Harry remembers ‘best mother in the world’

LONDON – It was not the vision of Princess Diana gliding across a ballroom nor that of the compassionate royal consoling AIDS victims that her son remembered.

Rather, it was an image of Diana at her most intimate and unguarded – the princess as a doting mother of William and Harry. “She kissed us last thing at night.Her beaming smile greeted us from school.She laughed hysterically and uncontrollably when sharing something silly she might have said or done that day,” Harry said with a mixture of princely composure and deep feeling.The memorial service on Friday organised by Prince William and Prince Harry climaxed a week of recalling her life and reviving old battles, albeit in a far lower key than the emotional tidal wave that swept over Britain following her death 10 years ago.In his eulogy, Harry said it was important “that we remember our mother as she would wish to be remembered, as she was: “fun-loving, generous, down to earth and entirely genuine”.The service went off with customary royal dignity, just days after published criticism persuaded Prince Charles’ second wife, Camilla, to abandon plans of attending.To the princess, her close friends and legions of Dianaphiles, Camilla was the other woman who destroyed the marriage.Richard Chartres, the bishop of London, called for an end to the sniping.”Still 10 years after her tragic death there are regular reports of ‘fury’ at this or that incident and the princess’ memory is used for scoring points.Let it end here,” Chartres said.”Let this service mark the point at which we let her rest in peace and dwell on her memory with thanksgiving and compassion.”That may be wishful thinking.Diana’s face still sells magazines and newspapers, and her story inspires an unending stream of books.For Harry and his older brother William, Friday was a simple tribute to an adored mother.”To us, just two loving children, she was quite simply the best mother in the world,” the 22-year-old Harry said.”When she was alive, we completely took for granted her unrivalled love of life, laughter, fun and folly,” he said.”She was our guardian, friend and protector.She never once allowed her unfaltering love for us to go unspoken or undemonstrated.”Harry, who was 12 when Diana died, said losing a parent at such a tender age “is indescribably shocking and sad”.Tens of hundreds of people gathered outside the Guards’ Chapel near Buckingham Palace.”She reached our lives deeply, even in America.She brought life to the palace and warmth, and that’s what the monarchy needed,” said Arlene Fitch (54) of Boston.Diana “got married the same year as me, she had children the same year as me and, as her boys have grown up, they have done just the same kind of things as our boys would do,” said Fitch’s sister, Marie Schofield (46) from Florida.Many Britons recalled her compassion.Eileen Neathey (56) of London, recounted a chance encounter with Diana at a hospital, where Neathey’s mother was a patient.”I had been up all night and was very upset, and when I bumped into Diana, I burst into tears,” said Neathey, outside Kensington Palace.”She put her arm round me and comforted me – that’s the way she was.”Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip were among the 500 people in the chapel.Prince Edward, Charles’ younger brother, and his sister, Princess Anne, also were there, as were Prime Minister Gordon Brown, former prime ministers John Major and Tony Blair, and representatives of 110 charities Diana supported.In the past, the royal family had refrained from any public remembrance of the anniversary of the princess’ death.This year, however, William and Harry took the lead in organising the memorial service, as well as a rock concert on Diana’s birthday, July 1, which drew 70 000 paying fans.Nampa-AP”She kissed us last thing at night.Her beaming smile greeted us from school.She laughed hysterically and uncontrollably when sharing something silly she might have said or done that day,” Harry said with a mixture of princely composure and deep feeling.The memorial service on Friday organised by Prince William and Prince Harry climaxed a week of recalling her life and reviving old battles, albeit in a far lower key than the emotional tidal wave that swept over Britain following her death 10 years ago.In his eulogy, Harry said it was important “that we remember our mother as she would wish to be remembered, as she was: “fun-loving, generous, down to earth and entirely genuine”.The service went off with customary royal dignity, just days after published criticism persuaded Prince Charles’ second wife, Camilla, to abandon plans of attending.To the princess, her close friends and legions of Dianaphiles, Camilla was the other woman who destroyed the marriage.Richard Chartres, the bishop of London, called for an end to the sniping.”Still 10 years after her tragic death there are regular reports of ‘fury’ at this or that incident and the princess’ memory is used for scoring points.Let it end here,” Chartres said.”Let this service mark the point at which we let her rest in peace and dwell on her memory with thanksgiving and compassion.”That may be wishful thinking.Diana’s face still sells magazines and newspapers, and her story inspires an unending stream of books.For Harry and his older brother William, Friday was a simple tribute to an adored mother.”To us, just two loving children, she was quite simply the best mother in the world,” the 22-year-old Harry said.”When she was alive, we completely took for granted her unrivalled love of life, laughter, fun and folly,” he said.”She was our guardian, friend and protector.She never once allowed her unfaltering love for us to go unspoken or undemonstrated.”Harry, who was 12 when Diana died, said losing a parent at such a tender age “is indescribably shocking and sad”.Tens of hundreds of people gathered outside the Guards’ Chapel near Buckingham Palace.”She reached our lives deeply, even in America.She brought life to the palace and warmth, and that’s what the monarchy needed,” said Arlene Fitch (54) of Boston.Diana “got married the same year as me, she had children the same year as me and, as her boys have grown up, they have done just the same kind of things as our boys would do,” said Fitch’s sister, Marie Schofield (46) from Florida.Many Britons recalled her compassion.Eileen Neathey (56) of London, recounted a chance encounter with Diana at a hospital, where Neathey’s mother was a patient.”I had been up all night and was very upset, and when I bumped into Diana, I burst into tears,” said Neathey, outside Kensington Palace.”She put her arm round me and comforted me – that’s the way she was.”Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip were among the 500 people in the chapel.Prince Edward, Charles’ younger brother, and his sister, Princess Anne, also were there, as were Prime Minister Gordon Brown, former prime ministers John Major and Tony Blair, and representatives of 110 charities Diana supported.In the past, the royal family had refrained from any public remembrance of the anniversary of the princess’ death.This year, however, William and Harry took the lead in organising the memorial service, as well as a rock concert on Diana’s birthday, July 1, which drew 70 000 paying fans.Nampa-AP