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Prince William tells of 'upset' caused by former aide's book

Kate Watson-Smyth
Saturday 30 September 2000 00:00 BST
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Prince William gave his first face-to-face interview with journalists yesterday and revealed that he and his brother Harry had been upset by the press coverage devoted to the latest book on his mother.

Prince William gave his first face-to-face interview with journalists yesterday and revealed that he and his brother Harry had been upset by the press coverage devoted to the latest book on his mother.

Speaking from Highgrove, his father's country house in Gloucestershire, the Prince, who will shortly join an expedition to Chile on the next stage of his gap year, admitted he was unhappy about the book, Shadows of a Princess, by her former private secretary Patrick Jephson.

In the book, which has been serialised by The Sunday Times and followed up extensively in most newspapers, Jephson portrays the late Princess as a scheming rebel who lied, plotted, indulged herself in alternative health therapies, binged on sweets and loved crude humour.

Yesterday, Prince William said: "Of course, Harry and I are both quite upset about it - that our mother's trust has been betrayed and that even now she's still being exploited."

During the interview, with the Prince of Wales present to lend moral support, William also thanked the media for leaving him alone during his time at Eton and asked that his younger brother be given the same treatment.

"They [the media] have been very good. I was a bit anxious about how it was going to turn out. But, thanks to everyone, it really has been brilliant," he said.

"You've all left me alone at the beginning. The whole of Eton made a big difference with everyone not trying to snap a picture every time I was walking down the street.

"And I hope this continues for Harry as well while he's there," he added.

Jephson, who has already been condemned by the Queen and Prince of Wales, maintained that Prince William, 18, and Prince Harry, 16, would not be harmed by his book.

"What I've written about her relationship with her children is entirely positive," Mr Jephson said. "For them there will be nothing new to learn from this that's harmful - and a lot of new stuff that's good."

Responding to Prince William's comments, Jephson added: "I respect and understand Prince William's comments.

"I am sure that when the whole book is read it will eventually be seen to be truthful and sympathetic to the memory of the late Princess."

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