Prince Harry opened up about mourning the loss of his mother, Princess Diana, days before the 25th anniversary of her death.
The Princess of Wales died on Aug. 31, 1997, after a car crash in Paris. She was 36 at the time, while Harry was just 12 and Prince William was 15.
“Next week is the 25th anniversary of my mother’s death, and she most certainly will never be forgotten,” the Duke of Sussex said Thursday at an event for the charity Sentebale in Aspen, Colorado.
“I want it to be a day filled with memories of her incredible work and love for the way that she did it,” the prince added. “I want it to be a day to share the spirit of my mum with my family, with my children ― who I wish could have met her. Every day, I hope to do her proud.”
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“She was tireless in … her work to support and destigmatize those experiencing HIV and AIDS,” he said. “I hope we can remember my mother’s legacy by recommitting to those that we serve — whoever and wherever they may be.”
The royal co-founded Sentebale with Lesotho’s Prince Seeiso in 2006. The organization works with young people who are affected by HIV or are otherwise marginalized in southern Africa. Its name translates to “forget-me-not” in the Sesotho language, according to the charity.
“Forget-me-not” is also the name of Diana’s favorite flower, which Harry and Meghan Markle planted with schoolchildren on the 23rd anniversary of the princess’s death in 2020.
While both Harry and William are marking this year’s commemoration privately, the two spoke out on Diana as a mother for the first time together on the 20th anniversary in 2017.
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“She was one of the naughtiest parents,” Harry said at the time for the ITV documentary “Diana, Our Mother: Her Life and Legacy.”
“She was very informal and really enjoyed the laughter and the fun,” William chimed in. “But she understood that there was a real life outside of palace walls.”