Princess Diana Had California Dreams Long Before Prince Harry Built a New Life in the United States

Years before Prince Harry and Meghan Markle established their home in Montecito, California, Harry’s mother, Princess Diana, was already considering the possibility of creating a new chapter of her life on the American West Coast.

Following her divorce from Prince Charles, Diana began imagining a future beyond the restrictions and expectations that had defined much of her life as a senior member of the British Royal Family. While Harry and Meghan eventually chose California as the place to raise their family, Diana had reportedly been drawn to Malibu, where she envisioned building a fresh start with her partner, Dodi Al Fayed.

Those plans, however, were never fulfilled. Diana and Al Fayed tragically died together in a car crash in Paris on August 31, 1997, before they had the opportunity to begin the life they had discussed.

At the time of her relationship with Al Fayed in the summer of 1997, Diana was already living a dramatically different life from the one she had known during her marriage to Prince Charles. Her divorce had officially been completed on August 28, 1996, just over a year before her death.

Freed from the formal responsibilities of royal marriage, Diana was exploring her identity outside the monarchy. She remained one of the most famous women in the world, but she was also increasingly focused on humanitarian work and charitable causes. Her global influence allowed her to raise awareness for issues such as landmines, homelessness, and social inequality.

During this period, Diana reportedly began discussing the possibility that Britain might not remain her only home. She is said to have shared these thoughts with people close to her, including her sister Lady Sarah McCorquodale and longtime friend Lúcia Flecha de Lima.

The main factor keeping Diana connected to the United Kingdom was, of course, her two sons, Prince William and Prince Harry. However, because both boys spent much of the school year away at boarding school, Diana had more independence than she had experienced during her years as a working royal.

Dodi Al Fayed, who was dating Diana during the summer of 1997, had recently acquired a luxurious property in Malibu, California. According to reports, the home was located in the exclusive Paradise Cove area along the Pacific Coast Highway.

The impressive beachfront estate reportedly sat on approximately five acres of land and included six bedrooms, a guest cottage, swimming pool, tennis court, and private access to the beach. For Diana, the property represented more than just a holiday destination—it symbolized the possibility of freedom, privacy, and a different lifestyle away from the intense scrutiny she experienced in Britain.

Diana’s former royal butler, Paul Burrell, later claimed that she had seriously considered spending more time in the United States. Speaking in an interview with ABC in 2003, Burrell recalled Diana describing the potential move as the beginning of a “new life.”

According to Burrell, Diana was attracted to the idea of living in America because she felt people there were less focused on social class and royal traditions.

He later expanded on these memories in his 2006 book The Way We Were. Burrell described seeing Diana looking through brochures and property plans for the Malibu estate, suggesting that the idea had progressed beyond casual discussion.

He wrote that Diana had spread out photographs and plans of the California property and appeared to view the home as a realistic possibility rather than simply a fantasy. The estate overlooking the Pacific Ocean seemed to represent a future where she could enjoy greater independence while still maintaining her role as a mother and public figure.

Prince Harry later confirmed that he was aware his mother had considered moving to California. In the 2022 Netflix documentary series Harry & Meghan, he reflected that California was one of the places where he believed Diana may eventually have chosen to live.

Harry explained that his mother had developed a positive relationship with the United States and appreciated the way she was treated there. He suggested that America offered her a level of acceptance and freedom that she sometimes struggled to find in Britain.

The idea of Diana moving to California was also explored in the Netflix drama series The Crown, which portrayed her final years and relationships. Beyond fictional portrayals, several people who knew Diana personally supported the idea that she had been considering a move.

Her former bodyguard Lee Sansum told Inside Edition that Diana had expressed interest in relocating to the United States because she enjoyed the warmth of American people and felt more comfortable with the media environment there.

Burrell also believed that the Royal Family would likely have accepted Diana spending time in America. He suggested that preventing her from doing so would have been an unnecessarily strict decision, especially considering that Diana remained committed to supporting the monarchy and maintaining her relationship with her sons.

Diana’s former voice coach, Stewart Pierce, also recalled conversations about the Malibu property. He said Diana imagined the home as a place where William and Harry could experience more freedom, enjoying activities such as surfing, rollerblading, and spending time outdoors.

The idea appealed to Diana because she wanted her sons to have experiences that felt more normal and less restricted by royal expectations. She was known for wanting William and Harry to enjoy childhood experiences beyond palace walls.

After Diana and Dodi’s deaths, the Malibu property was eventually placed on the market, reportedly with an asking price of around $10 million. Over time, Burrell clarified that the California home may not have represented a permanent relocation for Diana.

Instead, he explained that it was likely intended as a private retreat—a place where Diana could escape occasionally with her children while continuing to support the monarchy and maintain her responsibilities.

Burrell emphasized that Diana remained proud of being a royal princess and never intended to completely separate herself from the institution.

He explained that wanting a private residence in Malibu did not mean Diana planned to abandon Britain or her royal identity. Rather, it reflected her desire for balance: a place where she could enjoy privacy, relaxation, and family time while continuing her public work.

The possibility of Diana creating a new life in California remains one of the many unanswered questions surrounding her future had she survived. After her divorce, she experienced only 368 days of independence before her life was tragically cut short.

Her dreams of Malibu, like many aspects of the life she never had the chance to fully explore, remain a fascinating reminder of a woman searching for freedom, happiness, and a new identity beyond the confines of royalty.

Decades later, her son Harry would ultimately choose California as his own home, creating a striking parallel between mother and son. While their circumstances were very different, both Diana and Harry found themselves drawn to the same place in search of a more private and independent life.