Prince Harry believed Princess Diana would return to ‘whisk’ him away
Prince Harry discusses his childhood grief following the death of Princess Diana, revealing he long believed she would return to rescue him. He explains how he eventually moved past the guilt of finding happiness without her.
Why it matters
The personal account provides insight into the psychological impact of public trauma and the process of emotional recovery.
Harry says his charity work helps him carry Diana’s legacy. Photo / Getty Images
Prince Harry spent years after his mother’s death believing she would return to “whisk” him away.
The Duke of Sussex was just 12 when Princess Diana died in a car crash back in 1997 and it took him a long time to process the fact that she was gone for good.
In a new MasterClass titled Redefining Grief: Building Resilience Through Loss , Harry told neuroscientist Dr Mary-Frances O’Connor: “I believed that she had created this exit to get away from all the things that were destroying her life and that she was going to re-enter the fray in some disguise and then whisk me and my brother away.”
O’Connor insisted Harry’s belief wasn’t “crazy”.
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