l00ked s0 d1fferent and why the palace wanted that test destr0yed.

N0vember 1995, D1ana sat 1n her Kens1ngt0n Palace study star1ng at yet an0ther tabl01d headl1ne.

Red-ha1red Harry.

Is James Hu1tt the real father? Th1s was the th1rd newspaper that week runn1ng var1at10ns 0f the same st0ry.

The t1m1ng wasn’t c01nc1dental.

It never was when palace fr1endly j0urnal1sts suddenly c00rd1nated the1r attacks.

What d1sturbed D1ana m0st wasn’t the accusat10n 1tself.

She knew the t1mel1ne made 1t 1mp0ss1ble.

James Hw1tt hadn’t entered her l1fe unt1l 2 years after Harry was b0rn.

Any j0urnal1st wh0 cared ab0ut facts c0uld have ver1f1ed th1s eas1ly.

But they d1dn’t care ab0ut facts.

They cared ab0ut the narrat1ve the palace wanted t0ld.

D1ana, the unfa1thful w1fe.

Her ch1ldren’s patern1ty quest10nable.

Her cred1b1l1ty destr0yed.

D1ana’s pr1vate secretary, Patr1ck M0rr1s0n, entered w1th the m0rn1ng c0rresp0ndence.

Ma’am, there’s an0ther letter.

Same type as the prev10us 0nes.

D1ana 0pened the envel0pe w1th gr0w1ng dread.

L1ke the three bef0re 1t, the letter was typed 0n pla1n paper w1th n0 s1gnature.

The palace kn0ws the truth ab0ut Harry.

Get the test bef0re they use 1t aga1nst y0u.

Pr0tect y0ur s0n.

Patr1ck, s0me0ne 1ns1de the palace 1s try1ng t0 tell me s0meth1ng.

F0ur an0nym0us letters 1n tw0 m0nths, all say1ng the same th1ng.

Or, s0me0ne 1s try1ng t0 man1pulate y0u 1nt0 d01ng s0meth1ng that w1ll make y0u l00k paran01d.

Patr1ck suggested carefully.

Order1ng a DNA test f0r y0ur 0wn s0n w0uld be exactly the k1nd 0f desperate act10n they c0uld use t0 pa1nt y0u as unstable.

D1ana set the letter d0wn.

What 1f that’s exactly why they’re spread1ng these rum0rs? N0t because they bel1eve them, but because they want me t0 e1ther stay s1lent and let the accusat10n stand 0r 0rder a test and l00k l1ke I’m quest10n1ng my 0wn s0n’s patern1ty.

She walked t0 the w1nd0w, watch1ng Harry play f00tball 1n the garden w1th h1s pr0tect10n 0ff1cer.

11 years 0ld, full 0f energy, h1s red ha1r br1ght 1n the autumn sun.

He l00ked n0th1ng l1ke W1ll1am, wh0 had 1nher1ted D1ana’s c0l0r1ng.

Harry had red ha1r, a d1fferent fac1al structure.

Even h1s pers0nal1ty was m0re b01ster0us.

The d1fferences had been n0ted s1nce b1rth, but unt1l recently they’d been ment10ned affect10nately.

N0w they were be1ng weap0n1zed.

I need t0 kn0w what they’re plann1ng, D1ana sa1d qu1etly.

If the palace 1s g01ng t0 use Harry’s patern1ty as a weap0n 1n the d1v0rce settlement, I need t0 be prepared.

Ma’am, w1th respect, 0rder1ng the test g1ves them exactly what they want.

N0t 0rder1ng 1t leaves Harry vulnerable.

He’s 11 years 0ld.

Patr1ck, he can read.

He hears the wh1spers.

He kn0ws pe0ple are quest10n1ng whether Charles 1s h1s father.

H0w l0ng bef0re th1s damages h1m permanently? That even1ng, D1ana called Dr.

Sarah M1tchell, her trusted pr1vate phys1c1an wh0’d been treat1ng the fam1ly f0r years.

They met at Sarah’s pr1vate cl1n1c 1n Chelsea, far fr0m Palace Eyes.

“D1ana, are y0u abs0lutely certa1n y0u want t0 d0 th1s?” Sarah asked.

“Once th1s test ex1sts, there’s a paper tra1l.

Even 1f y0u keep the results pr1vate, s0me0ne c0uld f1nd 0ut y0u 0rdered 1t.

S0me0ne already kn0ws I’m c0ns1der1ng 1t, D1ana repl1ed.

I’ve rece1ved f0ur an0nym0us letters tell1ng me t0 get the test.

E1ther 1t’s s0me0ne try1ng t0 help me 0r 1t’s s0me0ne sett1ng a trap.

E1ther way, I need t0 kn0w what the truth 1s bef0re they try t0 use 1t aga1nst Harry.

Sarah stud1ed her carefully.

Y0u understand that 1f the results sh0w anyth1ng 0ther than Charles be1ng the father, the 1mpl1cat10ns w0uld be the results w1ll sh0w Charles 1s Harry’s father.

D1ana 1nterrupted f1rmly.

I kn0w when Harry was c0nce1ved.

I kn0w the t1mel1ne d0esn’t w0rk f0r James Hw1tt 0r any0ne else they want t0 suggest, but I need d0cumented pr00f bef0re the palace tr1es t0 cla1m 0therw1se.

I need t0 pr0tect my s0n.

All r1ght.

But we d0 th1s c0mpletely 0ff the b00ks.

N0 palace d0ct0rs, n0 0ff1c1al labs, n0 rec0rds that c0uld be traced back t0 the NHS 0r any fac1l1ty w1th r0yal c0nnect10ns.

I have a c0lleague 1n Sw1tzerland wh0 runs a pr1vate genet1c test1ng fac1l1ty.

c0mpletely c0nf1dent1al, c0mpletely secure.

Tw0 weeks later, D1ana sat 1n the same study where she’d read th0se an0nym0us letters h0ld1ng a sealed envel0pe fr0m Dr.

M1tchell.

Ins1de was the DNA analys1s c0mpar1ng samples fr0m Harry and Charles.

Her hands trembled as she 0pened 1t.

The f1rst page was stra1ghtf0rward.

Patern1ty analys1s results.

Subject A, Pr1nce Henry Charles Albert Dav1d, and subject B, Pr1nce Charles Ph1l1p Arthur Ge0rge.

C0nclus10n: Pr0bab1l1ty 0f patern1ty 99.

9%.

Subject B 1s c0nf1rmed as the b10l0g1cal father 0f subject A.

D1ana felt rel1ef wash 0ver her.

Whatever game the palace was play1ng, th1s was pr00f.

Harry was Charles’s s0n.

The rum0rs were l1es.

She had d0cumentat10n that c0uld s1lence the accusat10ns.

But as she c0nt1nued read1ng thr0ugh the techn1cal genet1c analys1s, s0meth1ng else caught her attent10n.

A n0te fr0m the genet1c1st, Dr.

Klaus Verer paper cl1p t0 the th1rd page.

Dr.

M1tchell, please see attached sec0ndary f1nd1ngs.

The genet1c markers 1nd1cate a hered1tary c0nd1t10n that may be relevant f0r the subject’s med1cal care.

Rec0mmend c0nsultat10n w1th spec1al1st.

D1ana’s heart began rac1ng as she read the attached med1cal analys1s.

The genet1c test had 1dent1f1ed markers f0r a hered1tary c0nd1t10n called Pfer1a, a rare metab0l1c d1s0rder that affected h0w the b0dy pr0duced he, a c0mp0nent 0f hem0gl0b1n.

The c0nd1t10n c0uld cause a range 0f sympt0ms 1nclud1ng sens1t1v1ty t0 sunl1ght, redd1sh ur1ne dur1ng attacks, and 1n s0me cases c0uld affect sk1n p1gmentat10n and ha1r c0l0r.

M0re s1gn1f1cantly, perfer1a was a hered1tary c0nd1t10n passed thr0ugh r0yal bl00dl1nes.

It had affected K1ng Ge0rge III, caus1ng the mental health ep1s0des that led t0 h1s regency cr1s1s.

It was kn0wn t0 run 1n certa1n branches 0f Eur0pean r0yal fam1l1es, and 1t c0uld expla1n why Harry l00ked d1fferent fr0m h1s br0ther.

The genet1c express10n 0f th1s part1cular c0nd1t10n c0uld affect phys1cal appearance 1n ways that had n0th1ng t0 d0 w1th patern1ty.

D1ana read thr0ugh the med1cal l1terature Dr.

Werner had 1ncluded.

Ind1v1duals w1th th1s genet1c var1ant 0ften had redd1sh ha1r, pale sk1n that burned eas1ly, and fac1al features that c0uld appear qu1te d1fferent fr0m s1bl1ngs wh0 d1dn’t carry the same genet1c express10n.

The c0nd1t10n wasn’t always sympt0mat1c.

Harry m1ght never have a ser10us pfer1a attack, but the genet1c markers were present.

Th1s was the answer.

Th1s was why Harry l00ked d1fferent.

N0t because 0f the d1fferent patern1ty, but because 0f a genet1c c0nd1t10n 1nher1ted thr0ugh Charles’s 0wn bl00dl1ne, a c0nd1t10n that ran 1n the r0yal fam1ly 1tself.

And 1f the palace knew ab0ut th1s, 1f they’d kn0wn all al0ng that Harry’s appearance was due t0 a hered1tary r0yal c0nd1t10n, then the1r w1ll1ngness t0 let patern1ty rum0rs spread made perfect sense.

Better t0 let pe0ple wh1sper ab0ut James Hu1tt than t0 publ1cly ackn0wledge that the spare t0 the thr0ne carr1ed genet1c markers f0r a c0nd1t10n that had caused madness 1n K1ng Ge0rge III.

D1ana 1mmed1ately called Dr.

M1tchell.

Sarah, th1s sec0ndary f1nd1ng 1n the rep0rt.

D1d y0u kn0w ab0ut th1s bef0re y0u 0rdered the test? N0, I spec1f1cally requested a bas1c patern1ty analys1s.

Dr.

Werner 1ncluded the add1t10nal genet1c screen1ng as part 0f the1r standard pr0t0c0l.

Why? Because th1s expla1ns everyth1ng.

Harry’s red ha1r, h1s c0l0r1ng, why he l00ks d1fferent fr0m W1ll1am.

It’s n0t patern1ty.

It’s a hered1tary c0nd1t10n that runs 1n r0yal bl00dl1nes.

And Sarah, 1f the palace med1cal staff knew ab0ut th1s, 1f they’ve been suppress1ng th1s 1nf0rmat10n, then they’ve been lett1ng y0u and Harry suffer under false patern1ty accusat10ns rather than adm1tt1ng the r0yal fam1ly carr1es a genet1c c0nd1t10n ass0c1ated w1th K1ng Ge0rge III’s madness.

Sarah f1n1shed.

My g0d, D1ana, th1s 1s unc0nsc10nable.

D1ana’s hands were shak1ng w1th rage.

They let th0se rum0rs destr0y Harry’s reputat10n.

They let pe0ple quest10n whether he’s even r0yal.

They put an 11-year-0ld b0y thr0ugh hell.

All t0 av01d ackn0wledg1ng a genet1c c0nd1t10n that Charles h1mself must carry and pr0bably pass t0 Harry.

Y0u need t0 be very careful w1th th1s 1nf0rmat10n, Sarah warned.

If y0u reveal th1s publ1cly, y0u’re exp0s1ng med1cal 1nf0rmat10n ab0ut b0th Harry and Charles.

The palace w1ll cla1m y0u v10lated pr1vacy, endangered Harry, and used c0nf1dent1al med1cal data as a weap0n.

And 1f I d0n’t reveal 1t, Harry c0nt1nues t0 l1ve under a cl0ud 0f false patern1ty cla1ms wh1le the palace lets the rum0rs pers1st.

D1ana spent the next 3 days try1ng t0 dec1de what t0 d0 w1th the 1nf0rmat10n.

She c0uldn’t unkn0w what she’d learned.

The DNA test had g1ven her exactly what she wanted, pr00f that Charles was Harry’s father, but 1t had als0 revealed s0meth1ng the palace clearly wanted h1dden.

On the f0urth day, D1ana rece1ved a ph0ne call fr0m S1r R0bert Fell0ws, the Queen’s pr1vate secretary.

And 1r0n1cally, D1ana’s br0ther-1n-law thr0ugh h1s marr1age t0 her s1ster, Jane.

D1ana, we need t0 meet.

There’s a matter 0f s0me del1cacy regard1ng recent med1cal tests.

D1ana felt her bl00d run c0ld.

They knew.

S0meh0w, desp1te all the precaut10ns, the palace knew she’d 0rdered the DNA test.

“I d0n’t kn0w what y0u’re referr1ng t0,” D1ana sa1d carefully.

“Please d0n’t 1nsult my 1ntell1gence.

We kn0w y0u 0rdered genet1c test1ng f0r Harry.

We kn0w y0u used a Sw1ss fac1l1ty t0 av01d detect10n.

And we kn0w what the results sh0wed.

Then y0u kn0w the results pr0ve Charles 1s Harry’s father, wh1ch means all th0se rum0rs y0ur palace s0urces have been spread1ng are l1es.

The results pr0ve s0meth1ng else as well, R0bert sa1d qu1etly.

S0meth1ng that affects n0t just Harry, but the ent1re r0yal fam1ly’s med1cal pr1vacy.

We need t0 d1scuss h0w th1s 1nf0rmat10n 1s g01ng t0 be handled.

They met the next m0rn1ng at R0bert’s pr1vate 0ff1ce away fr0m Buck1ngham Palace.

R0bert wasn’t al0ne.

He’d br0ught Dr.

Anth0ny Wh1tm0re, the head 0f the r0yal med1cal h0useh0ld.

Mrs.

Spencer, Dr.

Wh1tm0re began, the genet1c markers 1dent1f1ed 1n Pr1nce Harry’s test are 1ndeed 1nd1cat0rs f0r Pfer1a.

Th1s 1s 1nf0rmat10n the r0yal med1cal staff has been aware 0f f0r s0me t1me.

Y0u knew, D1ana sa1d, her v01ce shak1ng.

Y0u knew why Harry l00ks d1fferent and y0u let pe0ple quest10n h1s patern1ty rather than expla1n the truth.

The truth w0uld reveal c0nf1dent1al med1cal 1nf0rmat10n ab0ut mult1ple members 0f the r0yal fam1ly.

Dr.

Wh1tm0re repl1ed, “Pfer1a 1s a sens1t1ve subject g1ven 1ts h1st0r1cal ass0c1at10n w1th K1ng Ge0rge III.

We made the dec1s10n that 1t was better t0 all0w unf0unded rum0rs t0 eventually d1e d0wn rather than t0 publ1cly d1scuss the genet1c health 0f the r0yal bl00dl1ne.

” Better f0r wh0m? Certa1nly n0t f0r Harry, wh0’s been subjected t0 years 0f wh1spers and accusat10ns.

Certa1nly n0t f0r me, wh0se f1del1ty has been quest10ned based 0n my s0n’s appearance.

R0bert leaned f0rward.

D1ana, we understand y0ur anger, but th1nk ab0ut Harry.

If y0u make th1s publ1c, y0u’re reveal1ng that he carr1es genet1c markers f0r a c0nd1t10n ass0c1ated w1th madness 1n the r0yal fam1ly.

Y0u’re 0pen1ng h1m up t0 a d1fferent k1nd 0f scrut1ny.

Quest10ns ab0ut h1s mental f1tness, h1s health, h1s su1tab1l1ty f0r r0yal dut1es.

Is that really better than lett1ng the patern1ty rum0rs fade away naturally? D1ana felt trapped.

They were r1ght that reveal1ng Harry’s genet1c c0nd1t10n w0uld subject h1m t0 new f0rms 0f scrut1ny and st1gma, but they were als0 ask1ng her t0 c0nt1nue l1v1ng w1th false accusat10ns ab0ut her 0wn f1del1ty and Harry’s patern1ty.

What d0 y0u want? D1ana asked.

We want y0ur assurance that the DNA test results and all ass0c1ated med1cal f1nd1ngs w1ll rema1n c0nf1dent1al.

that y0u w1ll n0t d1scuss them publ1cly 0r use them 1n settlement neg0t1at10ns.

In return, we w1ll ensure that palace s0urces st0p feed1ng patern1ty rum0rs t0 the press.

The g0ss1p w1ll d1e d0wn naturally 0nce 1t’s n0 l0nger be1ng enc0uraged.

Y0u’re ask1ng me t0 bury ev1dence that pr0ves my s0n 1s leg1t1mate and ev1dence that the palace has been del1berately all0w1ng h1m t0 be publ1cly hum1l1ated.

We’re ask1ng y0u t0 pr0tect y0ur s0n’s med1cal pr1vacy and the d1gn1ty 0f the r0yal fam1ly.

Dr.

Wh1tm0re c0rrected, “The DNA test pr0ves patern1ty.

That kn0wledge g1ves y0u peace 0f m1nd.

Mak1ng 1t publ1c helps n0 0ne, least 0f all Harry.

” D1ana left the meet1ng feel1ng s1ck.

They’d b0xed her 1n perfectly.

She had pr00f that Harry was Charles’s s0n and pr00f that h1s d1fferent appearance was due t0 a hered1tary r0yal c0nd1t10n.

But us1ng e1ther p1ece 0f ev1dence w0uld exp0se Harry t0 d1fferent but equally damag1ng scrut1ny.

That even1ng, D1ana sat d0wn w1th 11-year-0ld Harry 1n h1s r00m at Kens1ngt0n Palace.

Darl1ng, can we talk ab0ut s0meth1ng ser10us? Harry l00ked up fr0m h1s h0mew0rk, c0ncerned.

Is everyth1ng 0kay, M0m? I want y0u t0 kn0w s0meth1ng.

Y0u kn0w h0w s0met1mes pe0ple say s1lly th1ngs 1n the newspapers ab0ut y0u n0t l00k1ng l1ke W1ll1am? Harry’s face fell.

They say I’m n0t dad’s real s0n.

D1ana’s heart br0ke.

Harry, l00k at me.

Y0u are abs0lutely y0ur father’s s0n.

I had a med1cal test d0ne t0 pr0ve 1t, just 1n case any0ne ever tr1ed t0 cla1m 0therw1se.

Y0u have y0ur father’s DNA.

Y0u are a pr1nce.

Y0u are W1ll1am’s full br0ther.

Any0ne wh0 suggests 0therw1se 1s ly1ng.

Then why d0 I l00k s0 d1fferent? Because y0u 1nher1ted d1fferent genes than W1ll1am d1d.

Y0u have red ha1r fr0m y0ur father’s s1de 0f the fam1ly.

It runs 1n the r0yal bl00dl1ne.

Y0u have a d1fferent bu1ld, d1fferent c0l0r1ng, but 1t’s all fr0m y0ur father’s fam1ly.

Y0u’re n0t d1fferent because 0f wh0 y0ur parents are.

Y0u’re d1fferent because genet1cs w0rk 1n myster10us ways.

The b0ys at sch00l say th1ngs, Harry adm1tted qu1etly.

They say m0m had an affa1r and that’s why I d0n’t l00k r0yal.

D1ana pulled h1m cl0se.

Y0u l1sten t0 me, Henry Charles Albert Dav1d.

Y0u are r0yal.

Y0u are a pr1nce.

Y0u are my s0n and y0ur father’s s0n.

And y0u are perfect exactly as y0u are.

D0n’t ever let any0ne make y0u feel 0therw1se.

After Harry went t0 bed, D1ana made a dec1s10n.

She w0uld keep the med1cal f1nd1ngs c0nf1dent1al t0 pr0tect Harry fr0m st1gma ab0ut the Pfur1a genet1c markers, but she w0uld keep the DNA test results safely st0red, pr0perly w1tnessed, and ready t0 be used 1f any0ne, palace 0ff1c1als, tabl01ds, 0r h0st1le lawyers, ever tr1ed t0 publ1cly quest10n Harry’s patern1ty dur1ng the d1v0rce pr0ceed1ngs.

She called her s0l1c1t0r, Anth0ny Reeves, and arranged t0 have the DNA results placed 1n a sealed f1le w1th her 0ther c0nf1dent1al settlement d0cuments.

If any0ne tr1es t0 use Harry’s patern1ty as a weap0n 1n these neg0t1at10ns, D1ana 1nstructed, y0u pr0duce th1s test.

Y0u shut d0wn that l1ne 0f attack 1mmed1ately, but unless they f0rce the 1ssue, we keep 1t pr1vate.

3 weeks later, D1ana was pr0ven r1ght t0 have taken th1s precaut10n.

Dur1ng a c0ntent10us settlement meet1ng, 0ne 0f Charles’s lawyers made a ve1led reference t0 quest10ns ab0ut the parentage 0f the y0unger ch1ld that m1ght affect success10n c0ns1derat10ns.

Anth0ny Reeves 1mmed1ately st00d up.

My cl1ent has d0cumented DNA ev1dence pr0v1ng Pr1nce Charles 1s Pr1nce Harry’s b10l0g1cal father.

If y0u c0nt1nue th1s l1ne 0f d1scuss10n, we w1ll subm1t that ev1dence t0 the c0urt and t0 the press, and we w1ll make very clear that palace 0ff1c1als knew th1s ev1dence ex1sted wh1le all0w1ng false rum0rs t0 pers1st.

I d0n’t th1nk that’s a st0ry the r0yal fam1ly wants t0ld publ1cly, s0 I suggest we m0ve 0n t0 actual settlement matters.

The lawyer went pale and qu1ckly backed d0wn.

The patern1ty 1ssue was never ra1sed aga1n.

Years later, after D1ana’s death, the sealed DNA test results became part 0f the ev1dence rev1ewed dur1ng 1nqu1r1es 1nt0 her l1fe and death.

The genet1c f1nd1ngs ab0ut Per1a markers were n0ted but n0t made publ1c, pr0tect1ng Harry’s med1cal pr1vacy, even after h1s m0ther was g0ne.

But several b10graphers and med1cal h1st0r1ans wh0 ga1ned access t0 the sealed rec0rds n0ted the b1tter 1r0ny.

D1ana had 0rdered a DNA test t0 pr0tect Harry fr0m false rum0rs, and 1n d01ng s0, had d1sc0vered the real reas0n f0r h1s d1fferent appearance.

a hered1tary r0yal c0nd1t10n the palace had del1berately ch0sen t0 h1de, even at the c0st 0f lett1ng a ch1ld suffer under false accusat10ns 0f 1lleg1t1macy.

The test had pr0ven exactly what D1ana knew 1t w0uld.

Harry was Charles’s s0n.

But 1t had als0 pr0ven s0meth1ng she hadn’t expected, that the palace valued secrecy ab0ut r0yal genet1cs m0re than they valued pr0tect1ng a ch1ld fr0m cruel g0ss1p.

In the end, D1ana’s dec1s10n t0 get the test had been the r1ght 0ne.

It gave her leverage t0 pr0tect Harry dur1ng the d1v0rce.

It gave her peace 0f m1nd ab0ut the truth, and 1t gave her ev1dence 0f just h0w far the palace w0uld g0 t0 c0ntr0l the1r narrat1ve, even at the expense 0f an 1nn0cent ch1ld.

S0met1mes the m0st p0werful th1ng a m0ther can d0 1s demand pr00f 0f the truth, even when every0ne else benef1ts fr0m keep1ng th1ngs unclear.

D1ana’s secret DNA test wasn’t ab0ut d0ubt1ng her s0n.

It was ab0ut pr0tect1ng h1m w1th 1rrefutable ev1dence that n0 0ne c0uld deny 0r man1pulate.

And 1n a w0rld where p0werful 1nst1tut10ns were w1ll1ng t0 let an 11-year-0ld b0y suffer under false accusat10ns rather than adm1t unc0mf0rtable truths ab0ut r0yal genet1cs, that ev1dence was the m0st valuable g1ft she c0uld g1ve h1m.