Prince Harry's Reflections on Loss, Legacy, and a Mother's Enduring Impact

Over the years, Prince Harry has frequently discussed his mother, Princess Diana, and the profound impact her tragic death in 1997 had on his life. Now 40 years old, he is believed to still hold fond memories of her, especially on significant dates like her birthday.

Harry has shared both heartwarming anecdotes and more difficult recollections of his mother. In his 2023 memoir, "Spare," the Duke of Sussex, who stepped away from royal duties in 2020, recounted the devastating moment he learned of Diana's death in a car crash in Paris.

In "Spare," Harry described how his father, King Charles, then the Prince of Wales, informed him of the news the morning after the accident. Charles, who had divorced Diana a year earlier, told Harry and his brother William about the tragedy. Harry wrote of waiting for confirmation that his mother was safe, but instead, his father confirmed that Diana had not survived.

Harry vividly recalled not shedding a tear and that his father did not offer a hug. At the time of Diana's death, Harry was only 12 years old. He also wrote about ending a phone call with his mother just hours before her death, as he was occupied with games with his brother and cousins at Balmoral Castle in Scotland, where the Royal Family was spending their summer holidays. The details of how Harry will spend his late mother's birthday remain unknown.