Skip to main content

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle released a new Netflix documentary, and a body language expert observed that the Duke of Sussex “still greatly feels loss” for his mother, Princess Diana. Here’s what Harry has said about his mother’s death in the past, and what the expert noticed about his behavior in the Netflix series.

Prince Harry, who spoke of his mother Princess Diana in his new Netflix documentary, walk along a street in a suit.
Prince Harry | Christopher Furlong/Getty Images

Prince Harry’s mother, Princess Diana, died in a car crash in 1997

Princess Diana died on Aug. 31, 1997, in a car crash in the Pont de l’Alma tunnel in Paris while the driver was trying to escape the paparazzi. The Princess of Wales was 36 years old.

Her two sons, Prince William and Prince Harry, were 15 and 12 years old, respectively, at the time of her death. The televised funeral took place in Westminster Abbey on Sept. 6 and was watched by a British TV audience that peaked at 32.1 million, with millions more watching the event around the world. William and Harry walked behind Diana’s coffin in the funeral procession.

“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,” Prince Harry told Newsweek in 2017, 20 years after the fatal car crash. “I don’t think any child should be asked to do that, under any circumstances. I don’t think it would happen today.”

Prince Harry ‘still greatly feels loss’ for his mother, Princess Diana, says body language expert

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry released a Netflix documentary on Dec. 7, and a body language expert noticed a few details when the Duke of Sussex discussed Princess Diana.

Speaking on behalf of Betfair Casino, former Derbyshire police officer and body language analyst Darren Stanton, known as the “Human Lie Detector,” shared what he observed about Harry.

“When we think about people we have lost in life or certain traumatic situations, our mind triggers some of those feelings and thoughts,” Stanton said. “It’s clear from Harry’s non-verbal communication that when he was speaking about his mother, we did see some micro-expressions of sadness. This is a clear indication that he still greatly feels loss for his mother.”

Related

Why Meghan Markle Is More ‘Controlled’ Than ‘Jittery’ Prince Harry in Netflix Documentary, According to Body Language Expert

The Duke of Sussex said there’s ‘a lot of grief that still needs to be let out’

Over the years, Prince Harry has spoken about losing Princess Diana, and has admitted that he still has “a lot of grief” that “needs to be let out.”

He and Prince William opened up about their mother’s death in the 2017 HBO documentary Diana, Our Mother: Her Life and Legacy.

“It was very, very strange after her death, you know, the sort of outpouring of love and emotion from so many people that had never even met her,” Harry said (via Town & Country). “… 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?”

The Princess of Wales was buried on a small island in the Oval Lake at her family home, the Althorp Estate. “The first time I cried was at the funeral on the island… and only since then, maybe once,” Harry shared. “So, you know, there’s a lot of grief that still needs to be let out.”

Showbiz Cheat Sheet acknowledges conditions and cultures can impact body language and is sensitive to all backgrounds.

Best in Entertainment