Princess Diana tried to protect Prince Harry from 'spare' label, says author

Princess Diana did her best to shield Prince Harry from being treated as the "spare to the heir." According to American author James Patterson, she wanted him and his brother Prince William to have a normal upbringing as much as possible.

Patterson co-wrote a book about the late Princess of Wales called "Diana, William, and Harry: The Heartbreaking Story of a Princess and Mother." In it, he focused on what he thought was "the most important aspect of her life and the way she saw herself, which was a mother."

He told Fox News Digital, "She always knew it would be part of her role. But it was much more than duty for her. And I think her sons prove that today."

Speaking of her sons, Patterson shared that through his research about the royal, he learned that Princess Diana had always been proud of them. He said that she was "very aware of the situation" that Prince William would be king one day and that Prince Harry would be libelled as the "spare." He said "she tried to control it as much as she could" because "she was troubled about it."

"That's a standard thing for families. One of the kids who do better in school or become a better athlete seems to be a little more charming and lovable. How do you make the other kids feel that they're just enough? It happens pretty much to all families. And in this case, the stakes are much higher because one is presumably going to be king someday," he explained.

The best-selling author said that Princess Diana did not want Prince William and Prince Harry to "experience the same struggles she faced" as a royal family member. She reportedly "tried as much as she could to control it. She simply wanted them to be normal kids and understand that the real world doesn't operate in the same way it worked within the palace." She also told her sons that "they shouldn't see themselves as special or different."

As such, she took them to McDonald's and other fast-food restaurants, to amusement parks, and to homeless shelters so they would see and experience "the other side." Patterson claimed that Princess Diana may have even influenced Prince Harry's decision to move to the U.S.A., because prior to her death in 1997, she had wanted to live in California.