Prince Harry has spoken candidly about the profound impact losing his mother at such a young age had on his life and mental health. One moment from those devastating days has remained particularly difficult to forget. On September 6, 1997, exactly 29 years ago, a 12-year-old Harry walked through the streets of London behind the coffin of Diana, Princess of Wales, just days after her tragic death in Paris. Alongside his older brother, Prince William, Harry was forced to grieve while millions around the world watched.
Harry's recollection of the funeral procession
Years later, the Duke of Sussex would make his feelings about that decision brutally clear, insisting no child should ever have been placed in such a position. Harry was just 12 when he joined the solemn procession alongside his older brother William, then 15, their father, the then-Prince Charles, grandfather Prince Philip and Diana's brother, Earl Spencer.
Huge crowds lined the streets of London to pay their respects to the late Princess, while millions more watched the funeral unfold on television across the world. Prince Philip is widely reported to have encouraged his grieving grandsons to take part, telling them: "I'll walk if you walk."
Harry's candid words on grief
But Harry has subsequently questioned whether asking two grieving boys to participate so publicly was the right decision. Speaking to royal biographer Angela Levin for her book 'Harry: Conversations with the Prince', he recalled: "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 added: "I don't think any child should be asked to do that, under any circumstances. I don't think it would happen today." Harry also said: "No child should lose their mother at such a young age and then have his grief observed by thousands of people."
William's parallel reflections
This view was echoed by his older brother, Prince William, who has also spoken about the overwhelming grief that followed their mother's death. In the 2017 ITV documentary Diana, Our Mother: Her Life and Legacy, William and Harry reflected on their memories of Diana and the devastating days that followed her death.
Prince William said: "I remember just feeling completely numb, disorientated, dizzy." Reflecting on the experience of grieving in front of the world, he said: "My mother had just died and I had to walk a long way behind her coffin, surrounded by thousands watching me while millions more did on television."
William added: "There's nothing like it in the world. There really isn't. It's like an earthquake has just run through the house and through your life and everything. Your mind is completely split. And it took me a while for it to actually sink in."
