Richard Dalton, Princess Diana's former hairdresser, reveals intimate details about their decade-long friendship and addresses the persistent rumors that questioned Prince Harry's paternity.
Tabloid rumors have long shadowed the life of Princess Diana, with speculation surrounding her riding instructor, James Hewitt, as Prince Harry's biological father. Richard Dalton, Diana's trusted hairdresser and confidant, vehemently refutes these claims in his new memoir, "It's All About the Hair — My Decade with Diana," co-written with Renae Plant, founder of The Princess Diana Museum.
Unveiling the Truth: Richard Dalton Recounts Princess Diana's Friendship Amidst Paternity Rumors
"It's not possible," Dalton asserts. "Harry was already born a while before her relationship with Hewitt. And I don't think it's possible."
Dalton argues that the red hair shared by Harry and Hewitt is a trait inherited from the Spencer family. "Harry and the Spencer family have red hair," he explains. "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."
Unveiling the Truth: Richard Dalton Recounts Princess Diana's Friendship Amidst Paternity Rumors
Diana herself was reportedly deeply affected by the paternity rumors. "She used to get very upset with the tabloids insisting that Hewitt was Harry's father," Dalton writes in his book.
According to Dalton, Diana first met Hewitt in 1986, two years after Harry's birth in 1984. He emphasizes that Harry was born "long before Diana even met James Hewitt."
Unveiling the Truth: Richard Dalton Recounts Princess Diana's Friendship Amidst Paternity Rumors
"The red hair was a trait from the Spencer family," he maintains.
Despite the ongoing rumors, Dalton believes that Charles was the love of Diana's life. "He was certainly not the love of her life at the time, Charles was — there is no question in this matter at all," he states.
Unveiling the Truth: Richard Dalton Recounts Princess Diana's Friendship Amidst Paternity Rumors
Renae Plant, who collaborated with Dalton on his memoir, acknowledges the torment that Diana endured. "It must have been horrific for Diana to be faced with the ongoing rumors," she says. "She [couldn’t] come out there and say anything, but there’s all these rumors going around. ... She was tormented [by] the press and the hounding of all these stories."
In 2023, Harry sued the Daily Mirror for spreading paternity rumors, citing the damage it had caused him over the years. Dalton refutes the claims, stating that Hewitt was not Diana's lover until after Harry's birth.
Unveiling the Truth: Richard Dalton Recounts Princess Diana's Friendship Amidst Paternity Rumors
Dalton also recalls Diana's mischievous side. "She would always keep fake vomit, and she’d put it into the private secretary’s briefcase," he shares. "And dog poop — all kinds of things."
Despite Prince Charles' ban on aerosol sprays, Dalton and Diana kept using Elnett hairspray in secret. "We traveled with it a lot," Dalton says. "We escaped. I'm not in the Tower of London."
Unveiling the Truth: Richard Dalton Recounts Princess Diana's Friendship Amidst Paternity Rumors
Dalton's memoir aims to reveal a new perspective on Princess Diana, highlighting her humor and resilience amidst the controversies and challenges she faced.
