Prince William and Prince Harry may live on opposite sides of the Atlantic and lead very different public lives. Yet they share one core value: raising their children with an authentic, grounded upbringing. This principle comes from lessons taught by their late mother, Princess Diana. Historian Amanda Foreman told PEOPLE in an exclusive interview that this approach is “pure Diana.” Both brothers keep her memory alive for their children — they speak about her often and display her photographs prominently at home.
Prince William and Prince Harry are both committed to giving their kids an authentic childhood, says expert
Prince Harry and Prince William focus on raising their children with a sense of normalcy. Many see this as their greatest achievement as parents and role models, despite their strained relationship. They’ve each honored Diana in a personal way by giving her name as middle names to their daughters. William and Kate Middleton are parents to Prince George, 12, Princess Charlotte, 10, and Prince Louis, 7. Harry and Meghan Markle share Prince Archie, 6, and Princess Lilibet, 4.
Both have embraced a style of parenting built on compassion over tradition, mirroring Diana’s own approach. Not only did she take her sons to theme parks and fast-food restaurants, she also brought them to shelters for unhoused people. Those moments of real-world connection shaped their adult charitable work. William’s efforts focus on homelessness, while Harry’s have focused on young people affected by the AIDS crisis.
That influence has not faded. Tessy Ojo, CEO of The Diana Award, has seen how proud the princes are when young people — who never met Diana — speak about her impact. “There is a sense of immense pride: ‘Wow, my mother did that!’” she said in this report by PEOPLE. Diana’s legacy, she added, is not just preserved but actively lived through the way both men approach their roles as fathers and public figures.
While they now work toward their goals separately, the shared mission remains a force for good. Foreman believes that if they ever joined forces again “properly and genuinely,” the result could be likened to a “tsunami; it would be incredible.” The brothers’ separate paths are still guided by Diana’s influence, raising a new generation of royals.
