Prince Harry reveals painful words by King Charles that stuck in his mind ‘like dart in a board’

Prince Harry opened up about heartbreaking moments he experienced after his mother, Princess Diana's demise.

Published on: Jun 18, 2024, 20:44:01 IST

By Shweta Kukreti

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Prince Harry, who has been snubbed by King Charles on various occasions amidst the internal Royal family rift, opened up about heartbreaking moments he experienced after his mother, Princess Diana's demise.

Prince Harry received news of Diana's death from his father, King Charles, on August 31, 1997. (AP )

At the tender age of twelve, Harry received news of Diana's death from his father, King Charles, on August 31, 1997. The Duke said he had hoped his mother would be alright at first, but he also acknowledged that his father had said some poignant words that had stayed in his memory "like darts in a board" at the moment.

In his book, Spare, Harry described how King Charles broke the devastating news to him by sitting on the edge of his bed and placing his palm on his knee. He said that his father “looked at me in a funny way, a way he'd never looked at me before”, GB News reported.

Harry stated that he watched anxiously for his dad to confirm that his mother would be alright even after Charles informed him about the accident. Harry wrote, "She's been taken to the hospital, they'll fix her head, and we'll go and see her. Today. Tonight at the latest," elucidating the 12-year-old son's thought process.

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Harry says he didn't shed a single tear due to shock

However, Harry as a kid discovered that it was untrue and that his mother had passed away. "They tried, darling boy," Harry recounted his father as saying. "She didn't make it, I'm afraid," Charles added.

These are the exact words that Harry remembers so strongly and explains as the reason why everything stopped for him. "None of what I said to him then remains in my memory," he stressed, adding that he didn't shed a single tear.

"It’s possible that I didn’t say anything. What I do remember with startling clarity is that I didn’t cry. Not one tear."

Harry reveals the gift he received after his mother's death

The Duke then disclosed the present that he received soon after his mother passed away. Harry disclosed that his aunt, Sarah Ferguson, had given him a small blue box, carrying a lock of Diana's hair. Harry reported that Sarah had given a reason for cutting his mother's hair when she was in Paris.

He further admitted he misses his mum everyday and explained that she was "simply indescribable".

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Shweta Kukreti
Shweta Kukreti has over 8 years of experience in covering Indian and world politics. She joined the Hindustan Times in 2024 and is primarily assigned to the US desk. She currently works as Deputy Chief Content Producer and reports on a wide range of topics, including US politics, immigration issues (especially H-1B visa) and major global events. Shweta strongly emphasizes team operations, which encompasses monitoring news, delegating tasks, editing, developing comprehensive coverage strategies, and crafting engaging, and data-informed narratives. She received the Digi Star Award at the Hindustan Times within a year of joining for her broad coverage of US politics. In 2025, she earned both a promotion and a redesignation, a significant achievement recognising her contributions and the strong value she brings to the team. She has previously worked with the Indian Express, HTDS, ANI and Republic World. Seniors in all the media organisations recognised her work. Regarding education, she earned a BA (Hons.) in Political Science and a master's degree from Delhi University, and she pursued a PG Diploma in English Journalism from the Indian Institution of Mass Communication (IIMC). She also holds a diploma in Women's Empowerment and Development from IGNOU University and a French certification course from Alliance Française de Delhi. If not working, you can find her exploring the hills and engaging in adventurous activities in Rishikesh and Himachal Pradesh. She loves to play badminton, volleyball, and chess, and spend time with her friends and family. She also enjoys spiritual activities.Read More

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