harry diana

Prince Harry pays moving tribute to mother Princess Diana on eve of 25th anniversary

Diana died on 31 August 1997

Rebecca Lewis - Los Angeles
Los Angeles correspondentLos Angeles
August 26, 2022

Prince Harry has marked the 25th anniversary of his mother the Princess of Wales' death with a moving tribute.

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Speaking following his celebration at the 2022 Sentebale ISPS Handa Polo Cup, Harry acknowledged how the charity was named after the Lesotho word for the forget-me-not flower, and said how his mother "most certainly will never be forgotten".

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"I want it to be a day filled with memories of her incredible work and love for the way she did it," he shared.

"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."

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He continued: "Every day, I hope to do her proud. She was tireless in her work to support and stigmatize those experiencing HIV/AIDS. Fittingly, her favourite flowers were forget-me-nots. I hope we can remember my mother’s legacy by recommitting to those we serve, whoever and wherever that may be."

The Prince's wife Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, was not in attendance.

Harry made reference to his late mother during the speech

Earlier in the day at Aspen Valley Polo Club, Harry took to the polo field and scored the first goal for the Sentebale team. Harry scored five goals throughout the tournament, and his team won the event over the Royal Salute team and US Polo ASSN.

During the evening's dinner, Harry also spoke about the charity's continuing legacy and shared that Sentebale is operating in Lesotho and Botswana, which have the second and fourth highest HIV infection rates globally.

"But we’re making huge progress, largely because we listen to and partner with their youth," he revealed.

Harry and Diana in Hyde Park in the 1990s

"In Lesotho, we’re meeting UNAIDS targets, and now over 90 percent of people living with HIV know their status, 90 percent of those who know their status are enrolled in treatment, and 90 percent of those in treatment have a suppressed viral load.

"In Botswana, rates of adult HIV prevalence have been halved in the last 20 years and, in what the World Health Organization has called a ‘remarkable achievement’, the country is on its way to becoming the first African country to eliminate mother-to-child transmissions of HIV."

"Yet, the fight is not over and we cannot falter now, especially after the past two-and-half years," he continued before thanking the guests for being "a part of our journey".

"So, we thank you. I thank you. And if she were here, I know my mother would thank you too," he concluded.

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