Prince Harry Says He Couldn’t Cry In Public After Princess Diana Died: ‘There Was Some Guilt I Felt’
Prince Harry shared some of the struggles he says he faced as a member of the British royal family. The Duke of Sussex says one of the toughest things he ever had to do was grieve the death of his mother, Princess Diana, publicly. The late Princess of Wales died on August 31, 1997. According to Harry, he wasn’t allowed to cry in public after Diana died.
Prince Harry says was ‘unable to show emotion’ in public after his mother died
Prince Harry shared what it was like to mourn the death of his mother publicly. During his ITV interview, he tells Tom Bradby he couldn’t express his emotions the way he wanted. According to him, he had to put on a brave face and greet the crowds during a walkabout. He says the only time he cried was when Diana was being buried.
“Everyone knows where they were and what they were doing the night my mother died,” says Prince Harry during his ITV interview. “I cried once at the burial. I go into detail about how strange it was and how actually there was some guilt that I felt and William felt as well by walking around the outside of Kensington Palace. There were 50,000 bouquets of flowers for our mother, and there we were shaking people’s hands and smiling. I’ve seen the videos. I’ve looked back over it all.”
Harry says another thing he remembers from the walkabout was how wet the well-wishers’ hands were. He says at the time he didn’t understand why people in the crowd had wet hands.
“We couldn’t understand why their hands were wet, but it was all the tears that they were wiping away. Everyone thought and felt like they knew our mom. And the two closest people to her, the two most loved people by her, were unable to show any emotion in that moment.”
The moment Prince Harry almost cried in public
Although Harry remained composed, he says there was a moment when he almost cried publicly. He says he almost became emotional when Elton John sang “Candle In the Wind.” During a BBC documentary, Harry discusses how the song made him feel. “Elton John’s song was incredibly emotional, that was part of this whole trigger system which nearly brought me to the point of crying in public, which I’m glad I didn’t do,” he says (via Daily Mail).
Meghan Markle asked Princess Diana for ‘guidance’ says Prince Harry
In Spare, Prince Harry describes Meghan asking the late Princess Diana for “clarity and guidance.” At the time, Meghan was facing constant media scrutiny. Harry says this occurred during a visit he and Meghan made to Diana’s grave at Althorp House in Northamptonshire. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex took this trip in honor of the 20th anniversary of Diana’s death.
Harry left so Meghan could spend time alone at Diana’s gravesite. When he came back, he said the duchess was speaking to his late mother, reports Daily Mail.
“When I returned, she was on her knees with her eyes closed and her palms flat against the stone,” writes Harry. He says Meghan told him she asked Diana for “clarity and guidance.”
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