15 Rarely Seen Photos of Prince Harry and Princess Diana
These informal, rarely-seen snapshots celebrate the most magical times Prince Harry spent with "the best mother ever," as he's referred to her.
The proud mummy holds her early gift
The ginger-haired prince was born Prince Henry Charles Albert David on the grey-skied Saturday afternoon of September 15, 1984, at London’s St. Mary’s Hospital. Prince “Harry,” as he’s always been called, arrived one week ahead of schedule after nine hours of labour, the last three of which his mum, Diana, Princess of Wales, spent reading a paperback novel. Diana was 23 at the time and is positively glowing in this snapshot, one of the first of mummy and son.
Mummy gets baby off to a “flying” start
On March 22, 1985, many years before Prince Harry would become the pilot he is, he took one of his first plane rides, accompanied by his Mum, to Aberdeen, Scotland. The plane was a Boeing 757, and Diana had picked out this adorable “flying suit” to mark the occasion.
Arriving in Majorca, on Mummy’s lap
On August 7, 1986, Princess Diana held Prince Harry on her lap as they arrived in Majorca, Spain for a holiday. Also on the same plane flight were Prince Harry’s dad, Prince Charles, and brother, Prince William; the travel arrangements had the world in a tizzy (it broke the royal protocol of never having more than one heir to the throne on any one airplane).
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His Royal “Thumbsucker”
A year later, on another Spanish holiday in Majorca, Prince Harry is shown on his mum’s hip, his thumb firmly planted in his mouth—a seemingly unintentional reminder to the world that the prince is also a little boy just like every other little boy getting a ride in his mum’s arms.
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Giddyup!
On December 31, 1987, Prince Harry got to take one of his first pony rides, with mummy Diana walking protectively beside him. One day, the prince would grow up to be an accomplished polo player.
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Cheeky monkey
What could be more adorable than a three-and-a-half-year-old sticking out his tongue at the camera? How about a three-and-a-half-year-old prince sticking out his tongue while his mum, the princess, tries to reign in his cheekiness?
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Before he had ski poles
On April 16, 1991, seven-year-old Prince Harry still had not earned his ski poles (newbie skiers ski without poles until they’ve learned to properly stop and turn without using them), but something about this photo says that this adventurous little critter was trying to convince his mum to let him take the expert slope down the mountain.
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Just another schoolboy and his mum
January 9, 1992, was the first day of school following Christmas break, and eight-year-old Harry hurries along with his mum toward his prep school, London’s Wetherby School Notting Hill Gate. Hope they made it on time!
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Ah, the things a mum must sometimes do…
Not everyone relishes the whoosh of a log flume, but clearly, Prince Harry was in his happy place on this trip to Thorne Park in Surrey. Apparently, Princess Diana seemed to be enjoying herself as well.
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Oh, what fun it is to ride…
One reason losing his mum was so difficult for Prince Harry would have to be that Princess Diana was such a fun-loving and adventurous mum. Here’s a photo of Mum and son on a horse-drawn sleigh while taking a ski holiday in Austria in March 1994.
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Off to the races
Since 1926, the British Grand Prix has been a car-racing tradition in England. In 1994, it was held near the village of Silverstone in Northamptonshire, as it still is today. This candid shot beautifully captures Prince Harry’s impish smile and Diana’s delight at her son’s happiness.
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All dressed up, but…
It’s not that Prince Harry had nowhere to go; it’s just that this particular photo was taken on his older brother’s first day at Eton College, the distinguished prep school from which both William and Harry would graduate—get a look at these photos of Prince William with his mum, too. This photo of Prince Harry walking with his mum dates back to 1995. Prince Harry started at Eton in 1998.
Come this way…
In yet another instance of Prince Harry showing up for his older brother’s milestone several years before he’d take his turn, here is a photo from the 1997 confirmation of Prince William. Diana, dressed in baby blue, reaches her hand out for Prince Harry to take. It’s almost a given that the next moment, he grabbed onto mum’s hand as he entered Windsor Castle.
High seas adventurers
Hmmm, where might Prince Harry have gotten his adventurous spirit? Could it be his mum? Here they’re zipping around on a personal watercraft on the French Riviera, near Saint Tropez, with Diana as Harry’s faithful navigator. Sadly, this photo was snapped on July 17, 1997, not even six weeks before Princess Diana would die tragically in an automobile crash in Paris.
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That brave face hid his private pain
Prince Harry was devastated by the loss of his mum. Here in early September of 1997, Harry accepts a bouquet of flowers in tribute to her, the “People’s Princess,” as she’ll forever be known. A few days later, he would bravely march along in the funeral processional, his mum’s casket holding the card on which the brothers had written, “Mummy.”
Next, with Harry’s autobiography due for release in fall of 2022, take a look back at the most scandalous royal memoirs ever published.
