Prince Harry has been carrying out a whirlwind of engagements in September and October, traveling everywhere from New York to London to Lesotho on behalf of some of the causes closest to his heart. Amid his recent charity work, one royal expert has shared her thoughts on what Princess Diana might think about her son's new life.
Speaking to OK!, Jennie Bond—who served as the BBC's royal correspondent for 14 years—said she thought the late princess would have been in favor of the Duke of Sussex carving his own path after leaving the U.K. for a new start in Montecito, Calif. in 2020.
"Diana would, I'm sure, have been very supportive of the choices Harry has made," she told the magazine. "I think she would have been proud of him for having the courage to leave a life in which he was so unhappy."
The late Princess of Wales certainly wasn't one to stick to royal convention herself, and Bond added that Diana "probably would have giggled with delight at some of the barbs he had fired at palace courtiers, the 'grey men' who she felt made her life such a misery."
It was widely reported that Diana was also keen to forge a new beginning in America after her divorce from Prince Charles, and her brother, Earl Spencer, even referenced her desire to leave London during the eulogy he gave at her 1997 funeral.
It seems fitting that the prince would want to keep his mother's legacy alive, a passion he spoke about during an event for The HALO Trust, the landmine clearance charity Diana supported leading up to her death.
"As you know, The HALO Trust work in Angola meant a great deal to my mother. Carrying on her legacy is a responsibility that I take incredibly seriously," the Duke of Sussex said at the event.
Harry has been speaking out on topics like online safety, climate change and mental health recently, and Bond praised the prince for being "brilliant with the people he meets."
"I think it shows the family back home that he is still determined to continue his kind of service without all the royal trappings," the former BBC reporter said. "If he wants to use his platform to do good, then we should applaud him for it."
Although he's faced some criticism for wanting to carry out duties without being a working royal, Bond said she doesn't "think he's trying to put noses out of joint" with his appearances.
"I think he's just following his instincts, as well as his mother's example," she continued. "It's no coincidence that he has taken up several of the causes she espoused. I think he feels a real vocation to carry on her work."
The Duke of Sussex is currently visiting Lesotho and South Africa to promote the youth empowerment programs carried out by Sentebale, the charity he co-founded with Lesotho's Prince Seeiso in 2006. And earlier this week, Harry met young people facing serious illnesses at the WellChild Awards in London after a trip to NYC for UN Climate Week.
Bond said she found it "perfectly normal" that Harry and wife Meghan Markle would "sometimes carry out solo engagements, leaving one parent at home to look after the children."
"It strikes me that they have a very equal partnership which allows them both to stand out," she said. "And the truth is, Harry still shines brilliantly on his own."
