Princess Diana was a loving, caring mother to Prince William and Prince Harry. So it’s no surprise William and Duchess Kate are carrying on her legacy with how they parent Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, and that Harry and Duchess Meghan are keeping Diana's presence in Archie and Lilibet's lives, too.
William and Harry lost their mother on Aug. 31, 1997, when they were just 15 and 12 years old, respectively. While Diana will never meet her grandchildren, William and Kate have done their best to ensure she’s still a part of their lives and emphasize how important she was to the world, an insider told Us Weekly in 2019.
Diana with her sons at Niagara Falls on a trip to Canada in 1991. Photo: © Anwar Hussein/Getty Images
"George and Charlotte know all about their late grandmother and what an amazing woman she was," the source said. "William tells them she’s watching over them from heaven."
In 2019, the publication reported Diana's image was quite literally watching Archie in his nursery. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were said to have placed a framed photo of Diana in the three-month-old baby's nursery at Frogmore Cottage to connect Archie with his late grandmother from an early age.
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William and Kate often use Diana's parenting style when raising their own children, the insider told Us Weekly, especially when it comes to making difficult decisions about discipline.
"If the kids misbehave, William often thinks to himself, 'What would my mom have done in this situation?'" the source said.
L-R: Prince Charles and Princess Diana with William and Harry at school in 1987, Princess Diana with her sons in 1989 and 1990. Photos: © Getty Images
When Charlotte had her first day at school in 2019 and George returned to classes following his summer break, Kate was on hand along with William to bring them both to Thomas's Battersea. That, too, is part of Diana's influence. Diana was regularly photographed taking William and Harry to school, and their first days at school were media events in the same way George and Charlotte's were.
MORE: How Prince William and Prince Harry honour Princess Diana on the anniversary of her death
That personal touch and willingness to ensure their children are treated just like non-royal kids is something they’'e taken from Diana, the insider said.
"Diana was such a wonderful mother," the source told the publication. "William and Kate are doing their best to take after her when it comes to raising George, Charlotte and Louis. They're determined to give their kids a normal life, just like Diana did."