20 important moments that Princess Diana will never be a part of
FROM watching her eldest son marry the love of his life to hearing about Harry’s nude partying escapades, these are 20 moments Diana will never know.
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1. Signing of the Mine Ban Treaty
After walking through Angolan minefields in January 1997, Diana, Princess of Wales brought the anti-land mine campaign to the world. Sadly for her, just weeks after her death, the Mine Ban Treaty was signed. That December the International Campaign to Ban Landmines won the Nobel Peace Prize — in no small part down to her.
2. Prince William’s 21st birthday
His mother would have thought it great fun to dress up in an Out of Africa theme for William’s 21st birthday fancy dress party in Windsor Castle in 2003: She would have been less amused by “comedy terrorist” Aaron Barschak who gatecrashed the event dressed as Osama bin Laden.
3. Prince Harry comes of age
When Harry turned 21 in 2005, despite his reputation as the party prince — getting snapped in a Nazi uniform at a fancy dress party earlier that year — he didn’t have a big bash. Instead he spent it training at Sandhurst military academy. No doubt Diana would have sneaked him some treats like he revealed she did at school.
4. William’s graduation
When William graduated with a geography degree from St Andrews University in 2005, he was watched by The Queen and Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Charles and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall. “I am delighted that I can share it with my family, and in particular with my grandmother,” he said.
5. Harry’s passing out parade
In 2006 Harry’s passing out parade at Sandhurst was attended by The Queen and Prince Philip, his father and Camilla, as well as William, who was also enrolled at the military college. Apparently he celebrated with pals — at a strip club.
6. William gets his wings
In 2008 William earned his ‘wings’, when he qualified as a pilot in the RAF. His father presented him with his insignia in front of Lady Sarah McCorquodale, Diana’s sister, and Kate Middleton, with whom he’d recently reunited. Diana would have been equally proud when William went on to be a pilot with the East Anglian Air Ambulance.
7. Harry goes to the front line
Although no doubt racked with worry, Diana would have been proud her youngest son fought on the front line in Afghanistan. His deployment in 2008 was cut short due to a media leak and he returned for a second tour in 2012.
8. William and Harry launch the Royal Foundation
Like Charles’ Princes Trust, Diana wanted to have her own charity, but was denied. So she would have been delighted her sons set up their Royal Foundation in 2009. It’s now their main charitable vehicle and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge is also a patron.
9. William and Kate’s engagement
When William and Kate announced their engagement in 2010, no-one could fail to notice the similarities to Charles and Diana’s engagement, although this time the couple were genuinely happy. Diana would have been happy William was marrying the woman of his choice — using her sapphire ring to do it.
10. William and Kate’s wedding
Diana would have adored the magical wedding of William and Catherine in 2011 and touched Catherine emulated her bridal party by dressing her five bridesmaids and pageboys almost identically. “When it came to the wedding, I did really feel that she was there,” Prince William said.
11. Harry’s naughty bits
Although it wasn’t his finest moment, his mother would have probably seen the funny side when Harry was caught partying naked in Las Vegas in 2012. After all, Harry revealed, “One of her mottos to me was ‘You can be as naughty as you want, just don’t get caught’.”
12. Birth of Prince George
When George was born in 2013, Diana would have been 52. She would have adored the fact William changed his son’s first nappy, calling it “a badge of honour” while Charles admitted he’d never touched one.
13. Harry in Angola
Diana would have been touched to see Prince Harry walk in her footsteps in the minefields of Angola in 2013 as patron of the Halo Trust. This year he made an emotional appeal for the end of landmines, saying, “Please help me keep her word … and finish the job.”
14. William’s family tour of Australia
When Charles and Diana toured Australia in 1983 she had to leave nine-month old William with a nanny in Woomargama for most of it. So she would have approved of William and Catherine’s tour Australia in 2014, with nine-month- old George very much part of the action. He — and the nation — loved it.
15. Birth of Princess Charlotte
Diana would have been first at the bedside when George’s little sister Charlotte arrived in 2015. “I would like to have had her advice,” William said. “I would love her to have met Catherine and to have seen the children grow up.”
16. George goes to pre-school
She was a nursery teacher, so seeing George toddle off to his first day of pre-school in 2016 would have been special to Diana. She would also have approved of the choice of Thomas’s primary school in Battersea, where he starts in September, with its motto, “Be kind.”
17. Harry meets Meghan
When Harry confirmed he was dating Meghan Markle in 2016, it appeared he’d met ‘the one’ with an engagement announcement expected soon. His mother would have embraced actress Meghan, who is also a World Vision ambassador and has worked with the UN.
18. William and Harry bare their souls
Diana’s legacy was to teach the Royal Family it’s OK to show emotion. So she would have been proud to see William and Harry open up about their mental health struggles in April, to promote their Heads Together campaign. Harry admitted he came close to a “complete breakdown” and sought counselling after “two years of total chaos.”
19. Diana Legacy Awards
In May William and Harry honoured 20 inspirational young people from around the world who embodied their mother’s values in an awards ceremony. “One of the things our mother taught William and I was the value of doing good when no one is watching,” Harry said. If Diana was watching from above, she’d be applauding.
20. William hugs a Grenfell survivor
Prince William demonstrated his mother’s compassion when he hugged a victim of London’s Grenfell Tower inferno in June. Alongwith The Queen, the pair embodied a loving monarchy that was there for the people; Diana’s legacy lives on.
Originally published as 20 important moments that Princess Diana will never be a part of
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