Old video shows Diana’s tactic in getting young Prince William to obey

Diana had a clever way to get her eldest son to behave. An old footage that has surfaced online sees how the Princess of Wales got a young Prince William to do what he’s told while she’s taking care of Prince Harry at the same time.

In the video, posted on Instagram by the dianaspxncer account, shows the young princes dressed in army uniforms. Diana is carrying a quiet Harry while William was running about. William then runs to a far side of the yard and refuses to run back to his mother when she called him.

“So when this soldier is slow to follow orders, his mother has her own tactic to bringing him into line,” the narrator says.

“All right, Harry will have all the fun then,” Diana is heard telling her young son. To which, William fervently yells, “No! No, no, no, no!” while running back to his mother.

Diana, pretending she’s not interested anymore, replies, “No, it’s all right,” waving William off while walking away with Harry in her arms.

It was ingenious parenting tactic, one that which many parents can attest works with young children. Commenters said it was a delight seeing a glimpse of how normal life was for the mother of two inside the palace walls.

It did not say when the footage was shot, but as William and Harry were about around 3 to 4 and 1 to 2 years old respectively, it could be taken in 1985 or 1986. The footage appears to be from a documentary.

Diana’s smart parenting method seems to have rubbed off on William, who now has three kids of his own with wife Kate Middleton. According to Express, Diana got down on her sons’ level to talk to them, and she was the first member of the Royal family to do so.

“The Royal family used to say that everyone had to be deferential to them, but Diana believe, ‘If you’re speaking to a very young child or a sick person, get yourself on their level,’” Ingrid Seward, the editor of Majesty magazine, told the publication.

William, as well as Kate, appears to follow the same belief as well. They have been seen following the same advice in a number of occasions with their children.

With three kids aged 5 and under, William surely has his hands full at home. But according to People, he wouldn’t have it any other way. A source told the paper that William also credited Prince Charles for his outlook as a father.

“[William’ is a very good father,” a family friend said. “As his own father has been. [Charles] has been a very good father to those boys and they’re very, very fond of him.”