Princess Diana's Friend Has Something To Say About Prince Harry
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By Hope Campbell/Updated: May 17, 2021 10:34 am EST
While Prince Harry continues living life in Southern California and away from the British royal family, royal observers continue watching the Duke and Duchess of Sussex from afar as Harry and Meghan await the birth of their second child.
Some have been taken aback by several of Harry's comments about his family since living in the United States, as he recently had a few things to say about Prince Charles' parenting skills that he believes are hereditary, according to Page Six.
Friends of the late Princess Diana are particularly keen observers, and one such friend sees a lot of Diana in her youngest son, according to US Weekly. Stewart Pearce, who coached Diana on voice and presence and is the author of "Diana: The Voice of Change," notices a definite physical resemblance between Diana and Prince William, Harry's older brother. But when it comes to personality, he reports that Diana's influence shines through.
Prince Harry is definitely his mother's son
In his book that is set to be published in June of 2021, Stewart Pearce muses on both Princes William and Harry and their beloved late mother. Diana was killed in a 1997 car crash in Paris with her boyfriend, Dodi Fayed. The pair was trying to flee the paparazzi when the crash occurred, according to Biography.
"Harry, in terms of his impetuosity [is Diana]," Stewart Pearce said, according to US Weekly. "Harry, in terms of his intuitive explosions of energy, [is the most like her]," he continued. "I suppose, slightly, William from the external point of view. But Harry from [his] wonderful ebullience [and] passionate [personality embodies his mother]. He's the guy. He loves life. He has fun."
Pearce also likens Diana to Meghan Markle, finding similarities between their personalities and the way both women were introduced to royal family duties. "What was extraordinary from the very beginning, from 1981, is that she was really not given a tremendous amount of advice. It's sort of within the royal family, it's assumed you will either grow through it, or, you know, [you'll sink]," Pearce said of Diana.
He then compared Diana to Markle: "She was given very little advice, but being the smart woman that Meghan is, she really made a lot of inquiries. Whereas Diana, I feel that she was so in love with Charles that she thought that he would assist her" (via US Weekly).
Diana had keen observations about Prince Harry and Prince William
Princess Diana was very close to both of her children and thought about William and Harry's futures as part of the royal family all the time. According to Woman & Home, Ingrid Seward, editor-in-chief of Majesty Magazine, told the Daily Mail the following: "Diana told me William was very sensitive, and Harry was the artistic and lively one who could cope with anything."
Seward added that Diana also believed her younger son could "cope with anything," but she also worried about his studies and time spent at Eton, the boys' boarding school attended by much of the royal family. "William was more academic than Harry, but he wasn't finding Eton very easy at that time, although he had lovely friends there. [Diana] said Harry would go to Eton, otherwise he'd be singled out as being the one who wasn't so bright, and she worried about his lack of concentration."
Ultimately, Harry made his own decisions about his life after finally settling down with Meghan Markle and starting a family. One of those decisions was to leave the royal family and his royal duties behind to begin life anew in California.
William and Harry set to honor their late mother
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Despite Prince Harry now living in the United States and reportedly not being as close to his brother, both Princes William and Harry are set to unveil a statue of Princess Diana at Kensington Palace later in 2021. The statue had been planned since 2017, according to Cosmopolitan, before Harry and Meghan began their life outside Great Britain.
Back in 2017, William and Harry honored the 20th anniversary of their mother's death by turning Kensington Palace's Sunken Garden into a Diana tribute location. The garden includes a host of Diana's favorite flowers, including forget-me-nots, white roses, white lilies, daisies, and tulips. The 2021 statue will be the finishing touch on the garden and unveiled on July 1, 2021, which would have been Diana's 60th birthday.
When the date was announced in August of 2020, Prince William and wife Kate Middleton, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, put out the following statement: "The statue will be installed in the Sunken Garden of Kensington Palace on 1st July 2021, marking the Princess's 60th birthday. The Princes hope that the statue will help all those who visit Kensington Palace to reflect on their mother's life and her legacy."