Prince William and Prince Harry have spoken about the impact of their late mother’s work on their own lives, and it has often influenced the projects that they themselves lead. In recent years, the Princes have ensured that – despite their personal differences – they have remained committed to keeping her memory alive through their own campaigns. While William has fronted campaigns to end homelessness, a cause which Princes Diana was passionate about, Harry has supported various international initiatives that she was involved with and just last month he visited the same landmine field in Angola that she famously walked through in 1997.
In a new interview with PEOPLE, Princess Diana’s former private secretary Patrick Jephson has claimed that the late royal offered ‘important warnings’ to her sons through her own experiences within the monarchy. Jephson worked for Princess Diana between 1988 and 1996, acting first as her equerry before taking the role of private secretary.
During the interview, he told the publication: “If they study Princess Diana’s life carefully – and I hope they often do – William, Harry and their advisers will know that she left them many good examples to follow and also a few important warnings to heed. Public affection and the rich rewards of royalty must be earned with self-sacrifice and service.”
He added: “I’m sure they are grateful that every day she can still guide, comfort and inspire them along the difficult path they were born to follow.”
Although the Princes are currently estranged, Jephson noted that both William and Harry are united when it comes to continuing their mother’s work. In 2021, eighteen months after the Duke of Sussex left royal life behind and relocated to the US with his family, Harry and William made a public stand of unity to unveil the Princes Diana statue at Kensington Palace.
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