Prince Harry Admits He Asks Princess Diana Questions Often "And Sometimes I Do Get a Response"
The Duke of Sussex opened up about the "energy" he feels from his late mother, adding, "Maybe I’ve spent too much time in California."
Prince Harry recently sat down with GQ editor Zach Baron for the magazine's “One More Question” interview series, and along with his big move back to England, the Duke of Sussex reflected on his late mother, Princess Diana.
Harry revealed that he often wonders what his “family would be like” if his mother hadn’t died, expressing regret about the last time he spoke to her in 1997. Prince Harry and Prince William were vacationing at Balmoral Castle with King Charles and the rest of the Royal Family the week Diana died, and the Duke of Sussex admitted that he was in a hurry to get off the phone.
“If I’d known it was the last call with her, how different that conversation would’ve been,” Harry told GQ. “And I’m the one that has to live with that. And the fact that as a 12-year-old kid, all I wanted to do was go off and run and play with my cousins.”
Prince Harry gets a piggyback ride from Princess Diana in 1986.
A young Prince Harry wears an Army uniform as he plays with Diana.
Prince Harry speaks with fans in Nottingham, England on October 15.
When speaking about his mother and how he remembers her each day, Prince Harry said, "So there are questions that I ask myself. Sometimes there’s questions that I ask her, looking for some kind of response, and sometimes I do get a response."
When questioned by Baron about getting responses, the Duke of Sussex added, "Yeah. And that’s the thing. I think it’s really interesting when—maybe I’ve spent too much time in California, but having done the work that I’ve done, there is a connection still with my mom that I really do feel her energy at certain times and certain parts of my life."
Speaking about the "anticipatory" grief he's felt about King Charles's cancer diagnosis, Prince Harry told the journalist he's thought about the idea of becoming an "orphan" in his forties, even if his father is "getting better."
"I think there’s a big difference between losing one parent and losing two," Harry said. "From the friends of mine that have lost two, they go, 'Well, now I’m an orphan, even if you’re in your 40s or 50s.' I’d never heard someone say that to me before. I was like, 'Wow, I hadn’t considered that'"
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Kristin Contino is Marie Claire's Senior Royal and Celebrity editor. She's been covering royalty since 2018—including major moments such as the Platinum Jubilee, Queen Elizabeth II’s death and King Charles III's coronation—and places a particular focus on the British Royal Family's style and what it means.
Prior to working at Marie Claire, she wrote about celebrity and royal fashion at Page Six Style and covered royalty from around the world as chief reporter at Royal Central. Kristin has provided expert commentary for outlets including the BBC, Sky News, US Weekly, the Today Show and many others.
Kristin is also the published author of two novels, “The Legacy of Us” and “A House Full of Windsor.” She's passionate about travel, history, horses, and learning everything she can about her favorite city in the world, London.