Prince William’s ‘greatest tribute’ to Princess Diana has been revealed as her birthday passes and marks another solemn anniversary.
Princess Diana would have turned 63 yesterday (July 1), and people can’t help but wonder how her beloved sons - Prince William and Prince Harry - cope with each year that passes.
She was an influential figure throughout the world, whether it was for her selfless charity work or for simply being a style icon.
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As another of her birthdays passes by, a leading royal expert has reflected on the personal relationship she had with Diana, and how Prince William would have marked the day.
Speaking to OK!, former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond said: “There have been times in this past year when William has looked incredibly alone, shouldering the responsibility of being a son whose father has cancer, a husband caring for his wife as she also deals with cancer, a father of three young children... and who has no brother or mother to turn to for a bit of TLC.
“That was the phrase that Diana used so often, especially in our chats together at Kensington Palace.
"She always said that she was incredibly good at giving tender loving care, and she obviously would have given that in buckets full to her darling son.”
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Talking about his ‘greatest tribute’ to the late Princess, Jennie noted that William is determined to carry on his mother’s legacy, particularly addressing issues like homelessness and mental health.
He also looks to instil her values in his three children.
William has now lived longer without his mum than with her, and he spoke openly in a 2017 ITV documentary titled Diana, Our Mother, about how he coped with the loss.
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He decided that it was either going to ‘make or break’ him, and that he didn’t want her legacy to be how devastated he and his brother were.
Despite being aware of how much his mother was worshipped by the public, William opened up about being confused seeing people ‘wailing’ in the crowd on the day of her funeral.
Reflecting on the day of her funeral, William said: “People wanted to grab us, to touch us. They were shouting, wailing, literally wailing at us, throwing flowers, and yelling, sobbing, breaking down, people fainted, collapsed. It was a very alien environment.
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“I couldn’t understand why everyone wanted to cry as loud as they did and show such emotion as they did when they didn’t really know our mother.
“Now looking back, I have learnt to understand what it was she gave the world and what she gave a lot of people.”
Topics: Princess Diana, Prince William, Royal Family
Mia Williams