At the tender age of 12, Harry found himself grappling with the shocking reality when his father woke him up early in the morning to inform him of the car crash in Paris that claimed his mother’s life. In an interview with Anderson Cooper for 60 Minutes, Harry recounted the haunting words his father uttered: “They tried, darling boy. I’m afraid she didn’t make it.” These phrases, as Harry described, remain etched in his mind like darts on a board.
Despite the gravity of the situation, Harry revealed that he did not shed a single tear at that moment, as he was in a state of disbelief and shock. The emotional toll of the loss was further compounded by the lack of physical affection from his father, who, as Harry wrote, was not adept at expressing emotions under normal circumstances. While Prince Charles placed his hand on Harry’s knee and reassured him that “It’s going to be OK,” the young prince acknowledged that nothing felt alright for a long time after that fateful day.
Harry Potter opened up about his emotional state following the tragic loss of his mother, Princess Diana, in 1997. He candidly shared that the days after her passing were a blur, but he vividly remembers greeting mourners outside Kensington Palace the day before her funeral. When asked about the videos from that time, Harry expressed his bewilderment at seeing himself and his brother William smiling, as he distinctly recalls feeling immense guilt.
The reason for this guilt, according to Harry, was that the people they were meeting were displaying more emotion than they were, perhaps even more than they felt themselves. He acknowledged the stark contrast – the mourners were openly crying, while he and William appeared composed. This disconnect between their outward demeanor and inner turmoil left a lasting impression on Harry, highlighting the complexity of grief and the pressure to maintain a certain public image, even in the face of profound personal loss.
The passage provides an informative account of Prince Harry’s recollections from his mother Princess Diana’s funeral in 1997. He vividly describes the emotional atmosphere, with people wiping away tears and handing him flowers as a symbolic gesture of their grief. Harry also recalls the solemn silence during the procession, punctuated only by the sounds of the horses’ hooves, the gun carriage, and the occasional wail from mourners. The funeral was a globally televised event, watched by an estimated 2.5 billion people worldwide, with the enduring image of Harry and his brother William walking behind their mother’s casket on its way to Westminster Abbey. The passage offers an insightful and detailed perspective on this historic and deeply personal moment for the royal family.
After the service, Princess Diana’s body was transported to her family’s ancestral estate, Althorp. In a candid revelation, Prince Harry disclosed that he did not shed tears until the moment his mother’s coffin was lowered into the ground. “Once my mother’s coffin actually went into the ground, that was the first time that I actually cried,” Harry stated. “There was never another time.” When asked by Cooper if he had refrained from crying throughout his teenage years, Harry’s response was a simple “No.” It took years for Harry to come to terms with his mother’s passing, highlighting the profound impact of such a loss and the complex process of grief.
