Princess Diana has been said to have left her two sons, Prince Harry and Prince William, "important warnings" that can still guide them 28 years after her death, a former private secretary has said.
The analysis comes as the two brothers remain estranged since the Duke of Sussex stepped down as a working royal in 2020.
Princess Diana died in a Paris car accident on August 31, 1997, when her two children were aged 15 and 12.
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Former private secretary Patrick Jephson believes that the late royal's influence on William and Harry is still clear to see.
Princess Diana left her Prince Harry and Prince William with 'important warnings,' a former royal private secretary has said
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"If they study Princess Diana's life carefully — and I hope they often do — William, Harry and their advisers will know that she left them many good examples to follow," Jephson began.
He added she will have also left them with a "few important warnings to heed".
To that end, the former royal aide believed Diana will have provided an example of how to balance a royal life in the spotlight.
"Public affection and the rich rewards of royalty must be earned with self-sacrifice and service," he explained to People Magazine.
Diana tragically died when William and Harry were 15 and 12 respectively
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Five years on from Harry's flight from Britain to settle permanently in California with Meghan Markle, he remains locked in a feud with William.
Harry has since expressed a desire for "reconciliation" with the Royal Family and apparent steps were taken as his representatives secretly met with those of the King in June.
The Duke of Sussex was also believed to have offered to share his diary dates with the King and his older brother.
Even still, there have no evidence of direct rapprochement between the brothers has yet emerged.
Harry and William have remained estranged since the Duke of Sussex stepped down as a working royal in 2020
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Despite their personal divisions, the influence of Princess Diana can still be seen in Harry and William's solo ventures - continuing to champion causes their mother held dear.
William has focused his efforts on addressing homelessness, promoting his Homeward initiative which seeks to make it "rare, brief, and unrepeated".
Meanwhile, Harry has maintained Diana's commitment to supporting Aids victims and has followed her footsteps by working with The Halo Trust in Angola's minefields.
The Duke mirrored his mother's visit to the African nation by walking a minefield.
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Harry mirrored his mother's walk of a minefield in Angola last month
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Tessy Ojo, chief executive of The Diana Award, the sole charity bearing the princess's name, has observed both brothers' dedication separately.
"I've seen how they watch young people who never met their mother articulate the impact she's had on them. There is a sense of immense pride: 'Wow, my mother did that!'" Ojo remarked.
The princes have established family environments that reflect their mother's approach to parenting, according to historian Amanda Foreman.
"That is pure Diana," she noted regarding their commitment to providing genuine childhoods for their offspring.
Both William and Harry have honoured their mother by bestowing her name as a middle name upon their daughters, Princess Charlotte and Princess Lilibet.