--- title: "Prince Harry opens up about guilt and emotional struggles following Princess Diana's death" description: "Prince Harry revealed on MasterClass how he spent years feeling guilty for experiencing joy after Princess Diana's death in 1997, until he realized his mother wanted him to be happy." date: 2026-10-16T07:56:59.689Z lang: en url: https://xab.info/en/posts/prince-harry-opens-up-about-guilt-after-dianas-death tags: [prince-harry, princess-diana, mental-health, grief, masterclass] author: "Marina Slivenko" publisher: "XAB.info" --- # Prince Harry opens up about guilt and emotional struggles following Princess Diana's death ![Prince Harry in a dark blue suit with a red beard speaking at a public event](https://xab.info/media/2026/10/16/prints-garri-rasskazal-o-perezhivaniyakh-posle-gibeli-diany/prints-garri-rasskazal-o-perezhivaniyakh-posle-gibeli-diany-1.webp) ## Key Points - Prince Harry admitted to feeling guilty for happy moments following Princess Diana's death for years. - He was 12 years old when his mother died in a car crash in 1997. - Realizing that Diana wanted him to be happy brought the prince deep psychological relief. - The revelations were made during a MasterClass session dedicated to overcoming grief. Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, has shared his memories of the heavy emotional toll he experienced following the death of his mother, Princess Diana, in 1997. During a special session on the educational platform MasterClass titled "Reimagining Grief: Building Resilience Through Loss," he confessed that for years he felt guilty for any moments of happiness. According to the prince, for a long time he perceived his own joy as a betrayal of his mother's memory. ### Childhood trauma and emotional numbness The tragedy in the Alma tunnel in Paris claimed Princess Diana's life on the night of August 31, 1997, when her younger son was only 12 years old and his older brother, Prince William, was 15. As the Duke of Sussex noted, this blow plunged him into a state of emotional numbness for a long time. For years, he genuinely believed he was obligated to remain depressed and sorrowful to prove the depth of his grief to those around him and to himself. The prince emphasized that during his childhood and adolescence, no one explained the obvious thing to him: feeling joy after a severe loss is not forbidden or reprehensible. Due to the lack of such support, any positive emotions triggered a heavy sense of infidelity within him. Harry admitted that he carried this invisible burden for years, suppressing any attempts to live a full life. ### Psychological shift and redefining grief A turning point in his perception of the tragedy came when the prince was able to look at the situation from a completely different perspective. He realized that his mother's sincere wish was not for her children to suffer eternally, but for them to be well. The realization that Princess Diana genuinely wanted him to be happy brought deep relief and transformed his worldview. This internal shift allowed Harry to rid himself of destructive guilt and permit himself to experience the full spectrum of human emotions. He noted that the memory of departed loved ones does not require abandoning happiness, and the very ability to experience joy can become a vital pillar in overcoming the aftermath of any large-scale loss. ### The significance of personal experience in public space Prince Harry's candid confessions came against the backdrop of his active participation in educational and psychotherapeutic projects aimed at supporting people in crisis. Previously, he also shared experiences regarding the stress and emotional exhaustion he faced after moving from the UK to Canada in 2020. Public discussion of personal trauma, combating depression, and the consequences of prolonged exposure to a stressful environment helps break social stigmas surrounding mental health and demonstrates the importance of timely psychological support. ## Fact-Check & Sources - [Принц Гарри рассказал, как переживал потерю матери: "Она хотела, чтобы я был счастлив"](https://wave.rbc.ua/ukr/stars/prints-garri-rozpoviv-k-perezhivav-vtratu-1792135602.html) - The primary source confirms all key details of Prince Harry's speech on the MasterClass platform regarding his experiences after Princess Diana's death. - [Принц Гарри признался, что впал в депрессию после переезда из Великобритании](https://www.marieclaire.ru/vestnik/princ-garri-priznalsya-chto-vpal-v-depressiyu-posle-pereezda-iz-velikobritanii/) - The additional source confirms Harry's participation in MasterClass projects and his discussions on mental health and stress management. - [Принц Гарри прервал речь об опасностях ИИ из-за неожиданной причины](https://www.mk.ru/social/2026/09/24/princ-garri-prerval-rech-ob-opasnostyakh-ii-izza-neozhidannoy-prichiny.html) - The source confirms Prince Harry's public speaking engagements and media activity. ## FAQ ### How old was Prince Harry when Princess Diana died? Prince Harry was 12 years old when Princess Diana died in August 1997. ### Where did Prince Harry share his experiences? The Duke of Sussex shared his thoughts during a special session on the MasterClass platform titled "Reimagining Grief: Building Resilience Through Loss". ### Why did the prince feel guilty for a long time? He believed that any signs of joy and happiness without his mother were a betrayal of her memory, forcing himself to remain depressed.