Princess Diana made sure she was always there for her boys.
The one person Prince William and Prince Harry would want to spend Mother's Day with is no longer in this world. Princess Diana, who passed away in August 1997, was only 36 at the time of her death. She was a philanthropist, fashion icon, change-maker, but above all, she was a devoted mother to her two boys. William and Harry only 14 and 12, respectively, when she passed away. Until they became dads themselves, perhaps, this day was a painful remembrance of the void in their hearts.
While the royal family celebrated the 75th Victory in Europe (VE) day on May 10, for most of the world it was Mother's Day. Prince Harry, who is now in Los Angeles with his family, is in awe of mothers all over the world all the more after seeing how precious it is to bring a life into this world. While he makes new memories with his young family, he sure must have gone over some cherished memories from his past as well. He and his older brother, Prince William, used to treat their mom in a sweet and special wat on Mother's Day, which is celebrated in March in the UK, according to Micky.com.au.
Darren McGrady, who worked as a personal chef to the Queen, Prince William, Prince Harry, and the late Princess Diana for 15 years revealed what the young princes used to do for their mom. He has many stories from his time working with the royal household. For instance, he revealed that when he worked at Buckingham Palace, he observed that the Queen didn't really celebrate Mother’s Day.
The monarch would spend her weekend at Windsor. While Princess Diana would give her entire team a holiday on Mother's Day so they could go home and spend the day with their families. "And it was really thoughtful of her," he said, adding that Prince William and Prince Harry would cook for their mom that day. They like to cook something easy like a frittata for the Princess of Wales, according to Hello! Canada.
The entire weekend that commemorates Mother's Day, she made sure to spend with her sons at Kensington Palace. The princess would play sous chef for young William and Harry and helped them cook some simple meals, which they would eat together.
"Of course when I was there, the boys were still young so it wasn’t like they could prepare a three-, four-course meal. But, it was that special time for the princess and being with her boys on Mother's Day," McGrady said. He added that the holiday meant so much to her that it wasn't just about spending time with her family but letting her staffers have a special day with their own family.
"I used to leave food for them, but often they would all go in the kitchen together and spend time together and get meals throughout the day," the chef added.
This year, Prince William had a poignant message for his followers. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge released a previously unseen photo of their family and a throwback photo of his mother with William and Harry, and Kate’s mother Carole Middleton holding her as a baby. In this year's photo, Kate was seen giving a piggyback ride to Princess Charlotte. She was reminiscent of Princess Diana, who loved to have fun with her boys. "To mothers new and old and families spending today together and apart – we are thinking of you all at this difficult time," they wrote in the post.
Diana, who her son Harry lovingly called the "naughtiest parent," would often play pranks on her two boys. She often took them with her to overseas events instead of leaving them back home, something Prince Charles experienced often as a child while his mom traveled without him. The "People's Princess" was always caring and mindful of her children's future, although many misinterpreted her free spirit as a sign of planned rebellion against the monarchy.
"I mean, once or twice I’ve heard people say to me that, you know, ‘Diana’s out to destroy the monarchy,’ which has bewildered me, because why would I want to destroy something that is my children’s future," Diana recalled in the famous Panorama interview. "I will fight for my children on any level in order for them to be happy and have peace of mind and carry out their duties."
References:
https://micky.com.au/prince-william-prince-harry-used-to-prepare-princess-diana-mothers-day-treats/
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/special/politics97/diana/panorama.html
