by CORINNE HELLER |
It's been more than 18 years since the tragic death of Princess Diana and her children, Prince Harry and Prince William, are determined to carry on her legacy.
Diana, who was known for her humanitarian work worldwide, died in a car accident in Paris in 1997 when Harry was 12 and William was 15.
"All I want to do is make my mother incredibly proud," Harry, 31, told People in comments posted Wednesday. "That's all I've ever wanted to do."
"When she died, there was a gaping hole, not just for us but also for a huge amount of people across the world," he added. "If I can try and fill a very small part of that, then job done. I will have to, in a good way, spend the rest of my life trying to fill that void as much as possible. And so will William."
Prince William & Kate Middleton's Taj Mahal Visit Gives Princess Diana Her Happily Ever After
The prince made his comments at Kensington Palace just before he left for the 2016 Invictus Games in Orlando, which begin on May 8. Harry is a royal patron of the annual Paralympic-style sporting event for ill and wounded military servicemen and women and veterans from around the world. Both he and his brother work with many charities and humanitarian initiatives.
"I hope that a lot of my mother's talents are shown in a lot of the work that I do," Harry told Good Morning America in March.
In 2006, Harry co-founded the Sentebale organization in African kingdom of Lesotho. The group aims to help local children in need, including thousands affected by HIV and AIDS. Diana was known for her work to help promote HIV/AIDS awareness and made headlines when she was photographed meeting and even embracing patients, which many considered shocking at the time, as people were not as educated about the disease.
Last December, Harry visited a hospital for HIV patients that the princess had supported and highlighted how his mother helped break the stigma around the illness when she kissed an AIDS patient there, BBC News reported.
"I enjoy what I do. But I don't do things because I feel as though my mother would want me to do them," Harry told People. "I know I've got a lot of my mother in me. I am doing a lot of things that she would probably do."
Like Diana, William, 33, supports the organization Centrepoint, which helps homeless youth, and the Child Bereavement U.K., a charity his mother helped launch in 1994. The group supports families when a child dies or is dying, or when a child is facing bereavement.
"Twenty-one years ago last month, my mother attended the launch of the Child Bereavement Charity," William told reporters in October. "Fifteen years later, I was honored to be invited to become Patron of Child Bereavement UK to continue my mother's commitment to a charity which is very dear to me."
"What my mother recognized back then, and what I understand now, is that grief is the most painful experience that any child or parent can endure," he said. "As a father to two young children myself, I now appreciate it all the more."
Showing posts with label Prince Harry. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Prince Harry. Show all posts
Monday, May 9, 2016
Prince Harry Says It's a "Huge Shame" Princess Diana Isn't at Invictus Games
by Francesca Bacardi
May 09,2016
Prince Harry kicked off the Invictus Games Sunday, but there is a notable person missing from the important event: his mom, Princess Diana.
The redheaded royal stat down with Today's Jenna Bush Hager in a pre-taped interview that aired Monday morning and opened up about the inspiration behind his multi-day sporting event and how he wishes his mother could be there.
"That was very happy memories," Harry recalled of his first trip to Disney World with his mother more than 20 years ago. "It's a huge shame she's not here, but I hope she'd be incredibly proud of what we managed to achieve."
Although he hasn't been able to turn to his mother in times of need, Harry said his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, has been an incredible role model even though she's in charge of a lot. "My grandmom's always been the boss, but my God she gives the most amazing advice," he explained to Hager. "She lets us cruise around doing what we think is right."
Of course, both he and his brother, Prince William, have made mistakes along the way. "It's part of growing up," he said. "You've got to find your own path."
And finding his own "path" is what led him to starting the Invictus Games, a competitive event that has wounded, injured or sick armed services personnel and veterans competing in different sports. Harry made it clear, however, that this event is more than just friendly competition.
"This is not a sob story—far from it. These guys don't want sympathy," he explained. "All they want is an opportunity to prove to themselves that despite my injuries, whether they be physical or mental, I'm still the same person."
Competition aside, the most this British royal is looking for is for everyone to have a good time in Florida while maintaining an "electric atmosphere" and "full" seats. The latter certainly won't be a problem, as Harry has nailed some pretty A-list names for his event. First Lady Michelle Obama, former President George W. Bush and Morgan Freeman all played a role at the opening ceremony.
"I, of course, want to start by thanking Prince Harry for his outstanding leadership and for bringing the Invictus Games here to Orlando," Obama said in her introductory remarks to the immense crowd. "He is truly our Prince Charming, isn't he? And he should be proud of himself for this work."
not mine.credit and source: E! ONLINE
May 09,2016
Prince Harry kicked off the Invictus Games Sunday, but there is a notable person missing from the important event: his mom, Princess Diana.
The redheaded royal stat down with Today's Jenna Bush Hager in a pre-taped interview that aired Monday morning and opened up about the inspiration behind his multi-day sporting event and how he wishes his mother could be there.
"That was very happy memories," Harry recalled of his first trip to Disney World with his mother more than 20 years ago. "It's a huge shame she's not here, but I hope she'd be incredibly proud of what we managed to achieve."
Although he hasn't been able to turn to his mother in times of need, Harry said his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, has been an incredible role model even though she's in charge of a lot. "My grandmom's always been the boss, but my God she gives the most amazing advice," he explained to Hager. "She lets us cruise around doing what we think is right."
Of course, both he and his brother, Prince William, have made mistakes along the way. "It's part of growing up," he said. "You've got to find your own path."
And finding his own "path" is what led him to starting the Invictus Games, a competitive event that has wounded, injured or sick armed services personnel and veterans competing in different sports. Harry made it clear, however, that this event is more than just friendly competition.
"This is not a sob story—far from it. These guys don't want sympathy," he explained. "All they want is an opportunity to prove to themselves that despite my injuries, whether they be physical or mental, I'm still the same person."
Competition aside, the most this British royal is looking for is for everyone to have a good time in Florida while maintaining an "electric atmosphere" and "full" seats. The latter certainly won't be a problem, as Harry has nailed some pretty A-list names for his event. First Lady Michelle Obama, former President George W. Bush and Morgan Freeman all played a role at the opening ceremony.
"I, of course, want to start by thanking Prince Harry for his outstanding leadership and for bringing the Invictus Games here to Orlando," Obama said in her introductory remarks to the immense crowd. "He is truly our Prince Charming, isn't he? And he should be proud of himself for this work."
not mine.credit and source: E! ONLINE
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