Princess Diana’s legacy is ‘not Harry’s to continue’ say Mirror readers amid New York trip

Prince Harry has been on a solo trip to New York this week, where he attended a series of events that were championed by his late mother Princess Diana – and we asked Mirror readers to share their thoughts.

During his three-day visit, the Duke of Sussex fronted an event with the HALO Trust, a landmine clearance charity supported by Diana during the final years of her life. In 1997, the princess memorably walked through an active minefield in Angola as she called for an international ban.

Speaking at a panel in front of nonprofit professionals and funders, Harry said: “As you know, the HALO Trust work in Angola mattered a great deal to my mother. Carrying on her legacy is something I take incredibly seriously.”

He added: “And I think we all know how much she would want us to finish this particular job. We are all here because we are a band of true believers, fighting for a mine free world .”

He also appeared at the Concordia Summit on behalf of the Diana Award, which was established 25-years-ago to reflect his mother’s belief that young people have the “power to change their community, their country and the world.” Joined by former award winners Christina Williams and Chiara Riyanti, the prince discussed the mental health crisis facing young people.

He told them: “I know that my mum would be incredibly proud of you guys, not just you, but all of the winners, and, Tessy – you’ve been in this for a very long time so thank you for that as well. But the way that you do it, your activism, your compassion, those two things are so true to how my mom led her life and what she believed in. And the way that you do it is incredible. So thank you.”

As part of Harry’s excursion in the Big Apple, he has raised awareness for conservation and sustainable travel initiatives, as well as furthering the work of The Archewell Foundation. Speaking in 2022, Harry admitted that he felt “obligated” to live out his mother’s legacy “as much as possible”, adding that he has always made an effort to continue her “unfinished” work.

He told podcast host Gareth Thomas: “I think once you get to meet people and you see the suffering around the world, you can’t turn, I certainly can’t turn, my back on that. Then add in the fact that my mum’s work was unfinished, I feel obligated to try and continue that as much as possible.”

Harry added: “I could never fill her shoes, especially in this particular space because of what she did and what she stood for and how vocal she was about this issue.” We asked Mirror readers if they thought Harry was doing a good job of continuing Diana’s legacy, and a whopping 82 per cent said ‘No’.