Prince Harry Believes He Fulfilled Mom Diana's Last Wish, but Fears He May Have Got It Wrong

The untimely passing of Princess Diana was understandably very difficult for Prince Harry to handle. He has often talked about how it affected his early years. Recently the Duke of Sussex also shared what he believed to be his late mother's wish, but feared that he might offend her if he acted on it. "You convince yourself that the person you have lost wants you - or you need to be - sad for as long as possible to prove to them that they are missed. But then there is this realization of, no they must want me to be happy," he told Nikki Scott, founder of charity organization Scotty's Little Soldiers. 

According to the Mirror, the nonprofit helps children who have lost parents in the military and Harry serves as its royal patron. During the heartfelt interview, Harry recalled that he suppressed his feelings so much so that he was unable to celebrate his mother's legacy. He shared that for a long time, he endured thoughts like 'I don't want to talk about it because it makes me sad.' He explained, "But ­realising if I do talk about it, and I am celebrating their life, then things become easier." 

After experiencing 'total chaos' for two years, the Prince revealed that he finally sought therapy after 'not thinking' about his mother's death for almost twenty years. When fifty kids joined him for a fun session organized by Scotty's in May, Harry had the perfect advice for them. He warned that grief would eat them away from the inside if they suppressed it forever.

The Duke also praised Scott for her undying service. "What you have done is incredible. It is truly inspirational. I am really honored and privileged to be part of Scotty's now and I really look forward to us doing everything we can to bring in more people, more interest, raise more funds, and be able to get the message out there to get more kids the support they so desperately need."

In a 2017 interview with Newsweek, Harry recounted the day of his mother's death and how he reacted to the news. "My mother had just died, and I had to walk a long way behind her coffin, surrounded by thousands of people watching me while millions more did on television," he said. "I don’t think any child should be asked to do that, under any circumstances. I don’t think it would happen today." 

Harry questioned his own emotions as a 12-year-old when he witnessed the outpouring of love and devotion towards Princess Diana. "And I was thinking to myself, how is it that so many people that never even met this woman, my mother, can be crying and showing more emotion than I actually am feeling?” he said in the 2017 documentary film Diana, Our Mother. Harry went on to reveal that he cried only during the funeral and after that remained stoic.