'Charles will abdicate in favour of William' inquest hears

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Diana was convinced that Prince Charles would never be king, the inquest heard yesterday.

Her astonishing suggestion was made during a secret meeting with Lord Mishcon and members of his legal firm at Kensington Palace 12 years ago.

Despite insistences by her former butler, Paul Burrell, that Diana enjoyed a cordial relationship with Charles, the court heard that the princess often briefed against him.

Divorce lawyer Maggie Rae, a former partner at Mishcon de Reya, told the hearing that Diana told her "several times" that he should abdicate in favour of their son.

Counsel to the inquest Nicholas Hilliard asked: "She told you on several occasions that the Prince of Wales should not be king and that the crown should skip a generation?", to which she replied: "Yes."

During the meeting on October 30, 1995, Diana said she had received information from reliable sources that the Queen would abdicate the following April and the Prince of Wales would assume the throne.

The company's head of family law, Sandra Davis, who was also present, told the court that Diana was convinced her prediction that Charles would be forced to stand aside would come true.

In that event, she said, the Duke of York would act as Regent until Prince William was old enough to take the throne. "I do recall her saying that on a number of occasions," she told Mr Hilliard.

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Heirs to the throne: Diana wanted William, not Charles, to become the next king

The inquest heard that both women were introduced to the princess by their elderly boss, Lord Mishcon, because in the event of his death he wanted continuity in the handling of her divorce.

Miss Rae described in poignant terms how Diana led a "lonely" life. "I thought she lived in a very odd environment," she said.

"I remember one occasion when she told me about her weekend and she had been alone in those rather silent set of apartments. She had heated her own food in microwave."

Asked why Diana felt moved to suggest there were people - possibly even members of her own family - who were trying to kill her, Miss Rae said she thought the princess was at a "low point" in her life and felt "outgunned" by Charles's lawyers.