By Molly Claire Goddard
11:34am PST, Jan 5, 2026
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After a royal onlooker — reportedly named
John — told Prince George during the Christmas walkabout at Sandringham that his grandmother, Princess Diana, would be "proud" of him, he later repeated the remark to
Prince William.
"That's very kind of you, John," the Prince of Wales replied in a video shared to
X.
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Kate Middleton exhibited a similar reaction to the comment about Princess Diana. "I agree. Aw, that's very sweet of you," the Princess of Wales said.
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In a
video of Prince George and the royal family departing church services, the fan told the future king of England, "George, I've got something to say to you. Granny Diana would be ever so proud of you."
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Social media users were revolted by the comment about Princess Diana, who died in a car crash in 1997. "They handled it very well, but honestly, why would you say that to children you have no relationship with, about their late grandmother whom you never met?" one person wrote on X.
"I find this utterly bizarre," a second chimed in.
"I agree…. speaking for a dead person, neither he nor the grandson knew, is weird AF. Let his dad [
Prince William] tell him that," a third added.
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Although the remark didn't faze
Prince William, Kate Middleton and Prince George, royal expert
Richard Fitzwilliams feels it was inappropriate. "People have different perceptions and memories of senior royals. As part of growing up, George will appreciate that what members of the public say, sometimes innocently, are often not predictable," he told
Daily Express.
