Prince Harry has opened up about one of the most painful regrets of his life, revealing that he wanted to return to playing with his cousins rather than spend longer talking to Princess Diana during their final phone call. Nearly three decades after losing his mother, the Duke of Sussex says he still thinks about that conversation and wishes he had known it would be their last.
In his recent interview, Harry reflected on how differently he would have spoken to Diana if he had realised the significance of that moment. At just 12 years old, he had no idea that an ordinary conversation with his mother would become a lifelong source of regret.
Harry's Final Call With Diana
In a new interview with GQ for its One More Question series, Harry reflected on the phone call he shared with Diana just hours before she died in a car crash in Paris on 31 August 1997. He was only 12 years old, while his older brother, Prince William, was 15, and neither boy knew they were about to lose their mother.
The brothers were staying at Balmoral, the Scottish retreat of Queen Elizabeth II, when Diana called them. As Harry recalled in the 2017 documentary Diana, Our Mother: Her Life and Legacy, they were keen to get back to playing with their cousins, an ordinary childhood desire that would take on a heartbreaking significance years later.
The Words He Wishes He'd Said
Looking back, Harry admitted that knowing the call would be their last would have changed everything about how he approached it. 'If I'd known it was the last call with her, how different that conversation would have been', he told GQ, reflecting on the words he might have chosen if he had understood what was coming.
He also spoke candidly about the guilt he has carried over his childhood priorities. 'And I'm the one that has to live with that. And the fact that as a 12-year-old kid, all I wanted to do was go off and run and play with my cousins', he said. His recollection offers a painful glimpse into how an ordinary moment can become a lifelong source of regret when there is no opportunity to do things differently.
Diana Remains on His Mind
Diana died aged 36, leaving Harry and William to grow up without their mother. Although nearly 30 years have passed, Harry revealed that she remains a regular presence in his thoughts, rather than someone he remembers only on anniversaries or significant occasions.
'It's just a quick sort of like, "Wow, miss you. Wonder what the world would be like if you were still here. Wonder what my family would be like if you were still here",' he explained. His reflections also extend to the family he has built with Meghan Markle, including their children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, and the life Diana never had the chance to witness.
He Still Feels Connected
Harry also described a continuing sense of connection with his late mother, explaining that he sometimes asks her questions and feels he receives a response. 'Sometimes there's questions that I ask her, looking for some kind of response, and sometimes I do get a response', he said, describing a deeply personal experience of grief.
He added that he still feels his mother's energy at certain points in his life. Harry acknowledged that this connection is difficult to explain, but his comments show that his relationship with Diana remains meaningful to him long after her death. He did not present the experience as something that could be objectively verified, but as a feeling that continues to shape his life.
Fatherhood Changed His Perspective
Becoming a father also helped Harry understand the importance of recognising and managing his emotions. He recalled that when he picked up Archie while feeling stressed, his young son seemed to respond to that tension immediately, prompting Harry to become more conscious of the atmosphere he brought into family life.
He began using his 40-minute drives home from London to calm himself before spending time with Archie. The experience reinforced his belief that parents need to understand their own feelings, even when those emotions are difficult to identify, because children can be sensitive to changes in their behaviour.
Therapy Helped Him Grieve
Harry said he spent 20 years suppressing his feelings before therapy helped him acknowledge his pain and give himself permission to grieve. His willingness to discuss those experiences now forms part of his wider effort to help other people who are struggling with bereavement.
He has also explored the subject in Redefining Grief: Building Resilience Through Loss, a MasterClass created with grief expert Dr Mary-Frances O'Connor. Harry said people ranging from nine-year-old to 90-year-old have told him that sharing his experiences has helped them, reinforcing his determination to keep speaking openly. While he cannot change what happened during that final call with Diana, he hopes that being honest about his regret will help others feel less alone in their own grief.
