Did Prince William go missing for 14 hours when Princess Diana died?

Season Six of The Crown has been released on Netflix and fans are loving this brand new series. But some are questioning, did Prince William go missing for 14 hours when Princess Diana died? 

In the new season of The Crown, Princess Diana's tragic death was depicted in the final moments of the third episode. The fourth episode, titled 'Aftermath' focused on the fallout following her death, particularly how (the then) Prince Charles, Prince William and Prince Harry dealt with this news. 

In one scene, Prince Charles was told "Sir, Prince William is not in his room, and no one can find him." A search party then begins after Prince Harry discovers that his coar is missing from the hook and he must have gone outside. Princess Anne, Prince Charles and many members of the Royal Family then set off in Land Rovers to search the grounds around Balmoral. 

Despite having dogs and several people searching for the Prince, none are successful and return to the castle without the Prince. It's not until hours later (or 14 as stated by the Queen played by Imelda Staunton - 'Fourteen hours that poor boy was gone') when the Prince returns, completely drenched from the rain. In the scene, William looks distraught and despondent when he returns from the castle and shrugs off Charles as he tries to hug him upon his return. 

But did this really happen? Did Prince William go missing for 14 hours when Princess Diana died? Or was this an invented story from the show creators to add to the narrative?

In a documentary called Diana, 7 Days, Prince William spoke about the days at Balmoral Castle following her death. "I remember just feeling completely numb, disorientated, dizzy," William said. "You feel very, very confused. And you keep asking yourself, 'Why me?' All the time, 'Why? What have I done? Why? Why has this happened to us?'"

In 2021, per the Standard, the Prince spoke about finding solace in the 'Scottish Outdoors' following his mother's sudden death. During an emotional speech at the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, the Prince said, "I was in Balmoral when I was told that my mother had died. Still in shock, I found sanctuary in the service at Crathie Kirk that very morning and in the dark days of grief that followed I found comfort and solace in the Scottish outdoors. As a result, the connection I feel to Scotland will forever run deep."

So by his own words, the Prince of Wales spoke about being disoriented and finding solace in the Scottish outdoors following his mother's death. This could mean that the storyline about his disappearance isn't totally inconceivable and would make sense for anyone going through such a traumatic life event at such a young age. However, it does seem that Netflix may have slightly exaggerated events for their narrative.