Princess Diana's influence on Prince William, Harry amid 'estrangement'

It's been 28 years since Princess Diana's tragic death in a Paris car accident on August 31, 1997, but her influence on her sons, Prince William and Prince Harry, remains palpable. 

According to Patrick Jephson, Diana's former private secretary, the late royal left her sons with valuable lessons and "important warnings" that can still guide them today.

Despite their current estrangement, both princes continue to champion causes close to their mother's heart. Prince William has dedicated himself to addressing homelessness through his Homeward initiative, aiming to make homelessness "rare, brief, and unrepeated". 

Meanwhile, Prince Harry has maintained Diana's commitment to supporting AIDS victims and landmine clearance efforts with the Halo Trust in Angola. He even retraced his mother's footsteps by walking through a minefield, highlighting the ongoing impact of her legacy.

Tessy Ojo, CEO of The Diana Award, notes that both princes have been inspired by their mother's values, including duty, service, empathy, and selflessness. 

"I've seen how they watch young people who never met their mother articulate the impact she's had on them," Ojo says. "There is a sense of immense pride: 'Wow, my mother did that!'"

Historians and royal biographers believe that Princess Diana would have played a pivotal role in mediating between her sons if she were alive today. Andrew Morton, Diana's biographer, suggests that she would have been the "peacemaker" to bring her sons back together. 

Despite their differences, William and Harry have both honored their mother's legacy in their own ways, including giving their daughters her name as a middle name.