Prince Harry has worn this bracelet for 17 years as a tribute to his mother Princess Diana
Prince Harry has been seen wearing this gold bracelet on and off for almost two decades now. The bracelet has appeared on the Duke of Sussex's wrist many times though it has usually gone unnoticed. Even on his wedding day, the simple accessory made yet another appearance as the happy newlyweds left their reception.
It seems that the bracelet worn by Prince Harry could have a strong connection to the late Princess Diana. After Princess Diana's death, the Prince of Wales took his two sons to Africa to get away from the chaos in the UK. In an interview earlier this year, Harry recalled the trip and said, "I first came [to Africa] in 1997, straight after my mum died. My dad told my brother and me to pack our bags — we were going to Africa to get away from it all."
According to Woman & Home, it was during this trip to Africa that Prince Harry was bought or given the bracelet and, therefore, he keeps it as a tribute to the beloved Princess Diana. This does not come as a surprise as both Prince Harry and Prince William have often shown sentimental tributes to their mother throughout their lives after she passed away.
In a documentary called 'Prince Harry in Africa', he explained, "I want to do something really constructive with my life. I want to do something that makes my mother proud. My mother stood for something. There's a lot of unfinished business and a lot of work that my mother never completed".
When the Duke of Cambridge, Prince William proposed to the Duchess of Cambridge, he gifted Kate Middleton the famous sapphire ring which belonged to his mother Diana. When Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, asked Meghan Markle for her hand in marriage, one of the diamonds in the Duchess' three-stone ring was reportedly taken from Diana's jewelry collection. Prince Harry said that it was "to make sure she's with us on this crazy journey together".
Prince William recently celebrated his 36th birthday but the occasion was bittersweet as Princess Diana was also 36 years old when she died in a car crash in Paris in the year 1997. A royal commentator, Victoria Arbiter, took to Twitter to talk about the connection and wrote, "I’m sure it’s not lost on William that today he turns the same age his mother was when she died. Many people who’ve lost a parent at a young age have said its a very odd feeling to reach that milestone."
Last year marked the 20th death anniversary of Princess Diana and both Prince William and Prince Harry honored her memory by choosing to share never seen before photographs of their childhood and gave interviews about their favorite memories of her. Prince Harry recalled, "Our mother was a total kid through and through".
Prince William is currently a father of three children, Prince George who is four years old, Princess Charlotte who is currently three years old and Prince Louis who is currently two years old. He also ensures that his children are well aware of their late grandmother's legacy. He shared that, while he puts his children to bed at night, he always talks about Diana, "and try to remind them that there are two grandmothers in their lives".
In memory of Princess Diana, her jewelry may just start appearing in the public eye a lot more. Some of Princess Diana's borrowed items like the Queen Mary's Lover's Knot tiara apparently went back to the Queen, who has since loaned it back out to the Duchess of Cambridge, Kate Middleton. Other pieces such as Kate's sapphire engagement ring and the diamonds in Meghan's ring indicate that Prince William and Prince Harry had a special plan in place.
Ella Kay told Goodhousekeeping, "It wouldn't surprise me if they kept back the lion's share of jewelry until both of the princes were married so that they could split it. Harry hadn't needed it so far but I can imagine them saying, 'We don't want Kate to start wearing it all' because there would be nothing left [for Harry's wife]".
The night before Diana's 20th death anniversary, Prince William, Kate Middleton and Prince Harry visited the White Garden at the Kensington Palace which was renovated to honor their mother.
Diana lives on through her children, Prince Harry and Prince William and even the music legend, Elton John claimed that Prince Harry inherited an incredible gift from his mother where he is able to make everyone "feel equal" regardless of social status.
Elton John performed at Prince Harry's wedding to Meghan Markle and at the lunchtime reception. Elton John was a close friend of Princess Diana and he once said," Harry has inherited his mother’s ability to walk into a room and make people, of any caste or any status in life, feel equal. That is an incredible gift. I’ve been around for 71 years and Princesses Diana was one of the few people in my life who could do that. Harry has inherited that gift. He knows he has that gift".
Watch Prince William and Prince Harry talk about their last conversation with Princess Diana.