Diana, William and Harry: the story of a loss

It happened on that infamous summer day: 31st August 1997. Diana Spencer died in the Pitié-Salpêtrière hospital in Paris after her car crashed into one of the pillars of the Bridge of Souls. The event was crucial in shaping the character of her sons, William and Harry. Theirs is the sad story of a loss: of two children who first experienced a painful divorce and then a final goodbye to their mother.

The story of William and Harry's distance and disagreements of today cannot be understood without revisiting their childhood. The story of their younger years is a sad one. As children and adolescents, they lived lives of loneliness in the palatial world of British royalty.

Before their mother's death, William and Harry had to come to terms with their parents' loveless (and soon broken) marriage. They were young, but it was impossible for them to avoid the melancholic expression of Diana in many of the images captured with her husband. And those were the moments she put on her best face...

William was born on 21 June 1982 and Harry two years later, on 15 September 1984. While she suffered a failed marriage, the arrival of these two little ones was a joy and a source of encouragement for Lady Di.

The photographs of Lady Di with her two children are happy images. The drama that eventually unfolded in Princess Diana's life with her husband (where, as she said, "there were three of us, a crowd") was far away when the mother experienced joyful moments with her children.

When looking at the children's photo album, one cannot help but notice that there are plenty of images portraying Lady Di having fun with William and Harry, but pictures of Prince Charles sharing non-protocol moments with his sons are not so numerous.

Regardless, chroniclers tend to confirm that Prince Charles loved - and still loves - his sons. Andrew Morton claims in his biography of Lady Di that Charles would have liked to have a daughter after William was born.

When Harry was born, Charles allegedly exclaimed: "Oh, God, it's a boy, and a red-headed one at that." He meant it as a joke, but Diana was saddened by the irony.

Andrew Morton's biography also states that Charles and Diana had a moment of true love (or something similar) between the birth of William and Harry. There were a few months in which they seemed to have a truly happy marriage. But after Harry's birth the definitive estrangement is said to have begun.

Be that as it may, William and Harry's minor age difference, and the palatial atmosphere which is not conducive to visits from school friends, meant that the two brothers were very close.

Then, on August 31, 1997, came the absolute tragedy. While traveling without her sons, Lady Diana died in a car accident. Chased by paparazzi, her car crashed into one of the columns of the Pont de l'Alma tunnel in Paris. Britain mourned the death of 'the People's Princess' and flowers and candles piled up outside the palace gates.

William and Harry were 15 and 12 years old when they had to bury their mother. In an ITV documentary, they recounted the last time they had spoken to Diana on the phone. The kids were in Balmoral Castle on holiday and Diana called from Paris.

Harry recounted in the documentary: "I don't remember what I said, but I will always remember how sorry I am that the call was so short." And William added: "We wanted to play on. If only we had known..."

That summer, the happy days of the past definitely came to an end. (In the image, the family visited the Spanish king and queen on the island of Mallorca.)

Charles and Diana's separation in 1992 (and official divorce in 1996) had already been a hard blow for William and Harry, but now they suffered an enormous heartbreak. Meanwhile, their father Charles focused on his royal duties and his relationship with the woman he'd always loved, Camilla Parker Bowles.

The absence of their mother brought them together, but the difference between the two brothers' personalities began to show as they progressed in their teens. William always tended to follow the rules; Harry tended to break them.

At the age of 16, the younger prince was caught out on a spree of excesses. Other scandals followed until, finally, Harry matured and walked the line.

Read more: the real story of Harry and his father Charles

Various sources claim that, with the passage of time, the only thing that has remained of the strong bond between the brothers is their shared devotion to their lost mother. Both of them defend Lady Di's legacy before anything else.

For Harry and William, adulthood has involved the happiness of finding love and raising children of their own. It has also come with the pain of pondering the different paths they may choose for their children. Harry and William's paths obviously diverge.

It seems clear from the interview with Oprah that Harry does not want his family to go through the hardships he experienced as a child. According to his own testimony, he felt trapped in the palace as a prince. Harry told Oprah that he had "compassion" for his brother and father. "They can't escape."

Despite all this, and while admitting that their paths have parted, Harry insisted in the Oprah interview that he loves his brother and will always try to get along with him.

According to journalist Gayle King, William and Harry have spoken on the phone after the historic interview. They did not resolve much. The interview was a huge blow to the royal family. More time will have to pass for reconciliation to take place.

William's reaction to the Oprah interview: 'We are not a racist family'

Once again, the British Royal Family is experiencing a crisis that is connected with (the legacy of) Lady Diana. When she died, the public viewed the palace as a cold institute that had abandoned her. People took to the streets to bid her farewell. Some called for changes in the monarchy - or even its end.

In 1997, William and Harry experienced the public reaction from afar, as they were immersed in their own grief. But now, in 2021, they are the direct protagonists of yet another important crisis for the Crown.

It seems as if the wound of Lady Di's has tragedy never fully healed. Or, alternatively, it seems as if the causes for Diana's tragedy have never been fully addressed. History repeats itself for Buckingham Palace and for the British tabloids, whose journalists continue to criticize Meghan Markle extensively.

Those adorable boys who inspired such tenderness in their photographs are now two adults on different paths. William remains at the head of the Crown and wants the rules to stay the same. Harry has had enough of royal traditions that, according to his claims, include racism. Childhood is far behind them.