Always in their memory. Prince William and Prince Harry have continued to honor their late mother, Princess Diana, since her death on August 31, 1997.
The Princess of Wales left behind a remarkable legacy after she died in a Paris car crash, which occurred after the vehicle was chased by photographers. William and Harry were 15 and 12 years old, respectively, when their mother died, but they’ve been paying tribute to her ever since.
In 2017, the brothers first commissioned a statue to commemorate the 20th anniversary of her death. Four years later, in July 2021, the brothers reunited at the Sunken Garden at Kensington Palace to officially unveil the statue, which was designed by sculptor Ian Rank-Broadley.
“Today, on what would have been our mother’s 60th birthday, we remember her love, strength and character — qualities that made her a force for good around the world, changing countless lives for the better,” William and Harry said in a joint statement, per the palace. “Every day, we wish she were still with us, and our hope is that this statue will be seen forever as a symbol of her life and her legacy. Thank you to Ian Rank-Broadley, Pip Morrison and their teams for their outstanding work, to the friends and donors who helped make this happen, and to all those around the world who keep our mother’s memory alive.”
Over the years, the dukes have also vowed to preserve Diana’s legacy through their constant charity work and activism, among other duties.
“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,” Harry said during a March 2016 interview with Good Morning America. “I hope that a lot of my mother’s talents are shown in a lot of the work that I do.”
After William married Duchess Kate and Harry married Meghan Markle, they continued honoring their mother through the lives of their children — especially their daughters.
William and Kate welcomed Princess Charlotte in May 2015 and graced her with Diana as a middle name.
In June 2021, when Harry and Meghan welcomed their daughter, Lilibet, they did the same. At the time of her birth, Diana’s former voice coach Stewart Pearce told Us Weekly exclusively that she would have loved Lili’s name, which is a nod to Queen Elizabeth II.
“Diana would be thrilled at the choice of name for the little one,” he shared.
Keep scrolling to see all the ways William and Harry honor their mother through her granddaughters Charlotte and Lilibet.