Princess Diana turned to Prince William for support during "marital problems," royal expert claims

Princess Diana was very close with both of her sons, Prince William and Prince Harry, but according to one royal expert she often leaned on William especially when she needed support and comfort.

This, Jennie Bond believes, must have been quite difficult for a young William, who was just 15 when his mother tragically passed away.

"Diana showered William with hugs and kisses, just as she did Harry, but William had to bear the brunt of some of Diana’s emotional needs," Jennie told OK!.

"As her marriage collapsed, she would lean on William for support and he would famously pass her tissues and a note under the bathroom door to try to comfort her when she was crying."

Jennie added that this was likely to have been a lot for William to deal with, but that he was always there for his mum regardless.

"William probably knew more about marital problems than any young boy should have to know. And of course the state of the royal marriage was always in the headlines," the expert explained.

"Diana was quite a volatile person and, even though she tried to protect both boys from the rows and upsets with Charles, she also turned to William for support."

Diana and then-Prince Charles' marriage was famously unhappy, with both parties eventually having highly publicised affairs. They eventually separated in 1992, before divorcing in 1996.

Of course, throughout their marriage and tumultuous separation, the two were always the subjects of all sorts of headlines and reports, which will have been incredibly upsetting for William and Harry to see.

Jennie referred to one set of headlines that were particularly upsetting for the boys: "I remember talking to the Princess during a trip to Japan. The biography of Charles by Jonathan Dimbleby had just been published. 

"She told me the headlines it spawned had been incredibly hurtful for William and Harry and she didn’t want them to see the book."