WINDSOR, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 10: Prince William, Prince of Wales and Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex on the long Walk at Windsor Castle on September 10, 2022 in Windsor, England. Crowds have gathered and tributes left at the gates of Windsor Castle to Queen Elizabeth II, who died at Balmoral Castle on 8 September, 2022. (Photo by Chris Jackson - WPA Pool/Getty Images)
The Devastating Reason Balmoral Haunts Prince Harry And Prince William
Lifestyle - News
By ALEX ANAGNOSON
Upon the announcement that Queen Elizabeth II was in ill health, members of the royal family congregated by her side at Balmoral Castle in Scotland to be with her in her final hours. The castle, purchased by Queen Victoria’s husband Prince Albert in 1852, has a long history within the royal family, but it also has a deep and haunting connection to William and Harry, due to the tragic death of their mother, Diana, in 1997.
Diana, the former Princess of Wales, died in August 1997 in a tragic car accident when her sons, Princes William and Harry, were only 15 and 12 years old. The young boys were vacationing at Balmoral Castle for the summer with their father and grandmother at the time and were awoken by their father who shared with them the tragic news.
The Sunday morning after her death, William and Harry, along with their father — all wore black and attended church services at Crathie Kirk, a small church near Balmoral Castle that serves as the regular place of worship for the royal family while they are in the area. William later said that while he was "touched" by the public's expression of sympathy for their loss, though at the time, "None of it sank in."