31 August 2023 , 08:00
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Prince Harry has been incredibly open over the years about the impact his mother's death had on his mental health. He was just 12 years old when Diana, Princess of Wales was killed in a car crash in Paris.
While he and Prince William have revealed a number of personal stories about Diana in the 26 years that have passed since her death, they have also spoken of their regrets at how their final interactions took place. The two young princes were on holiday in Balmoral with their father and other members of the Royal Family when they heard the news.
Prince Harry revealed in a 2017 documentary that he deeply regrets the last time he spoke to his mother as he was desperate to end the phone call so he could go and play outside.
Prince Harry has been open about the impact his mother's tragic death had on him (Tim Graham Photo Library via Getty Images)In the documentary 'Diana, Our Mother', Princes William and Harry sat down to recall some of their memories of their mother and spoke about the last times they saw her.
Harry said: “I can’t really, necessarily, remember what I said. But all I do remember is probably, you know, regretting for the rest of my life how short the phone call was. And if I’d known that was the last time I was going to speak to my mother – the things I would have said to her.”
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William added: “I remember just feeling completely numb, disorientated, dizzy. You feel very, very confused. And you keep asking yourself, ‘Why me?’ All the time, ‘Why? What have I done? Why? Why has this happened to us?’”
Elsewhere in the documentary Harry reflected on Diana's funeral which took place in London on September 6. 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. I don’t think any child should be asked to do that, under any circumstances. I don’t think it would happen today.”
William said: “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.”
In a separate documentary 'Diana, 7 days' to mark the 20th anniversary of her passing, Prince Harry praised his father's response in the days following the death.
Harry said of King Charles: “One of the hardest things for a parent to have to do is to tell your children that your other parent has died. How you deal with that? I don’t know. But you know, he was there for us. He was the one out of two left, and he tried to do his best and to make sure that we were protected and looked after. But you know, he was going through the same grieving process as well.”