During the lengthy and public marriage breakdown of Prince Charles and Princess Diana, people who were very close to Prince William believed that all the chaos and upturning in his life could lead him to have some sort of “breakdown”.

The Queen, however, came to the rescue and helped WIlliam through this troubled period in his life said Royal historian Robert Lacey.

Her plan was simple and she set out to have regular Sunday lunches with the young Prince during this time and helped to turn the fragile schoolboy into a tough young man.

Any public observer would know of the troubled marriage of Prince Charles and Diana with them splitting up in 1992 and divorcing 4 years later in 1996. WIlliam was indeed troubled by all the publicity of his parents separation, especially leading up to their divorce.

Royal historian and biographer Robert Lacey reveals the role that his grandmother took in helping him through this time in his new book, Battle of Brothers: William and Harry – The Inside Story of a Family in Tumult. In the book Lacey says “It was then three years after his parents’ separation – just two years before Diana’s death – and the Queen was worried about William’s state of mind.

The Queen actually feared that the boy might be heading for some sort of breakdown, she confided to one of her advisors – just as the prince’s mother herself had clearly cracked up mentally in several respects.

” William’s grandfather, Prince Philip, actively encouraged the Queen to “do her bit” for her fragile grandson and future heir to the throne. The Queen’s solution was simple, but perfect: She started a special routine of having lunch with William every Sunday, something Lacey says “helped to turn the fragile schoolboy heading for a breakdown into quite a tough young man” and helped give the young royal a “moral compass and a purpose.”