The Prince of Wales said he remembers his late mother Diana, Princess of Wales "today and every day" as he shared a photograph of them together to mark Mother's Day. The image, taken at the family's main home at Highgrove, Gloucestershire, in 1984, shows Diana with a two-year-old William in a field of flowers, making its public debut after decades in the royal family's private collection.
William's signed message, posted on social media, said: "Remembering my mother, today and every day. Thinking of all those who are remembering someone they love today. Happy Mother's Day." The tribute struck a more personal note than previous official commemorations, pulling directly from family memories rather than formal state photographs.
Diana, who died aged 36 following a road accident in Paris on August 31 1997, would have turned 65 on July 1 this year. William was 15 at the time of her death. The photograph captures a moment from his earliest childhood, before the pressures of public life began to reshape the family's dynamics and Diana's own relationship with public scrutiny.
The Prince of Wales has previously spoken about keeping his mother's memory alive within his own household. In a 2017 BBC documentary marking the 20th anniversary of Diana's death, William said he was "constantly talking about Granny Diana," and that the family had "more photos up around the house now of her." He explained that when putting his children to bed, he would "talk about her and just try and remind them that there are two grandmothers."
The royal family also posted a selection of photos on social media to mark Mother's Day, including a photo of the King and his sister Anne, now the Princess Royal, at Balmoral, Scotland, in 1953 with their mother, the late Queen Elizabeth II. The broader observance underscored the occasion's significance across the entire institution.