Prince William hires late mother Princess Diana’s divorce lawyers in shocking move; ‘He did not want to continue…’

Prince William, the 42-year-old Prince of Wales, has asked the divorce attorneys for his late mother, Princess Diana, to represent him. Here's why

Published on: Apr 4, 2025, 20:10:59 IST

By Shweta Kukreti

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Prince William, the 42-year-old Prince of Wales, has asked the divorce attorneys for his late mother, Princess Diana, to represent him and the Royal family in a break tradition.

Prince William has hired Anthony Julius, the deputy chairman of the firm and Diana's attorney during her 1996 divorce from Charles.

According to the Daily Mail, Prince William, the elder son of late Diana and King Charles III, has remarkably forged his own route as the heir apparent to the British throne by eschewing the royal family's longstanding legal staff.

William's extraordinary action formally ends his collaboration with the Harbottle & Lewis legal team, who have represented the royal family for many years.

William has instead engaged the staff of Mishcon de Reya, one of the leading law companies in the UK.

The Prince has hired Anthony Julius, the deputy chairman of the firm and Diana's attorney during her 1996 divorce from Charles. In addition, Julius has a close professional contact with the future king because he was the vice president and one of the original trustees of the Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fund until its dissolution in 2012.

Diana, 36, and her boyfriend Dodi Fayed died in a car accident in Paris.

Reason behind Prince William's move

“William wanted to strike out on his own. He did not want to continue using his father’s lawyers. It’s as simple as that. He wants to be his own man,” a source told Daily Mail.

The insider further stressed that the Prince of Wales intends do things on his own way as he “wants to be seen to do them differently” from his father.

“William is more than willing to shake up the status quo behind palace doors as well,” the insider continued, citing his choice to leave his father's legal advisors.

Also Read: King Charles hospitalised after experiencing side effects from cancer treatment, cancels engagements

A look at King Charles and Diana's divorce

The divorce between King Charles and Princess Diana was finalized in 1996, the year before the Princess passed away in a car tragedy.

The couple got married in 1981, but they started living separately by 1992.

In December 1992, the British Prime Minister John Major confirmed the House of Commons about their separation following divorce rumours. “This decision has been reached amicably and they will both continue to participate fully in the upbringing of their children.”

The late Queen approved their divorce in 1996.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Shweta Kukreti
Shweta Kukreti has over 8 years of experience in covering Indian and world politics. She joined the Hindustan Times in 2024 and is primarily assigned to the US desk. She currently works as Deputy Chief Content Producer and reports on a wide range of topics, including US politics, immigration issues (especially H-1B visa) and major global events. Shweta strongly emphasizes team operations, which encompasses monitoring news, delegating tasks, editing, developing comprehensive coverage strategies, and crafting engaging, and data-informed narratives. She received the Digi Star Award at the Hindustan Times within a year of joining for her broad coverage of US politics. In 2025, she earned both a promotion and a redesignation, a significant achievement recognising her contributions and the strong value she brings to the team. She has previously worked with the Indian Express, HTDS, ANI and Republic World. Seniors in all the media organisations recognised her work. Regarding education, she earned a BA (Hons.) in Political Science and a master's degree from Delhi University, and she pursued a PG Diploma in English Journalism from the Indian Institution of Mass Communication (IIMC). She also holds a diploma in Women's Empowerment and Development from IGNOU University and a French certification course from Alliance Française de Delhi. If not working, you can find her exploring the hills and engaging in adventurous activities in Rishikesh and Himachal Pradesh. She loves to play badminton, volleyball, and chess, and spend time with her friends and family. She also enjoys spiritual activities.Read More

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