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35 Photos Of Princess Diana With Harry & William To Make Your Heart Sing

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Of all her titles, "mom" is perhaps one of the most memorable. Along with serving in numerous royal capacities, Princess Diana was a devoted mother to her two boys. And while their time together was tragically cut short, there are so many photos of Princess Diana with Prince Harry and Prince William that show how she loved them with all of her heart. Between playing together in the backyard, enjoying a vacation together, or just smiling throughout a royal event, Princess Diana was the picture of motherly devotion.

Since coming into their own as parents and as people, Prince William and Prince Harry have spoken numerous times about the profound impact Princess Diana had on their lives. During an interview for a 2017 TV documentary, marking the 20th anniversary of his mother’s passing, Prince William described her parenting style as "very informal and really enjoyed the laughter and the fun." He also said that "she understood that there was a real life outside of palace walls."

Tragically, Princess Diana never got to meet her five grandchildren — Prince George, Princess Charlotte, Prince Louis, Archie, and Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's daughter making her debut this summer — but her love and devotion to her boys is surely at the foundation of the ways in which they live their lives.

The following photos of Princess Diana with her sons are just a handful of the many moments the family shared and reflect her legacy as a mom.

Princess Diana's First Moments With William

Prince William's "first appearance" as a baby wasn't quite the affair that his own children experienced. But the tradition of showing new royal babies to the public was alive and well even then, and Diana's tender early moments with William are something to see.

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Princess Diana & Baby William Having A Picnic

Few things rival watching your child grow in leaps and bounds during their first year of life. The smile on Diana's face in this early photo of her and William makes her joy clear.

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Princess Diana Using Her Pinky As A Binky

At first glance, the best thing in this photo is that incredible christening gown. But if you look a little bit closer, Princess Diana is letting baby William use her pinky as a pacifier — a timeless way of calming a fussy baby and a beautifully intimate moment caught on film.

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Princess Diana Holding William Up As He Practices A Royal Wave

Princess Diana was an active parent and photos of her interacting with the boys make that clear. Just look at her helping William with his steps as he waves to the camera.

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Princess Diana & William Looking Cozy As Can Be

There's nothing rigid or uncomfortable in Diana's posture when it comes to photos of her with her boys. Call it maternal instinct or lessons learned during her time as a nanny, but she was a natural with kids.

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Princess Diana Holding Little William's Little Hand

Yet another example of Princess Diana helping William as he walks, this photo is a sweet one.

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Princess Diana And Harry Posing For A Glamour Photo

Looking as cute as his brother in the family's christening gown, Prince Harry sits on his mother's lap in this sweet photo.

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Princess Diana, Her Boys, A Piano... Perfection

Photos of the royals gathered at home have a special intimacy that paparazzi photos can lack, and this photo of the three of them around the piano is a perfect example.

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Princess Diana Clutching Baby Harry

Princess Diana was very physically affectionate with her boys, more so than many past royal parents. And even when they were on the go, she cuddled her babies close.

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Princess Diana Holding Up Little Harry

Once the boys became a little bit more independent, Princess Diana was there to support them and hold their hands when needed.

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Princess Diana Supervising Harry (In Camo) On A Slide

No matter how busy her royal schedule was, Princess Diana always had time to play with her boys and make life fun.

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Princess Diana Taking A Stroll With William

With boys growing up quickly, the photos of Diana with her boys were more photos of them in motion than quiet cuddles, but the moments were treasured all the same.

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Princess Diana Lounging With Her Boys

Princess Diana is the picture of parental ease in this photo of her and the boys.

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Even In White Stripes, Princess Diana Embraces A Little Messiness

Princess Diana wasn't afraid to get a little messy when playing with her kids. Which is a good thing because in this photo of her and Harry playing near the water, there's little chance her pretty white clothes won't get splashed.

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Princess Diana Showing Off Her Boys

Can you blame Princess Diana for wanting to show off her boys when they're all dressed up in their cute school uniforms?

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Princess Diana Looking Picture Perfect In Pink

Prince Charles may look ready to sneeze, but Princess Diana's smile is perfectly in place with the hustle and bustle of family life around her.

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Princess Diana Wearing Cheetah At The Beach

Along with fun at home, Prince William and Prince Harry enjoyed numerous vacations in sand and snow. The family beach trip photos may be my favorite.

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Princess Diana Guiding Her Boys

Always there to lead them, Princess Diana was a guiding force in the lives of her children.

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Princess Diana Getting In A Quick Hug

Princess Diana squeezes in a quick hug with William as life proceeds around her. These kinds of tender moments can't be manufactured.

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Princess Diana Dressed To The Nines

The family is dressed to the nines and looking great. Diana's body language shows that she's always looking out for her boys.

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Princess Diana Patting Harry On The Head

In a quintessential mom move, Princess William places her hand on Harry's head as they walk.

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Princess Diana Looking A Lot Like William

At this angle, the family resemblance between Diana and her eldest son is obvious. What a gorgeous pair.

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Princess Diana Skiing With Her Boys

Royal family ski trips are iconic, and photos of Princess Diana in ski gear with her boys are the perfect mix of nostalgia and inspiration.

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Princess Diana, Aka *Cool Mom*

Note the leather jacket and mom jeans — Princess Diana wasn't just your average mom, she was a cool mom. Excuse me while I search PoshMark for that entire outfit.

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Princess Diana, Happy Mama

Easy, comfortable smiles; cuddles on a fuzzy blanket — Princess Diana was all in when it came to raising her boys, and the happiness the three of them felt when together was palpable.

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Princess Diana Looking Like A Style Icon With Her Boys

This photo from 1986 shows an incredibly stylish Princess Diana with William and Harry landing in Scotland for their vacation. I'm obsessed with both of the boys' coats, and Diana's skirt with boots.

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Princess Diana, Her Boys, & Her Royal Duties

This photo from the 1990 shows Prince Harry, Prince William, Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, and Princess Diana riding in a carriage back to Buckingham Palace from the Trooping the Colour event. Even when performing royal duties, Diana can't keep her eyes off her boys.

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Princess Diana & Her Boys On Holiday

This photo from 1988 features Princess Diana and her boys on holiday in Majorca, and it looks like such a sweet, candid photo. The sun looks inviting, the boys look happy, and while Diana looks pensive and thoughtful, I'm sure she was so happy to just be with her boys.

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Princess Diana, A Portrait Of Motherhood

From 1986, this is a photo of Princess Diana holding a sweet, thumb-sucking Prince Harry in Majorca as guests of King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia of Spain. To the left, you can see Prince William sitting on someone's lap — I assume it's Prince Charles. I'm obsessed with Diana's dress, the matching stripes on the boys, and the way she's looking at William as she cuddles Harry. So sweet.

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Princess Diana Holding Her Blonde Babe

Another photo from Scotland, this one was taken in October of 1983 as Princess Diana carries Prince William out of an airplane. 100% obsessed with his quilted coat, but again, it's that look Diana seems to give both of her boys all the time that is really magical.

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Princess Diana & Baby Harry On A Yacht

Princess Diana looks absolutely gorgeous in this green coat designed by David and Elizabeth Emanuel on the deck of the Royal Yacht Britannia in 1985. Holding Prince Harry, the two are in Venice, Italy and look absolutely lovely. Nobody could deny that perfect, protective mama bear stance Diana has right now.

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Princess Diana, Proud Mama

I can not get over her expression here. It's September 1984 in this photo, and Diana is leaving the hospital with her brand new baby Prince Harry. She looks so proud to walk out with him in her arms, and also like she has a little secret — like only she can know how perfect he is right now.

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Princess Diana, The Sports Mom

Princess Diana is shown here in 1989 with Prince William at the Cartier International Polo Day celebration. I love her mom look of a sweet, easy dress and low sling backs, but I also love the look she and William are sharing. Like she knows what he's thinking, and he's just delighted to be in her company.

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Princess Diana, All Smiles With Her Boys

This photo is from 1995, just two years before Princess Diana would tragically die, and it's so endearing. No matter what, I think it's clear that Princess Diana was always smiling when she was with her boys, and they seem to feel the same way about her.

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Princess Diana, Royal Hand-Holder Of Her Boys

You may not be able to see Princess Diana's face here, but you can see all of that maternal love right there in her hands. Both boys are gripping onto her, and I just know she's squeezing their hands and holding onto them tightly so they know she's always, always there.

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