Prince Harry, 42, is exploring how he can pay tribute to his mother's legacy, Princess Diana, on what will be the 30th anniversary of her passing: August 31, 2027. As reported by 'People' magazine, the Duke of Sussex is considering different ideas, including the possibility of creating a documentary about Diana.
As part of the preparations for the anniversary, Harry has also reached out to relatives and friends connected to his late mother.
Harry was 12 years old and his brother, Prince William, was 15 when Diana died at 36 in a car accident in Paris. The brothers previously came together to remember their mother in the 2017 documentary Diana, Our Mother: Her Life and Legacy, released for the 20th anniversary of her passing. The film showed William and Harry reminiscing about their mother and discussing the impact of losing her at such a young age. Nearly a decade later, the relationship between the two has deeply deteriorated, and the rift between the brothers remains unresolved.
His younger brother, Charles Spencer, has also revisited Diana's life in his new memoir, Swan Song: Diana, My Sister, offering an intimate account of their relationship, the challenges his sister faced, and the aftermath of her death.
Spencer claims in his book that he argued with the then-Prince Charles—who was separated from Diana—about the palace's plans for the couple's two children to walk behind her coffin during the funeral procession.
Spencer alleges that he told the now-king that Diana would not have wanted her 15 and 12-year-old sons to go through that tough experience. He claims Charles replied, "Don't worry, we will forget her very soon," accusing him of feeling "contempt" for his ex-wife. Buckingham Palace responded to the claims on Wednesday night with an extremely forceful statement, considering the measured standards of the royal household.
Queen Elizabeth II also does not escape criticism in the book; according to Spencer, the late sovereign in 2022 initially reacted with "irritation" upon learning of Diana's accident. The queen allegedly said: "What has she done now?" before realizing the seriousness of the situation.
According to the book, after Lady Di's death, Queen Elizabeth II suggested restoring the title of Royal Highness to the princess, which had been revoked after her divorce from Prince Charles in 1996. An offer that her brother declined.
At that time, the queen was criticized for her apparent coldness, contrasting with the international shock caused by the princess's death.
Diana was only 36 when she died in a car accident in Paris. After her divorce from then-Prince Charles was finalized in 1996, the late Princess of Wales had recently started a relationship with Egyptian film producer Dodi Al Fayed when she passed away.
Harry has spoken over the years about his desire to keep his mother's memory alive.
In his 2023 memoir, Spare, he candidly discussed the devastating impact of her death and the events surrounding her funeral, including the decision for him and William to walk behind their mother's coffin. Harry recalled breaking down when Diana was laid to rest at Althorp.
"They said that Mom's hands were crossed over her chest, and between them, they had placed a photo of Willy and me, possibly the only two men who truly loved her. Undoubtedly, the two who loved her the most," wrote Harry.
"For all eternity, we would be smiling at her in the dark," Harry wrote, recalling how that thought eventually overwhelmed him when his mother's coffin was lowered into the ground.
"My body convulsed, and my chin dropped, and I began to sob uncontrollably into my hands," he wrote. "I was ashamed to be breaking the family's code of conduct, but I could no longer contain it."