It’s been nearly 30 years since Princess Diana’s death, but her memory lives on through her sons, Prince William and Prince Harry; their wives, Princess Kate and Meghan Markle; and even their children, Diana’s five grandchildren.
Harry and William shared memories of their famous mom in the 2017 HBO documentary Diana, Our Mother: Her Life and Legacy. “To myself and William, she was just the best mother ever,” Harry said. “She would just engulf you and squeeze you as tight as possible — and being as short as I was then, there was no escape, you were there and you were there for as long as she wanted to hold you.”
“Even talking about it now, I can feel the hugs she used to give us,” he added. “I miss that. I miss that feeling, I miss that part of a family, I miss having that mother to be able to give you those hugs and give you that compassion that I think everybody needs.”
As he and Harry looked at old photos of the Princess of Wales, who died at age 36 in a car accident in Paris on August 31, 1997, William explained that he and Kate talk about Diana with their kids, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.
“We’ve got more photos up around the house of her, and we talk about her a bit and stuff,” he said. “It’s important they know who she was and that she existed.”
Scroll down to how the royals have honored Diana in the past:
The Ring
William proposed to Kate with Diana’s 18-carat sapphire and diamond engagement ring from King Charles III in October 2010. “This was my way of making sure that my mother didn’t miss out on today,” he told reporters the following month as the couple announced their happy news.
The Royal Tour
Diana broke from royal tradition when she and Charles took William on a visit to Australia when he was 9 months old, and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge followed suit in 2014 by taking 8-month-old Prince George with them to Australia and New Zealand.
The Name
After William and Kate welcomed Princess Charlotte in May 2015, they announced that their second-born’s full name is Charlotte Elizabeth Diana, a sweet nod to the young girl’s late grandmother.
The Documentary
In Diana, Our Mother: Her Life and Legacy, William and Harry reminisced about their mom. “Our mother was a total kid, through and through,” Harry said. “When everybody says to me, ‘So she was fun, give us an example,’ all I can hear is her laugh in my head. That sort of crazy laugh of where there was just pure happiness shown on her face.”
The Hospital
William followed in his mother’s footsteps in 2007 when he became president of the Royal Marsden Hospital in Chelsea, a position Diana previously held. He toured the hospital in January 2018, watching as doctors operated on a patient with an adenoid cystic carcinoma.
The Hymn
At Harry and Meghan’s May 2018 wedding, the guests sang “Guide Me, O Thy Great Redeemer,” the same hymn that was sung at Diana’s 1997 funeral and at William and Kate’s 2011 wedding. Harry appeared to get choked up during the touching moment.
The Sisters
Harry and Meghan included Diana’s sisters, Lady Jane Fellowes and Lady Sarah McCorquodale, in the July 2019 christening of the royal couple’s son, Archie. In the official christening portrait, they’re standing to the left of William.
The Earrings
Kate also honored her late mother-in-law at Archie’s christening, wearing the same Collingwood pearl earrings that Diana wore to Harry’s 1984 christening.
The Forget-Me-Nots
Harry and Meghan shared a photo of Archie’s feet on Mother’s Day 2019, with forget-me-nots, Diana’s favorite flower, visible in the background. Meghan also included forget-me-nots in her wedding bouquet.
The Instagram Quote
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex shared a Princess Diana quote about random acts of kindness on their official Instagram account in August 2019. “Words have the power to inspire,” the couple added in their caption.
The Date
Meghan and Harry announced their second pregnancy on Valentine’s Day in February 2021, the same day that Diana revealed that she was pregnant with Harry 37 years ago.
The Bracelet
While she and Harry sat down for their first televised interview since their shocking royal exit, Meghan gave a touching nod to her late mother-in-law. The Duchess of Sussex wore a diamond tennis bracelet from Diana’s collection during the March 2021 sit-down. Harry previously removed two stones from the same piece of jewelry to make Meghan’s engagement ring.
The Mother’s Days Cards
William and Kate shared a message of love and support to all celebrating Mother’s Day in the U.K. in March 2021, revealing how their children honor their late grandmother, Diana, each year. “For those experiencing bereavement, today may be particularly challenging,” the couple wrote on the Kensington Palace Instagram page. “Each year on Mother’s Day, George, Charlotte and Louis make cards remembering their Granny, Diana, for William. Whatever your circumstances, we are thinking of you this Mother’s Day.” The family also shared photos of George, Charlotte and Louis’ handmade cards for Diana, including a touching message from Charlotte that read: “I am thinking of you on Mother’s Day. I love you very much. Papa is missing you.”
Harry, who was at home in California with his wife Meghan and their son, Archie, during the English holiday, made sure to honor his mother as well. The former military pilot arranged for flowers to be laid at Diana’s grave on the Spencer family estate in Althorp in Northamptonshire, England, a royal source confirmed to Us Weekly.
Lili’s Name
Harry and Meghan’s daughter’s middle name is Diana. “Lili is named after her great-grandmother, Her Majesty The Queen, whose family nickname is Lilibet. Her middle name, Diana, was chosen to honor her beloved late grandmother, The Princess of Wales,” the couple said in a statement in June 2021.
The Statue
William and Harry commissioned a statue of their late mother in 2017, attending the unveiling four years later. “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,” the brothers wrote in a joint statement in July 2021. “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.”
The Book
While discussing her children’s book The Bench with NPR in June 2021, Meghan pointed out that there were a few special Easter eggs hidden in the illustrations. “I think you can find sweet little moments that we’ve tucked in there,” she said. “From my favorite flower, even my husband’s mom’s favorite flower, forget-me-nots, we wanted to make sure they were included in there. There’s a lot of special detail and love that went into that book.”
The Five-Year Plan
William wrote the foreword to the The Diana Award Charity’s new “Future Forward” five-year plan, which launched in August 2021 in support of the International Day of Youth.
“Organizations like The Diana Award have never been more important in nurturing the talent of young people and working with them to change the world for the better,” the Duke of Cambridge wrote, encouraging kids to become forces for good, which his mother continually pushed for throughout her lifetime. “Future Forward sets out The Diana Award’s blueprint for how change can be achieved, with young people at its heart.”
Sharing Memories
During an April 2022 interview with the Today show, Harry revealed that he has photos of Diana in his and Meghan’s California home that he points to when speaking to Archie about his late grandmother. “I don’t tell him all the stuff that happened, but certainly, ‘This is Grandma Diana,’” he explained. “For me, [her presence is] constant. It has been over the last two years — more so than ever before.”
The BetterUp CIO went on to say that he feels like his mother has been “watching over” him in his early years of parenthood. “It’s almost as though she’s done her bit with with my brother and now she’s very much back to helping me,” he explained. “Got him set up, now she’s helping me set up. That’s what it feels like, you know? He has his kids. I’ve got my kids. You know, circumstances are obviously different. But I feel her presence in almost everything that I do now.”
The Book
In January 2023, Harry dedicated his Spare memoir to his late mother. “For Meg and Archie and Lili,” he wrote in the acknowledgements, referring to his kids with wife Meghan. “And, of course, my mother.”
The Coronation
Kate honored her late mother-in-law at Charles’ coronation in May 2023, wearing Diana’s South Sea Pearl Earrings. The former Princess of Wales donned the earrings many times, wearing them for events including the coronation banquet of Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko of Japan in November 1990.
To Meghan, With Love
Meghan donned a diamond cross necklace that once belonged to her late mother-in-law in May 2024 while visiting Nigeria alongside Harry. People reported that the bauble was a “recent” gift from her husband at a reception for military families.
Kate’s Commonwealth Comeback
After missing the 2024 event amid her cancer treatments, Kate marked her return to Commonwealth Day at Westminster Abbey in May 2025. (Kate announced in January 2025 that her undisclosed type of cancer was in remission.)
To top off her all-red ensemble during the festivities, Kate paid tribute to both Diana and the late Queen Elizabeth II with her jewelry choices. The princess wore Collingwood pearl drop earrings, from Diana’s collection, which she gifted to her before she married William.
Kate honored the late queen with the addition of a four-strand pearl necklace with a diamond clasp, a choker she’s worn on many occasions.
An Award Worthy of Diana
During a September 2025 trip to the U.K., Harry attended an event for the only charity established in his mother’s name, The Diana Award.
“My mother believed in the power and agency of young people to positively impact the world. The Diana Award continues her legacy by putting young people at the heart of everything they do,” he said during his speech. “Today is a perfect example of that. My message to everyone is don’t stand still, don’t stay silent — make them hear you because you speak for the majority.”
Harry added, “Getting involved in peaceful social action takes courage and determination. Young people see the issues society faces close up — whether that’s poor mental health or the consequences of inequalities. But you don’t stand still — your empathy and compassion drive you to make change. Purpose combined with action can help overcome a sense of hopelessness, and that’s exactly what you’ve shown today.”
Forever His Mum
“Remembering my mother, today and every day,” William wrote via social media in March 2026 in honor of the U.K. Mother’s Day. “Thinking of all those who are remembering someone they love today. Happy Mother’s Day.”
William shared a never-before-seen photo of his childhood with Diana, showing the mother-son duo stopping and smelling the flowers together.
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