Prince William and Prince Harry were just 15 and 12 when their mother, Princess Diana, passed away in August 1997. In recent years, the
Twenty years after her tragic death, both William and Harry have spoken openly about coping with grief and their individual struggles with mental health issues as part of their Heads Together campaign. And as they commemorate their mother's philanthropic efforts, we are reminded why Diana will always be remembered as the "People's Princess."
Here are some of the most moving things the princes have said in tribute to their late
On dealing with grief
“Time makes it easier. I still miss my mother every day—and it's 20 years after she died," Prince William said when he met a 14-year-old boy who was grieving the loss of his own mother during a visit to Keech Hospice in Luton, August 2016.
"I can safely say that losing my
Princess Diana with her sons at Wetherby School, London, September 1989
On their desire to make their mother proud
"I hope she's looking down, you know, with tears in her eyes, being incredibly proud of what we've established, I suppose," Prince Harry said in an interview with Good Morning America, March 2016. "I'm sure she's longing for me to have kids so she can be a grandmother again. I hope that everything we do privately and officially makes her proud. I think losing your mother at such a young age does end up shaping your life massively. Of course, it does, and now I find myself trying to be there and give advice to other people who are in similar positions."
On recognizing their mother's positive impact
"She visited hospitals late at night to comfort patients; she spent hours writing letters to privately support the work of others; she achieved a lot by shining a spotlight but she worked just as hard when the cameras were gone," Prince Harry said during The Diana Award ceremony at St James's Palace, May 2017.
Princess Diana met with patients at Sitanala Leprosy Hospital in Indonesia, 1989.
On the sadness that their mother will never know her grandchildren
"I would like to have had her advice," William said in an interview with GQ's July 2017 issue. "I would love her to have met Catherine and to have seen the children grow up. It makes me sad that she won't, that they will never know her."
On the memory of their mother
"Every day, I know I do and I’m sure William does as well, whatever we do, wherever we are and whoever we’re with, I particularly always wonder what she'd think, what she’d be doing if she was with us now," Prince Harry said in interview with ITV in June 2010. “If she’d be sitting here having a laugh, whether she’d be in the background sticking her tongue out or whether she’d be playing football with the children. That’s what keeps us going every day—that thought of what would she be like if she was around today. It’s refreshing because we both have our own opinion of what she’d be like and ‘mad’ would be one word to describe her.”
Princess Diana with William and Harry at Thorpe Park, April 1993.
On "standing up" for their mom
"Part of the reason why Harry and I want to do this is
On continuing Diana's legacy
"What my mother
William and Harry speaking at The Diana Award ceremony, May 2017.
"We will do everything we can to make sure that she's never forgotten and carry on all the special gifts, as such, that she had and that she portrayed while she was alive," Prince Harry told Good Morning America in March 2016.
From: Cosmopolitan UK
This story originally appeared on Townandcountrymag.com.
* Minor edits have been made by the Townandcountry.ph editors.
