There was a tabloid rumor that left Princess Diana heartbroken: whispers that her riding instructor, James Hewitt, might be Prince Harry’s actual father. It’s a question that tugs at curiosity and bloodlines alike. But Richard Dalton, Princess Diana’s longtime hairdresser, puts the record straight.
He told Fox News Digital:
It’s not possible… Harry and the Spencer family have red hair. Charles, Diana’s brother, had bright red hair when he was [in] college. And I used to cut his hair then. [Diana’s sister] Sarah, has bright red hair. [Diana’s other sister] Jane was more or less the same coloring as Diana.
According to Dalton’s book, It’s All About the Hair, Princess Diana “used to get very upset” with tabloids pushing the rumor. “The red hair was a trait from the Spencer family,” he wrote.
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Did Princess Diana Meet James Hewitt Before Prince Harry’s Birth: Timeline and Details
Princess Diana. Credit: National Geographic | YouTube
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Princess Diana | Credits: Rick, licensed under CCA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
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Diana, Princess of Wales / BBC Interview
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Prince Harry in the documentary Harry – The Lost Prince | Credits: ZDF
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Princess Diana. Credit: National Geographic | YouTube
Princess Diana | Credits: Rick, licensed under CCA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Diana, Princess of Wales / BBC Interview
Prince Harry in the documentary Harry – The Lost Prince | Credits: ZDF
Let the dates speak plainly: Princess Diana first crossed paths with James Hewitt in 1986, a solid two years after Prince Harry’s birth in 1984. In Richard Dalton’s memoir, It’s All About the Hair, he notes that Princess Diana and Hewitt’s “love affair” ran from 1989 to 1991, long after Prince Harry had arrived. The timeline alone dissolves the rumor.
Dalton was bemused by Princess Diana’s sudden equestrian interest, “Diana didn’t like riding horses,” yet he sensed deeper currents: she was “longing to be truly loved.”
“I knew nothing about their affair… other than maybe unwittingly doing Diana’s hair each day.” Dalton observed that Princess Diana was “giddy at times… it was all new to her,” but urged readers to “remember the context in which this all took place.” Dalton was clear:
He was certainly not the love of her life at the time, Charles was—there is no question in this matter at all.
In 2023, Prince Harry himself addressed the damage. During his trial against Mirror Group Newspapers, he described the rumor as “damaging,” “hurtful, mean and cruel.” He wrote:
I wasn’t actually aware that my mother hadn’t met Major Hewitt until after I was born…. Were the newspapers keen to put doubt into the minds of the public?
Recalling family jests, Prince Harry wrote in Spare (via Page Six): “Who knows if I’m even your real father?”, a “sadistic” joke delivered by his own father. Hewitt himself has repeatedly denied it (quoted by People magazine):
There really is no possibility whatsoever that I am Harry’s father… Harry was already walking by the time my relationship with Diana began.
Detailed Timeline Table
YearEvent1984Diana reportedly met James Hewitt at a party1986Diana reportedly meets James Hewitt at a party1989–1991Harry publicly acknowledges the rumor harmed him; Hewitt denies paternity claim1997Princess Diana tragically dies; rumors continue to swirl2002–2009Harry publicly acknowledges rumor harmed him; Hewitt denies paternity claim
What Happened to James Hewitt After Princess Diana’s Death?
After Princess Diana’s tragic death in 1997, James Hewitt remained in the public eye, though sporadically. In 1999, he published Love and War, offering his perspective on their affair, and he’s given numerous interviews since.
Prince Harry (L) with Prince William (M) and their father King Charles III (R) | Credit: Foreign and Commonwealth Office – Open Government License version 1.0 – Wikimedia Commons
He explored business avenues and media appearances: allegedly attempted to sell over 60 love letters from Princess Diana; though caught in a News of the World sting offering £10 million, he later said in a 2009 Telegraph interview that he intended to keep them forever.
Post-military life saw him opening a golf driving range and participating in reality television, including The X Factor and winning the Back to Reality show. In 2009, he relocated to Marbella and opened The Polo House bar (via Telegraph), which closed in 2013. He also endured health scares, a heart attack in 2017, but has since recovered (via The Sun).
So what do you think? Does the relentless gossip around public figures do more damage than we acknowledge? Will narratives get kinder, or will rumor continue to hold sway? Let’s keep talking because the truth shouldn’t be silenced by sensationalism.