Meet the nannies who raised Princes William and Harry – and the hackles of their mother, Diana!
- William and Harry had at least five different nannies
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Princess Diana broke new ground with her hands-on approach to looking after her two boys, attempting to make sure they had as ‘normal’ a childhood as possible amid the strange rules of being royal.
Even so, The Prince and Princess of Wales were heavily occupied with official duties, sometimes around the globe, and it was only natural that Diana had a team of nannies to assist her along the way.
Their influence upon the boys went far beyond such mundane tasks as doing the school: in fact it’s fair to say they played an important role in shaping Princes William and Harry and the men they would become…
Barbara Barnes
William and Harry’s first nanny was Barbara Barnes, affectionately nicknamed Baba. Pictured: The nanny carrying a ten-month-old Prince William from a plane at Melbourne Airport in April 1983
Barbara came highly recommended by the Tennant family, who praised her natural ability with children
William and Harry’s first nanny was Barbara Barnes, affectionately nicknamed Baba.
The daughter of an estate worker, she had no formal training as a Nanny but was was already well-connected by the time she came to the Royal Family at the age of 42.
By the time of Prince William’s birth, she had just completed a 15-year stint caring for the five children of Anne Tennant – Baroness Glenconner – Princess Margaret’s lady-in-waiting.
The Tennants praised Barabara’s natural abilities with children.
Unlike other royal nannies, Barbara did not wear a nanny hat or uniform and encouraged the royals to call her by her first name.
In her only brief contact with the Press, Barnes said she saw no special problems in bringing up a royal baby: ‘I treat all children as individuals… I’m here to help the princess, not take over,’ she said.
When the Princess woke in the morning, they would climb into bed with Barbara before breakfast to play together, before being passed on to their parents when they arose.
She taught both boys to walk, talk and read, chose their clothes and shoes and would comfort them if they were hurt or when they awoke crying in the night.
Barbara spent an increasing among of time with the boys, and became something of a surrogate mother, particularly to Prince William
It was reported at the time that Diana was jealous of Barbara and felt threatened by her bond with her eldest son
Prince William with his nanny Barbara as they leave St Mary’s Hospital in September 1984, after visiting his newborn-brother Prince Harry
In the absence of their parents, Baba even took her charges away on their own ‘family’ holiday without parents to places including to Scotland and the Isles of Scilly.
Diana would then take over if she did not have work to do, but the Princess of Wales’s time was more and more occupied by her increasing royal duties.
This meant that Baba spent an increasing among of time with the boys, and became something of a surrogate mother, particularly to William who’d been her solitary charge for two years before Harry’s birth in 1984.
It was reported at the time that Diana was jealous of Barbara and felt threatened by the bond between the nanny and her eldest son.
The Princess dismissed Barbara in 1987 when William was four.
‘One weekend, she just wasn’t there any more,’ according to Highgrove housekeeper Wendy Berry.
Diana had given instructions that the nanny’s bags should be packed and all traces of her removed, Robert Lacey wrote in Battle of Brothers.
She was forbidden to say goodbye to the boys or contact them after her departure.
Ruth Wallace
Barbara Barnes was replaced by two new nannies. Ruth Wallace was the first to arrive
Diana, William and Harry – in the arms of nanny Ruth – at the Guards Polo Club in May 1987
Following Barbara’s departure, she was replaced by two new nannies, the first of which was Ruth Wallace.
Ruth was a trained nurse who had been a relief nanny to Princess Michael of Kent’s children for more than three years.
Ruth was joined by a second nanny, Jessie Webb in March 1987.
She was praised for her ability to coax the young Prince William out of his bullying behaviour at nursery school.
William was called ‘Billy the Basher’ or ‘Basher Wills’ by his classmates at Mrs Jane Mynors’ Nursery School in Notting Hill.
The young princes pictured on their way to Sandringham Stables with Ruth at their Norfolk Estate in January 1990
Having found it difficult to cope with the growing atmosphere around the Prince and Princess of Wales, Ruth Wallace eventually left the employment of the royals
Harry was much quieter as a young boy and required much encouragement to come out of his shell.
While her main role was the boy’s nanny, Ruth was also a confidante of Princess Diana as her marriage to Prince Charles began to fall apart.
Having allegedly found it difficult to cope with the growing atmosphere and spotlight around the previous Prince and Princess of Wales, Ruth eventually left the employment of the royals.
Both William and Harry were said to have been devastated and shocked by the sudden death of their beloved nanny in 2003 when she was in her early 50s.
Jessie Webb
At the time of Jessie Webb’s employment in the summer of 1990, Charles and Diana’s marriage was as unravelling. Pictured: The nanny with Princess Diana and her two sons in May in the Scilly Isles in 1991
Jessie Webb joined the royals soon after Ruth just as William was heading for his first boarding school, Ludgrove.
She mainly took care of six-year-old Harry.
At the time of her employment in the summer of 1990, Charles and Diana’s marriage was unravelling.
Ingrid Seward, editor-in-chief of Majesty magazine, said Jessie was the perfect addition to the royal household.
She told The Mirror: ‘Jessie, with her outspoken cockney normality and no-nonsense approach, was the ideal person to bring a bit of cheer into the household, which indeed she did.
‘Everyone liked her, especially William, who was at an age when he picked up the strained atmosphere around his parents. When Diana dissolved into tears or had a row with Charles, Jessie ”like a battleship in full sail” would distract William and get him out of earshot.’
Jessie had firm ideas about how Harry and William should be treated like everyday children who needed strict behavioural guidelines.
The hands-on nanny pictured with the young royals and their mother on a theme park ride in Thorpe Park in 1991
With Jessie, the pair were treated like ordinary boys, which is exactly what they needed
She enjoyed a healthy appetite and she thought the boys, especially Harry, needed feeding up. The nursery fridge was filled with sausages, bacon, buns, cakes of every description, and biscuits.
She was also not afraid to criticise the way the princes were being brought up when they were being spoilt, however, she was fiercely protective of them, indeed.
With Jessie, the pair were treated like ordinary boys, which is exactly what they needed with the turmoil that followed in the lead-up to Charles and Diana’s divorce.
She, too, was eventually let go by Diana.
William and Kate, the Prince and Princess of Wales, asked Jessie to briefly come out of retirement to help them following the birth of Prince George in July 2013
Jessie Webb made such a positive impact on the boys that William and Kate asked her to come out of retirement and lend a hand after the birth of their first child, Prince George, in 2013.
The 71-year-old agreed to cover the first few months until they found a suitable replacement nanny who would stay on in the longer term.
William enjoyed a warm, loving relationship with his nannies, and had always regarded Miss Webb fondly. He ensured she was a guest of honour at both his 21st birthday party and his wedding in 2011.
She also attended Harry’s wedding to Meghan Markle in May 2018.
Olga Powell
Nanny Olga Powell is believed to have helped fulfil Princess Diana’s wish for William and Harry to be ‘normal’ and at ease in the real world . She is pictured with the two princes in 1987
Princess Diana leaves the San Lorenzo restaurant with William and Harry and Olga Powell in 1993
Olga Powell joined the family when William was six months old and stayed until he was 15.
At first, she was deputy to Nanny Barbara Barnes, who had met Olga when they worked for a London family and had recommended her to the royal couple.
Two other nannies came and went, keeping Olga in the deputy role — until Diana and Charles handed her the senior post to her.
Mrs Powell, who was widowed after just six years of marriage when she was 52, came to work for Princess Diana, whom she saw as ‘just a young girl’ of 21 when she arrived at Kensington Palace in late 1982.
Although very loving, she was renowned for not taking any nonsense from the young boys and famously would give them a clip around their ear if they were ever naughty.
Diana adored Olga, according to Ken Wharfe, the princess’s former police bodyguard: ‘Olga didn’t take any nonsense and was a stickler for good table manners. She was stern, but she was fun.
The Princess of Wales is pictured with Prince William, left, and Prince Harry, right, with Olga Powell looking on proudly
‘I remember on one occasion her dumping the boys on me and saying: “Ken, look after them, can you? And if there is any bloody nonsense, and they don’t behave, you can give them a good clout.” ’
She helped the brothers through their parents’ divorce and during the months following Diana’s death.
Even after retirement, Olga stayed close to the family and was invited to key events including William’s 21st birthday at Windsor Castle, his Passing Out ceremony at Sandhurst and his wedding.
She remained loyal to the royals and managed to give entertaining talks to women’s lunches and community groups about her life helping bring up the princes without once letting slip anything indiscreet.
Even after her retirement Olga stayed close to the family and was invited to key events
Her pristine semi in Broxbourne, Herts, was filled with memorabilia and pictures of the boys, and of William and Kate’s wedding.
Olga had no children of her own, but she looked on the princes as being ‘like my grandsons’.
Mrs Powell was rushed to Princes Alexandra Hospital, Harlow after collapsing near her home in Broxbourne on September 25, 2012, but she sadly died later that day.
Prince William cancelled four high-profile engagements in the North East of England to attend her funeral in October of the same year.
He also represented his brother who was unable to attend as he was serving his country in Afghanistan at the time of his beloved nanny’s passing.
Alexandra ‘Tiggy’ Legge-Bourke
King Charles arriving with his Sons, Prince William and Prince Harry with their Nanny, Tiggy Legge-Bourke at Zurich Airport ahead of a skiing holiday
Tiggy Legge-Bourke, who would often take the boys on outdoor trips, Prince William, and Prince Harry walking in the River Gairn, near the Balmoral Estate in October 1994
Tiggy Legge-Bourke was famously Prince William and Prince Harry’s nanny in their formative years before becoming a personal assistant to then Prince Charles.
Even before her employment, Tiggy had close ties to the Royal Family. Her father, William Legge-Bourke, had once served in the Royal Horse Guards and her mother, Dame Elizabeth Shân, became a lady-in-waiting to Princess Anne in 1987.
And her brother, Harry Legge-Bourke was a Page of Honour to the late Queen Elizabeth II from 1985 to 1987.
She grew up on the family’s 6,000-acre Glanusk Estate in Powys, Wales and was educated at Heathfield School, an all-girls boarding school in Ascot.
Tiggy went to finishing school at the Institut Alpin Videmanette in Rougemont, Switzerland, which Princess Diana also attended. And after finishing there, she enrolled on a nursery teacher training course at the St Nicholas Montessori Centre in London.
She then taught for a year in Fulham before moving on to opening her own nursery school in Battersea called Mrs Tiggywinkle’s.
Tiggy – who is an advanced fly fishing instructor – even once referred to William and Harry as ‘my babies’
Tiggy was hired by King Charles, who was then the Prince of Wales, as an assistant and a nanny for his sons, Princes William and Harry in 1993, shortly after his separation from Diana.
As Ms Legge-Bourke grew to spend more time with the young royals, her bond with William and Harry seemed to have created tension with their mother, Diana.
It was suggested that Diana was suspicious of how much time Tiggy spent with Prince Charles and her sons and disliked her habit of smoking around them.
In February 1996, Diana wrote to Charles and said Tiggy should ‘not spend unnecessary time in the children’s rooms… read to them at night, nor supervise their bathtime.’
It was reported at the time that the relationship between the boys and Tiggy became even closer following their mother’s death in August 1997
Tiggy – who is an advanced fly fishing instructor – even once referred to William and Harry as ‘my babies’.
Tiggy faced additional controversy, as she reportedly said of Diana, ‘She gives [William and Harry] a tennis racket and a bucket of popcorn at the movies,’ whereas ‘I give them what they need at this stage: Fresh air, a rifle and a horse.’
Matters grew worse when a 13-year-old William asked Tiggy to attend Eton’s traditional Fourth of June celebrations, instead of asking either parents.
William and Harry reportedly looked on her as a ‘big sister’. She frequently joined the family on holiday and took them on outdoor excursions, teaching them to hunt, fish and shoot.
Prince William talks to his former nanny Tiggy Legge-Bourke at his passing-out Sovereign’s Parade at Sandhurst Military Academy in April 2006
Tiggy has remained close to both the royals over the years and is the godmother to Archie, the Duke of Sussex’s eldest child
It was reported at the time that the relationship between the boys and Tiggy became even closer following their mother’s death in August 1997.
She retired from being a royal nanny when she married her childhood sweetheart and security consultant Charles Pettifer in 1999.
The couple now have two sons of their own, Fred, whose godfather is Prince Harry, and Tom, the godson of Prince William.
Tom, who was eight at the time, was as a page boy at William’s 2011 wedding to Kate Middleton.
Tiggy has remained close to both the royals over the years, and met Meghan before she and Harry married. She is also the godmother to Archie, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s eldest child.
Among other events, she attended Prince Harry’s commissioning as a Second Lieutenant at Sandhurst in April 2006 and Harry’s wedding to Meghan Markle in May 2018.
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