“John was one of the few people who could truly empathize with what Diana’s sons were going through,” writes author Caroline Hallemann.

Carolyn Bessette ‘urged’ JFK Jr. to call Princes William and Harry after Princess Diana’s death, new book claims

"John was one of the few people who could truly empathize with what Diana's sons were going through," writes author Caroline Hallemann.

By Marina Watts

Marina Watts

Marina Watts is a news writer for with seven years experience covering entertainment, pop culture and celebrity news. Her previous work appears in PEOPLE, Bustle and Newsweek.

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June 3, 2026 7:00 a.m. ET

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JFK Jr. and Carolyn Bessette; Prince William and Prince Harry. Credit:

- Carolyn Bessette "urged" John F. Kennedy Jr. to call Princes William and Harry after Princess Diana died in August 1997 following a car crash in Paris.

- "John was one of the few people who could truly empathize with what Diana's sons were going through," writes author Caroline Hallemann.

- *The Kennedys and the Windsors: The Story of Two Dynasties, One Born, One Made* is available for purchase wherever books are sold.

Carolyn Bessette was confident John F. Kennedy Jr. would be a safe space for the royal family amid tragedy.

According to* **The Kennedys and the Windsors: The Story of Two Dynasties, One Born, One Made* by Caroline Hallemann, Bessette pushed for the political scion to call Prince William and Prince Harry after Princess Diana died in August 1997.

JFK Jr.'s father, the former president, was assassinated in Dallas in November 1963, causing waves of shock, grief, and sadness throughout the country and the world. More recently, in 1994, his mother Jackie Kennedy died after being diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Like Diana, both of JFK Jr.s' parents endeared themselves to the public, making their respective deaths all the more upsetting.

Princess Diana, meanwhile, died after sustaining injuries in a car crash in the Pont de l'Alma tunnel in Paris. Her car was being pursued by paparazzi, and hours after the crash, she died at the Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital. She was 36.

Princess Diana in London in June 1997.

Antony Jones/Getty

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"That dissonance in grief was something John understood—and when Carolyn heard the news of Diana's death, she urged him to call William and Harry to offer his condolences," Hallemann writes.

"John was one of the few people who could truly empathize with what Diana's sons were going through—having to put on a brave face while publicly mourning."

Princess Diana wrote an eerie letter to JFK Jr. about the paparazzi months before her tragic death

The Kennedys and the Windsors: 11 ways you might’ve not known the families are connected

"Not only because of his experience at his father's funeral, and just a few years later at that of his uncle Bobby, but also because he was still fresh in his grief over his own mother. But after thinking about it, he decided against calling the princes, given that they were not particularly close," Hallemann adds.

JFK Jr.'s *George *magazine paid tribute to Princess Diana, who he wanted to appear for a cover, with a poignant photo essay. Titled "The Lady Vanishes: The People's Funeral for Diana, Princess of Wales," the piece depicted the public mourning her, with photos of flowers and public tributes displayed in her honor.

Prince William and Prince Harry in Windsor in September 2022.

Chris Jackson/Getty

Princes William and Harry were at Balmoral Castle in Scotland at the time of the horrific car crash that killed their mother. Years later, they recalled the final conversation they had with Princess Diana on the phone in the 2017 documentary *Diana, Our Mother: Her Life and Legacy*.

"Harry and I were in a desperate rush to say goodbye, you know, 'See you later.'" William said. "If I'd known now obviously what was going to happen, I wouldn't have been so blasé about it and everything else."

Harry said, "I can't really necessarily remember what I said, but all I do remember is probably regretting for the rest of my life how short the phone call was."

'The Kennedys and the Windsors: The Story of Two Dynasties, One Born, One Made' by Caroline Hallemann.

*The Kennedys and the Windsors: The Story of Two Dynasties, One Born, One Made* is available for purchase wherever books are sold.

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