20 Photos of Princess Diana and Prince Harry That Show Their Unbreakable Bond

Princess Diana tragically died on Aug. 31, 1997, but her spirit lives on through her two sons, Prince Harry and Prince William.

In his memoir "Spare," released Jan. 10, Harry reflects on his mother, the brief time they shared together, and the memories he has of her. That includes the shocking claim that the very day Harry was born, Prince Charles thanked Diana for giving him a "spare" — harking back to the saying that every monarchy needs "an heir and a spare."

Harry revisits memories of his mother, including her 1995 Panorama interview, in his Netflix docuseries "Harry & Meghan," which premiered in December 2022. In the first episode, Harry opens up about Diana, saying, "I always remember her laugh, her cheeky laugh. Her saying to me: 'You can get into trouble, just don't get caught.'" Harry was only 12 years old when his mother died, so he admits that he doesn't have many "early memories" of her. "The majority of my memories are being swarmed by paparazzi," he says in the docuseries. "Rarely would we have a holiday without someone with a camera jumping out of a bush. Within the family, the system, the advice is always, 'Don't react, don't feed into it.'"

Harry has expressed that his mother's spirit continues to influence him today. In fact, he partially credits her for his and Meghan Markle's loving romance. "I think for so many people in the [royal] family, especially the men, there can be a temptation or an urge to marry someone who would fit the mold as opposed to somebody who perhaps you are destined to be with," Harry says in the docuseries. "[The] difference between making decisions with your head or your heart. My mom certainly made most of her decisions, if not all of them, from her heart. And I am my mother's son."

In the sixth episode of "Harry & Meghan," Harry reveals that his daughter, Princess Lilibet — whose middle name is Diana — reminds him of his mother, with her bright-blue eyes and reddish-gold hair. "I think, at the moment, I see a lot of my wife in Archie and a lot of my mum in Lilibet," he says. "She's very Spencer-like."

Harry paid tribute to his late mother during his and Meghan's wedding in May 2018, and again on the 25th anniversary of her death in 2022. In a speech he gave at the Sentebale ISPS Handa Polo Cup, Harry said of the occasion, ". . . She most certainly will never be forgotten. I want it to be a day filled with memories of her incredible work and love for the way she did it. I want it to be a day to share the spirit of my mum with my family, with my children, who I wish could have met her."

Over the years, the Duke of Sussex has gotten more comfortable talking about his mom and, in turn, given us a glimpse at their unbreakable bond. See some of their sweetest pictures together ahead.