Princes speak of grief

[Macaw]

From The Times
June 13, 2007

Princes William and Harry said that the past decade had passed “very, very slowly” for them as they spoke openly in their first US television interview about the death of their mother, Diana, Princess of Wales.

Prince Harry said that he would never stop wondering about what led to the crash that killed the Princess in Paris almost a decade ago.

“For me personally, whatever happened, you know, that night, whatever happened in that tunnel, you know no one will ever know. And I’m sure people will always think about that the whole time,” he said.

Prince William said their mother’s death was constantly on his mind. “After it happened we were always . . . thinking about it. And there’s not a day goes by I don’t think . . . about it once in the day. And so for us [it] is a very slow and it’s a lot — it has been a long time.”

The princes recorded the interview at Clarence House to publicise the concert on July 1 that they have organised to commemorate their mother. The concert at Wembley Stadium will include performances by Duran Duran, Elton John, Joss Stone, Rod Stewart and Lily Allen.

The interview will be shown on Monday on the NBC Today programme, America’s top-rated breakfast television show.

Prince Harry said that the brothers had been continually confronted with images of their mother since her death in the Pont de l’Alma tunnel on August 31, 1997.

“It’s weird because I think when she passed away there was never that time — there was never that sort of lull. There was never that sort of peace and quiet for any of us — her face was always splattered on the paper the whole time,” Prince Harry said.

“Over the last ten years I personally feel as though she has been — she’s always there. She’s always being a constant reminder to both of us and everybody else.”

Prince Harry said that his mother would be proud of the brothers’ attempt to live normal lives. “I think she’d be happy in the way that we’re going about it but slightly unhappy about the way the other people were going about it as in saying, ‘Look, you’re not normal so stop trying to be normal’, which is very much what we get a lot. You know it’s like — ‘Stop trying to be normal. You’ve got certain responsibilities’. Which obviously we do, and we know we have certain responsibilities. But within our private life and within certain other parts of our life we want to be as normal as possible.”

The princes revealed what they would have liked to be doing if they had not been born into the Royal Family.

Prince William said that when he was younger he wanted to be a policeman, but “wouldn’t want to be that now”. He said he would like “to be some sort of heli-pilot, working for the UN maybe”.

Prince Harry said he would probably choose to be a safari guide in Africa.

http://www.timesonline.co...ericas/article1923700.ece

[hanzo1]

Princes admit their late mum is in their thoughts every day
http://www.hellomagazine....6/13/william-harry-diana/

[fairy]

It probably is normal that you think of your beloved late parent almost on a daily basis, the question IMO is in what way. A quiet and short thought IMO is nothing to worry about, a constant pondering seems quite unhealthy.
As to their complaint about normalcy in their life. What probably is quite normal to them is in no way normal to a lot of other people, so the complaint is IMO moot.
For most people normal is to work for their living, to provide for themselves and to party in moderation, since it might interfere with work or family responsiblities.
For them a life with so many privileges is normal, they do not have to work for a living, they are already well provided for. They don't have to go theu so many troubles and hassles that most of us have to go thru, such as tax declarations, having your car lisence or insurance continued, get rates for gas, water, internet, bank accounts, rents, telephones etc, since some clerk at Clarence house will do the legwork for them.
THeir live comes with so many perks and privileges, and still they complain, that people tell them to come to terms with the downfalls of it.

BTW, Harry, why not marry your girlfriend and buy (or have daddy buy you) a big farm down there and make your dream of being a safari giude true?
Doesn't Grannie has a pretty nice estate in Kenya?, that she got as a wedding present?

[Macaw]

I agree with you Fairy.

Since their mother died unexpectedly, violently and when they were very young and had had difficult childhoods, I think they will think of her a lot as it takes massive "work" to come to terms with such a brutal and grievous loss.

The vast majority of their friends still have mothers living.  Every time a friend talks about going to see their mother, the boys will automatically think of their own, missing mother.  No-one ever "gets over" such a terrible wound - just learning to live with it takes great strength, and as the boys themselves said, a very, very long time.

People don't like to face this reality as our 'modern' culture is as much in denial about death as others were about sex.  But the fact is that - though they are, as you say, extremely privileged and really not normal at all - they had their teenage years terribly, terribly violated, and that pain, though it can lessen, will simply never disappear.

[MJ]

These two are very sensitive in ways and very brash in other ways. 

They would complain about the lack of normality in their lives but show excessive indulgence in drinking and partying.  Surely if you want a normal life, you'd behave like a normal person and not like an immature drunk fighting belated rebellion? 

What these two really need is a bit of tough love.  Someone in authority to tell them to shut up, grit their teeth and be grateful for what they have.
They are not the only ones in this world who had lost their mother unexpectedly at a young age nor will they be the last ones. 

[Macaw]

I agree with everything you say, MJ.

[Elspeth]

If those boys really think they've got any chance at all of having normal private lives, considering the way the media seems to believe that their private lives are where the profit is to be made, they haven't learned much from their mother's experience.

It must be very hard for them to have to put up with the constant exploitation of their mother's popularity by journalists, ex-colleagues, and especially ex-friends; it keeps her memory alive in a way that doesn't happen with most people, and it must affect her sons' lives, especially when they feel they have to make statement after statement condemning this or that book or TV programme. It must be particularly hard for Prince Harry, with this constant undercurrent of speculation about his paternity. I hope that after the anniversary is past and if they ever get this inquest done, public interest in Diana will take a downturn and the princes will be able to concentrate more on the future than the past.

[Summer]

Diana's sons complain about the media coverage of their mom, but they themselves contribute to it by giving interviews.  Losing someone that you love is a hurt that never goes away, but I think it would be better for them to honor their mother's memory privately. 

Work, responsibility and routine helps us cope with pain and loss.  Perhaps these young men should devote themselves to a realistic job or public service.  Otherwise the premature death of their mother may become the defining event of their lives.

[Macaw]

Yes, I agree, Summer.

[mamaptak]

I watched the interview last night on NBC and I found it quite charming to see them acting so candidly and honestly in front of the cameras.  I do feel that this is their way of taking back control of how they and their mother are portrayed to some extent.  They can't avoid the media all together, so it was nice to see them show a little bit of themselves and answer the questions (unscripted no less) in an open and honest fashion.  Harry especially came off quite a bit more intelligent and articulate than he has been made out by the press, in my opinion anyway.

Marissa