For all the millions of words that have been written about the People's Princess, no one has yet penetrated palace walls to reveal what has really happened to the Royal Family Diana left behind 10 years ago. Until now. This is the story of a family and the Princess's legacy of love and compassion -- alive in the sons who have grown to manhood and are now forging a legacy of their own.

Q: Would William be a better King than Charles?

A: William would be a better in every sense, and "Granny," as William calls the Queen, knows this. Sadly, Charles is a throwback to another breed of royal. He belongs to another century -- the l9th. Before Diana died, Charles had never stepped inside a pub or even ridden in a cab, much less visited an amusement park or a fast-food restaurant. He went through the motions of setting up charities and visiting hospitals, but really didn't have a clue about the day-to-day problems of his subjects.

Thanks to Diana, William not only empathizes with those who are less fortunate, he appreciates the joys of "normal" life: going to bars with friends, zooming around the countryside on his motorcycle and dating and falling in love with the girl of his own choosing. Because he lost his mother at such an early age and so tragically, William also has strength of character that I believe his father lacks.

Then, of course, there is William's sheer star power, that indefinable something he inherited from Diana and that you can't find anywhere else in the royal family, with the obvious exception of Harry. Not only would William have the full backing of the British people, I'm convinced he'd be the first proactive monarch. He would carry on Diana's causes, add a few of his own and, in the process, become not only a better king than his father, but perhaps the best England has ever had.

Q: Does William want to be King, and how will Diana's influence affect his reign?

A: William says that it isn't a question of whether or not he wants to be king: "It's something I was born into and it's my duty." From the beginning, he has been the dutiful eldest son, but that doesn't mean he isn't often frustrated by the fact that his future is pretty much planned out for him.

Diana will definitely be present in everything he does once he ascends to the throne. It's an exciting prospect, and frankly I think Queen Elizabeth would just as soon see William leapfrog over her stodgy, not terribly popular son, and inherit the crown next. When people look at William, they will always see Diana. Just as Diana was the People's Princess, William is destined to be the People's King.

Q: If Diana were alive, what do you think she might be doing?

A: Because of her love affairs with Dr. Hasnat Kahn and Dodi Fayed, Diana had developed a passionate interest in Islam. She would never have converted, of course, but I think she would have done whatever she could to bridge the gap between the Muslim and Christian communities. Certainly she would have gone on with her humanitarian efforts. She had raised more money for charity than any other human being in her lifetime (and, ironically, even more in death), so it would not surprise me at all if at some point she would have been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

Q: How are the boys keeping Diana's legacy alive?

A: Diana was not only the first royal to connect with average people, she was also the first royal to connect with her own children. Yes, she took them to homeless shelters and AIDS clinics, but she also took them to Disney World and her favorite, KFC. They got a taste of what normal people experience.

Now the princes have picked up where she left off. William works with the homeless and young cancer patients, while Harry has set up a charity for children orphaned by AIDS in Africa. As far as all the media attention goes, they realize that they will always be under the microscope, and that they'll just have to cope with it with as much grace and good humor as, say, JFK Jr. did. That was Diana's wish -- that they handle their icon status the way Jackie and her children did.

They have obviously remembered the life lessons she taught them. As their interviews show, they are two charming, funny, normal guys who aren't afraid to poke fun at themselves and at each other. Nothing at all like the rest of the royal family. William and Harry really are Diana's triumph over the Windsors.

Q: The princes are organizing a tribute concert to their mum, the Concert for Diana on what would have been her 46th birthday on July 1. Are you surprised the princes are finally stepping up to celebrate their mother?

A: After Diana's death, William and Harry were cut off from their mother's family and friends. They were "Windsorized." That is, indoctrinated in the traditional royal pursuits of foxhunting and polo-playing. Their lives were completely controlled by the shadowy "Men in Grey" (as Diana called them) who really run the monarchy. Now William and Harry are grown men. They realize that if there is going to be a fitting tribute to Diana, they're the ones who are going to make it happen.