Prince William honors late mom Princess Diana on UK Mother's Day with never-before-seen photo

LONDON, ENGLAND: Prince William celebrated U.K. Mother’s Day by offering a rare glimpse into the past of his late mum, Princess Diana.

The Prince of Wales marked the occasion with a previously unseen photo of Diana, posted to the official social media account he shares with Catherine, Princess of Wales. The image was taken in 1984 and shows a young Diana standing in a field of flowers with a two-year-old William by her side.

"Remembering my mother, today and every day. Thinking of all those who are remembering someone they love today. Happy Mother’s Day. W," William wrote on Instagram.

Diana passed away at 36 in 1997 in a fatal car crash and would have turned 65 in July of this year. At the time of her death, William was 15 and his younger brother, Prince Harry, was 12.

Carrying on Diana's legacy

Over they years, both princes have openly spoken about losing their mother at such a young age. In 2017, William shared that he often talks about Diana with his children and believes she would "be a lovely grandmother."

The brothers have also kept her legacy alive through the Diana Legacy Awards Ceremony, an annual event that recognizes young people for "inspirational work."

Diana’s influence on William’s priorities is clear in his public work. In the first part of his two-part documentary, 'Prince William: We Can End Homelessness,' which aired in 2024, the Prince of Wales reflected on how his mother shaped his outlook on social issues.

“I have taken some guidance from what my mother did,” he said. William recalled how Diana once took him and Harry to The Passage (a charity that works to end homelessness and help those in need) when they were still children.

“I must have been about 11, I think probably at the time. Maybe 10,” William said. “I’d never been to anything like that before. And I was a bit anxious as to what to expect. My mother went about her usual part of making everyone feel relaxed and having a laugh and joking with everyone. I remember at the time kind of thinking, ‘Well, if everyone’s not got a home, they’re all going to be really sad.’ But it was incredible how happy an environment it was.”

He noted that the visit left a lasting impression.

“I remember having some good conversations just playing chess and chatting, and that’s when it dawned on me that there are other people out there who don’t have the same life as you do. When you’re quite small, you don’t really — you just think life is what you see in front of you. You don’t really have the concept to look elsewhere. And it’s when you meet people, like I did then, who put a different perspective in your head and say, like, ‘I was in the street last night.’ And you’re like, ‘Whoa,’ you know. It’s like — I remember that happening,” he added.

William is now patron of The Passage as well as Centrepoint, another charity that tackles homelessness. Diana had also served as patron of Centrepoint during her time as a working royal, and the organization was one of the first that William became patron of in 2005.

Royal family marks Mother’s Day with a few notable absences

King Charles III and Queen Camilla also marked the UK holiday with their own social media post from the official page of the British royal family.

The post featured photos of family members, including the late Queen Elizabeth II and Camilla’s mother, Rosalind Shand. One image shows the late Queen sitting with a young Charles and his sister Anne, Princess Royal, with the Queen’s corgi visible in the background.

"Wishing Mothers everywhere, and those who might be missing their Mums today, a restful Mothering Sunday," the royal family posted.

Notably missing from Charles’ family photos were his brothers, Prince Edward and Prince Andrew.

Andrew, 66, was stripped of his titles last fall and was arrested on February 19 amid allegations of misconduct in public life. He was released later that day. The former prince has also faced scrutiny over his past friendship with the late convicted offender Jeffrey Epstein.