She was the lonely princess trapped in a loveless marriage; he was the dashing cavalry officer in the British Army. Their love affair reportedly lasted for five years. But the effects thereof reverberated for years after.
The result is that many claim Princess Diana's youngest, Prince Harry, was born out of her affair with James Hewitt. And now online conspiracy theorists are digging up more dirt.
Online users started a thread on Quora called "Why do people keep persisting about Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex being the son of someone named Hewitt?" and some of the comments ranged from the absurd to plausible.
Below are some theories with a dash of facts:
"Diana was once asked if Harry’s father was Charles or James. It was made clear to her that if indeed James Hewitt was Harry’s father, she would be ‘out of the family’ for good. She feared losing her sons." - Graham Short
"Prince Harry is the biological son of Prince Charles and carries the red hair of the Spencer family, although Princess Diana was a blond. Diana did not get to know James Hewitt until well after William and Harry were born. She got to know Hewitt when she went looking for someone to instruct and teach her two boys how to ride a horse." - Marla Lynn
"Because Harry was a toddler when Hewitt came on to the scene in Diana's life. It really is quite as simple as that. Prince Charles' son without a doubt." - Debsy Opperman
"Because he is unfortunate enough to have some superficial similarities to the man his mother had an affair with." - Julie Seymour