Wills and Harry’s tribute to Diana
Harry tells charity chiefs who worked with princess of how the world is still missing her PRINCES MARK A SOMBRE MILESTONE BY HONOURING DIANA
PRINCES William and Harry paid a moving tribute to their mother’s charity legacy yesterday.
On the eve of today’s 20th anniversary of Diana’s death, the princes relived the walk they did as youngsters to view floral tributes left at the gates of Kensington Palace.
And in a garden planted in her memory, they also met heads of the charities and good causes Diana threw herself into.
Harry spoke of his mother’s determination to shine a light on the causes close to her heart including HIV, homelessness and land mines.
And he told the charity officials: “I can imagine for a lot of you it was like, ‘Right, here we go, now we’ve got her, we’ve got the thirst, we’ve got the attention now let’s do something.’
“Then suddenly she’s snapped away – if I can put it this way, all of us lost somebody.”
Harry also urged representatives from the charities to “tell me a story about my mum”.
William was joined by wife Kate, who wore a green floral Prada dress, as he and Harry toured the White Garden planted in honour of their mother.
It seemed even the weather was mourning the milestone as the rain pelted down constantly throughout their hour-long visit.
At the sunken garden, containing blooms including forget-me-nots, white roses, tulips and narcissi, they were greeted by the charity chiefs – from the six organisations with whom Diana retained her links after leaving the Royal Family.
Kate told English National Ballet director Tamara Rojo how two-year-old Princess Charlotte was following in Diana’s footsteps by learning to dance, adding: “She absolutely loves it.”
William said about his mother: “We’ve got plenty of pictures.
“I remember her showing me ballet shoes she had been given and she was so proud of them. She loved dancing. She was a fantastic dancer. She was elated by the skill.”
Afterwards, the brothers visited the gates to the palace where fans have erected a shrine to Diana containing banners, flowers and photographs.
Sheltering under umbrellas, they
placed flowers and even shared a laugh as William pointed out a childhood picture of his brother and Diana. “Look at my shades!” Harry said. Pointing to where the sea of 1997 tributes stretched to, William reminded his brother: “Last time, it was all the way down.”
Harry stopped to take a bouquet from sisters Maisy, eight, and Gracie, 10, from Essex. Their mum Rhian Oxby, 40, said: “He was very friendly and funny.
“Harry asked, ‘Would you like me to put the flowers over there?’ Obviously we’ve come because of the anniversary.
“She’s just a legend. She meant so much to so many people, she touched everybody.”
Retired Maureen Sim, 59, from London, had brought pink carnations to lay at the gates of the palace.
She said: “I thought I’d come down to let her know she’s still remembered... For me, she represents kindness … she sort of accepted everybody whether they were sick or healthy, rich or poor.”
Tourists have been flocking to the palace to see the exhibition Diana, Her Fashion Story as well as the White Garden.
William and Harry said they were “thrilled” with the White Garden and recalled visiting the spot as small boys.
They were given a tour of the plants by head gardener Sean Harkin and Graham Dillamore, who worked on the Kensington Palace grounds when Diana lived there.
Admiring the new layout, Kate said: “It does look really different, I love the semi wildness.”
“We’re thrilled, Graham,” said William. “Twenty years on, it feels so appropriate.”
Meeting representatives from Great Ormond Street Hospital, William recalled how his mother stayed by his side there when he was admitted after a golfing accident when he was nine.
“I got looked after extremely well,” he said. Pausing to speak to Cally Palmer, CEO of the Royal Marsden Hospital, he said his mother had been “so uplifted” by meeting patients.
Told by Cally that he was “so like her” in manner, he added: “We try to follow her example in being ourselves and listening. It’s amazing what listening can do and she was a good listener.”
Today, the princes will spend the day behind closed doors reflecting privately on their mother’s death.
On August 31, 1997, the princes were at Balmoral with the rest of the Royal Family when the news came through that Diana had died alongside lover Dodi Fayed in a crash in the Pont de l’Alma road tunnel in Paris.
Until recently the brothers have rarely spoken about her death, but decided to open up ahead of the 20th anniversary.
They said they had chosen to be interviewed – including for two television documentaries – because they wanted to make sure their voices were heard among all the tributes the milestone anniversary would bring.
And they revealed they now understand more than ever what Diana gave the world and want to continue her legacy.
Harry said: “All I want to do is try to fill the holes my mother has left and that’s what it’s about for us – trying to make a difference and, in making a difference, making her proud.
“We will miss our mother and I wonder every single day what it would be like having her around.”
We try to follow her example by being ourselves and by listening
WILLIAM