In Memory Of Mum Prince's Love Stories For Diana

Her devoted sons find novel ways to keep the princess’ spirit close.

- Sophie Neville

Prince George and Princess Charlotte’s bedtime stories have a recurring character. When Prince William tucks in his little heirs, he regales them with tales of his late mother, Princess Diana.

Little two-year-old Charlotte adores the ritual and George, four, is particularly fond of the narrations. “George loves to hear stories about the trips and adventures Diana went on,” says a source close to William and his wife, the Duchess of Cambridge, both 35. “By sharing memories, both children, especially George, have been able to feel a connection to her.”

And as William and his brother Prince Harry, 32, prepare to mark the 20th anniversary of her death on August 31, the pair insist that connection to their mother has never been more important. For the past few months, they have poured their hearts into a series of emotional public tributes.

But on August 31, we can reveal that William and Harry will remember Diana behind closed doors. The princes – joined by Kate, George and Charlotte, as well as Harry’s girlfriend Meghan Markle, 36 – will visit the princess’ resting place on a private island in a lake at Althorp Estate, her ancestral home.

In our hearts

“While they’ve been more open than ever about losing their mother and the toll that took, Wills and Harry want the actual anniversary to be a private time for them to express their grief,” tells our source. “They just want to be able to commemorate their mother in their own way alongside the people they love the most. It’s going to be quiet but special.”