Prince William and Prince Harry 'will commemorate Princess Diana's 25th anniversary apart'

The brothers' bond has been strained by events in recent years

Prince William and Prince Harry will commemorate their mother's 25th anniversary separately, according to a report. AFP

Britain’s Prince William and Prince Harry will commemorate the 25th anniversary of their mother Princess Diana separately, it has been reported.

On Wednesday, the world will remember the ill-fated royal dubbed the “People’s Princess” a quarter of a century after she was killed in a car crash alongside her boyfriend Dodi Fayed in Paris.

William, 40, and Harry, 37, will each remember their late mother with their own wives and children and not reunite for the anniversary, according to The Telegraph.

The once-close bond between the royal brothers has in recent years been strained. Harry’s decision to quit life as a working royal, move to the US and publicly criticise his family is said to have deepened the gulf between him and his elder brother.

The Duke of Sussex last year told Oprah Winfrey in a televised interview that his relationship with William, the future king, had been reduced to “space”. But months later they put on a united front to unveil a statue of their mother in the grounds of Kensington Palace.

In 2017, William and Harry joined forces to publicly commemorate the 20th anniversary of Diana’s death.

They set up a memorial garden at Kensington Palace, where they spent much of their childhood with the mother, and took part in a documentary. The brothers also loaned sentimental belongings of Diana to an official exhibition.

But five years on they have decided to remember Diana in their separate ways, and have made clear the commemorations in 2017 would be the last milestone anniversary they would mark in public for the foreseeable future, according to the report.

Harry last week said he would “share the spirit” of the Princess of Wales with his children as he marks her anniversary.

Harry said he wishes Archie and Lilibet could have met his late mother whom he said “most certainly will never be forgotten”.

Speaking at a dinner in Aspen, Colorado, for Sentebale – his Africa-based charity supporting youngsters with HIV – the queen’s grandson said he hopes to do Diana proud every day.

“My dear friend Prince Seeiso and I founded Sentebale 16 years ago in honour of our mothers, with a mission to support many of the most vulnerable young people on the planet – and to give them care and help them thrive,” Harry told the audience.

“In Sesotho, the language of the Basotho – the word Sentebale means ‘forget-me-not’.

“Next week is the 25th anniversary of my mother’s death, and she most certainly will never be forgotten.

“I want it to be a day filled with memories of her incredible work and love for the way she did it.

“I want it to be a day to share the spirit of my mum with my family, with my children, who I wish could have met her.

“Every day, I hope to do her proud. She was tireless in her work to support and destigmatise those experiencing HIV/AIDS. Fittingly, her favourite flowers were forget-me-nots.

“I hope we can remember my mother’s legacy by recommitting to those we serve, whoever and wherever that may be.

“For Sentebale, our commitment is to ending HIV and providing meaningful care and support for the children and young people whose lives have been affected by this disease. Because they too will never be forgotten.”