August this year marks the 20th anniversary of the death of Diana, Princess of Wales, and her two sons wish to honour her in two touching tributes.
The nation went into unprecedented mourning when Princess Diana was killed in a car crash in Paris on the evening of August 31, 1997.
Now, twenty years later, Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and Prince Harry will open up about the days after their mother’s death in two televised documentaries to be aired on the BBC and ITV.
Prince William and Prince Harry were just 15 and 12 years old, respectively, when Diana died.
The young Prince’s were subjected to a loss no child should experience and have kept their grief private, up until now.
William and Harry, in honour of their mother, have helped curate two television documentaries about her life and death which will be aired this summer, hand-picking Diana’s nearest and dearest to offer their tribute – some for the first time, publicly.
Julie Samuel, one of Diana’s closest friends and godmother to Prince George, is rumoured to feature in the documentary.
Diana’s brother, Lord Spencer, who gave a powerful eulogy at her funeral, is also rumoured to have been personally selected by the Princes to speak in the tributes, reports the Mirror.
A royal source told the Sunday Times:
The Duke and Prince Harry have selected close friends and family members to speak about Diana, and some will be speaking about her publicly for the first time.
The ITV documentary in July will look at Diana’s legacy and achievements in her work for causes such as HIV and landmines, which inspired both of her sons to give their time to humanitarian causes.
Then in August, a special BBC programme will focus on the fatal crash in Paris as friends and relatives recall the reactions nationally and worldwide to her passing.
A memorial to Diana will also be erected in the garden of Kensington Palace, with permission from the Queen.
In a joint statement, William and Harry said:
It has been 20 years since our mother’s death and the time is right to recognise her positive impact in the UK and around the world with a permanent statue.
Our mother touches so many lives. We hope the statue will help all those who visit Kensington Palace to reflect on her life and legacy.
Prince Harry has previously said of his mothers death that he ‘never really dealt with what actually happened’ and ‘buried’ his feeling over his mother’s sudden death.
Hopefully, the two royals can find some solace in these cathartic tributes to the late, great Princess Diana.
A former emo kid who talks too much about 8Chan meme culture, the Kardashian Klan, and how her smartphone is probably killing her. Francesca is a Cardiff University Journalism Masters grad who has done words for BBC, ELLE, The Debrief, DAZED, an art magazine you’ve never heard of and a feminist zine which never went to print.