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William and Harry recall 1997 scenes as they view Diana tributes

The Duke of Cambridge and his brother met well-wishers at Kensington Palace as they mark the anniversary of their mother's death.

Wednesday 30 August 2017 22:53, UK

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The Duke of Cambridge and Prince Harry have viewed tributes laid outside Kensington Palace to their late mother Princess Diana.

On the eve of the 20th anniversary of Diana's death, her two sons recalled scenes from two decades ago as they stopped to look at messages, pictures and flowers left at the gates of the royal residence.

William and Harry sheltered under umbrellas as they thanked the several hundred well-wishers who had gathered outside Kensington Palace on Wednesday, which was Diana's official home until she died in a Paris car crash on 31 August 1997.

Pointing out where the sea of tributes had reached in the immediate days after their mother's death, William told Harry: "Last time, it was all the way down."

Earlier, they were joined by the Duchess of Cambridge as they toured a memorial garden created for Diana in the grounds of Kensington Palace.

Known as the White Garden, thousands of white flowers and foliage - inspired by memories of Diana's life, style and image, such as her white "Elvis" Catherine Walker dress - have been temporarily planted around the existing Sunken Garden.

After their tour, the Duke and Prince met past and present gardeners, as well as representatives from the charities supported by Diana in the final years of her life - including Great Ormond Street Hospital, the National Aids Trust, The Leprosy Mission, Royal Marsden Hospital, English National Ballet and Centrepoint.

Harry told one group of charity representatives: "I can imagine for a lot of you it was like 'right here we go, now we've got her, we've got the thirst, we've got the attention, now let's do something' then suddenly she's snapped away - if I can put it (this way) all of us lost somebody."

Later this year, William and Harry plan to erect a permanent statue of their mother in the palace grounds "to recognise her positive impact in the UK and around the world".

Image: July 1962: A family album picture of Lady Diana Spencer at Park House, Sandringham, on her first birthday
Image: 1968: Diana with her brother Charles, Lord Althorp (Earl Spencer)
Image: 1970: Diana during a summer holiday at Itchenor, West Sussex
Image: 1974: Diana with Souffle, a Shetland pony, at her mother's home in Scotland during the summer holidays
Image: Oct 1980: Diana alongside Camilla Parker-Bowles at Ludlow Races where Prince Charles was competing
Image: Oct 1980: Diana watches Prince Charles finish second in the club amateur riders handicap steeplechase at Ludlow racecourse
Image: Sept 1980: Diana, aged 19, at the kindergarten in St George's Square, Pimlico, London, where she worked as a teacher
Image: Nov 1980: Diana is pursued by the media near her London flat after being linked romantically with the Prince of Wales
Image: Nov 1980: Diana leaves her flat at Coleherne Court in Earl's Court
Image: Feb 1981: Charles and Diana announce their engagement
Image: July 1981: Earl Spencer accompanies his daughter at her wedding to the Prince of Wales at St Paul's Cathedral
Image: July 1981: The newly married Prince and Princess of Wales kiss on the balcony of Buckingham Palace after their wedding ceremony at St Paul's
Image: Aug 1981: Charles and Diana take a break during their country stroll along the banks of the River Dee, during a holiday at Balmoral Castle
Image: June 1982: The proud couple on the steps of the Lindo Wing at St Mary's Hospital with their son Prince William
Image: 1983: Diana and Charles watch an official event during their first royal Australian tour
Image: Sept 1984: The Prince and Princess of Wales leave hospital with their new baby Prince Henry (Harry)
Image: April 1985: Diana and Charles meet with Pope John Paul II during a private audience a the Vatican
Image: July 1985: Diana and Charles stand with Bob Geldof in the Royal Box at Wembley Stadium at the start of the Live Aid Transatlantic Spectacular
Image: Nov 1985: Diana wears a Victor Edelstein gown as she dances at a White House dinner with John Travolta. The gown sold for $222,500 during an AIDS charity auction
Image: Nov 1985: US President Ronald Reagan and his wife Nancy welcome Princess Diana and Prince Charles at the White House
Image: July 1985: Diana laughs with Carolyn Herbert in the Royal box at Wimbledon before the men's singles semifinal between Jimmy Connors and Kevin Curren
Image: June 1986: Prince Charles and pop stars look on as Princess Diana cuts a cake to mark the tenth year of the Prince's Trust at a charity rock concert at Wembley
Image: Feb 1987: Charles watches Diana and The Duchess of York in the snow at Klosters in the Swiss Alps
Image: Aug 1987: Diana holds William, 6, and Harry, 3, as they pose during a photo session in Palma de Mallorca, Spain
Image: June 1988: Diana in the driving seat of the 'Striker' tank, getting instructions from Sgt Chris O'Byrne on Salisbury Plain
Image: Aug 1988: Prince Harry yawns as his mother holds him at Marivent Palace as guests of King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia in Mallorca
Image: Sept 1989: Diana follows her sons Prince Harry, 5, and Prince William, 7, on Harry's first day at the Wetherby School in Notting Hill, west London
Image: Feb 1992: Diana sits alone in front of the Taj Mahal during a Royal tour of India
Image: Feb 1992: Diana, William, and Harry applaud during the Wales vs France Five Nations Cup match at Cardiff Arms Park
Image: April 1991: Diana meets an AIDS patient at the hospital of the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro in Brazil
Image: Feb 1992: Diana holds the hands of Mother Teresa at the Missionary Sisters of Charity residence in Rome
Image: Feb 1992: Charles kisses Diana after playing a game of polo with a Rajasthan team in Jaipur, India
Image: Jan 1993: Diana relaxes on the sand during a visit to the beach on the Caribbean Island of Nevis
Image: Jan 1993: Diana enjoys the splash of a wave during a morning swim on the Caribbean Island of Nevis
Image: March 1993: Diana gives a high five to Danny Walters, a 29-year-old student onlooker, after her visit to the Riverpoint hostel for women in Southwark, London
Image: Aug 1993: Diana ducks whilst descending a log flume water ride, Splash Mountain, at Walt Disney World in Florida. Prince Harry is shown front left
Image: Dec 1993: Diana , patron of the National AIDS Trust, chats with singer George Michael before the start of the Concert of Hope in London to mark World AIDS Day
Image: June 1994: Diana meets invited guests at the Serpentine gallery in Hyde Park
Image: July 1994: Diana and Harry talk with Flavio Briatore, team manager for the Benetton Ford F-1 before the start of the British Grand Prix at Silverstone
Image: Jan 1995: Diana attends an awards ceremony for the Council of fashion Designers of America, in New York
Image: May 1995: The Prince of Wales, Prince William, Princess Diana and Prince Harry attend a ceremony in Hyde Park to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of VE Day
Image: Aug 1995: Diana, Harry, William and Charles watch the parade march past as part of the commemorations of VJ Day in London
Image: Sept 1995: Diana attends the concert 'Luciano Pavarotti and friends together for the children of Bosnia' in Modena, Italy
Image: Feb 1996: Diana pulls on her head scarf as her friend Jemima Goldsmith does the same at the Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital in Lahore, Pakistan
Image: Jan 1997: Diana walks in a safety corridor of the landmine field in Huanbo, Angola, during a visit to help a Red Cross campaign outlaw landmines worldwide
Image: July 1997: Diana comforts pop star Elton John as he weeps at a memorial mass for Italian fashion king Gianni Versace in Milan
Image: Aug 1997: Diana comforts a woman during a visit to Sarajevo's Lion cemetery on one of her last engagements highlighting the suffering of landmine victims
Image: Aug 1997: Diana and Dodi al Fayed cruising in Saint Tropez, South France, just weeks before they were killed in a car crash in Paris

In recent interviews, described as the most personal they have ever given about their mother, the brothers have described the personal anguish they experienced and the "raw" grief they still feel.

They have spoken of their regret over a "desperate rush to say goodbye" during their final phone call with their mother on the night she died.

The pair have also released three of their favourite photos from an album put together by Diana, including one where she is holding William at the time she was pregnant with Harry.

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