Is all okay in Kate Middleton's marriage? Check ‘real reason’ why Prince William hired Princess Diana's divorce lawyers

Months after divorce rumours of Prince William and Kate Middleton died down, the Prince of Wales has hired his late mother Princess Diana's divorce lawyers. This unexpected move has reportedly “shocked” the Buckingham Palace.

According to media reports, Prince William ditched King Charles’s lawyers, Harbottle & Lewis, and is now working with Mishcon de Reya. He has instructed the London-based firm which famously represented Princess Diana during her 1996 divorce from then-Prince Charles to act on his and his family's behalf.

But why? Check the ‘real reason’ here:

Daily Mail cited sources as saying that William wanted to “strike out on his own”.

“He did not want to continue using his father’s lawyers. It’s as simple as that. He wants to be his own man,” the publication which first broke the news said.

Prince William's unexpected move is apparently “the talk of legal circles”.

According to insiders, William's decision is viewed within Buckingham Palace as the latest example of his intent to forge his own path as a modern royal.

Buckingham Palace thinks it's “the latest example of his desire to follow a different path from that of his father.”

One of Prince William's friends confirmed it to the Daily Mail. “William wants to do things differently from his father and wants to be seen to do them differently,” he said.

Royal expert Richard Eden, writing for the Mail said: “William’s decision to branch out from his father’s legal advisers shows that he is more than willing to shake up the status quo behind palace doors as well.”

But one thing is for sure: the move has nothing to do with the rift between Kate Middleton and Prince William.

How did the respective law firms react?

William's decision is said to have disappointed Harbottle & Lewis. The law firm had acted on behalf of the Royal Family in 2006 in the News of the World royal phone-hacking scandal, which led to the closure of that newspaper.

On the other hand, it has surely made Mishcon and its deputy chairman, Anthony Julius, happy. Anthony Julius is one of the founding trustees of the Diana – Princess of Wales Memorial Fund and was vice-president until it closed in 2012.