Prince Harry Says This Surprising Item of Princess Diana Helped Him Process Her Death

Prince Harry disclosed that he used his mum’s perfume to cope with her passing. In his memoir Spare , released on January 10 last year, the Duke of Sussex delved into his grief following Princess Diana’s tragic car accident in Paris in 1997, when he was just 12 years old. According to US Weekly, Harry recounted how his therapist encouraged him to recall memories of his mother. One vivid memory was of bringing his mother’s favorite perfume, First by Van Cleef & Arpels, to therapy sessions after her untimely death.

Harry wrote, “At the start of our session, I lifted the lid and took a deep sniff. Like a tab of LSD. I read somewhere that smell is our oldest sense, and that fitted with what I experienced in that moment, images rising from what felt like the most primal part of my brain.” Harry elaborated on the significance of this particular perfume, explaining its powerful connection to his memories of his mother. He recounted some of the memories that resurfaced upon smelling the familiar scent . He said, “I remember one day at Ludgrove, Mummy stuffing sweets into my sock. Outside sweets were forbidden, so Mummy was flouting school rules, giggling as she did so, which made me love her even more.”

Harry also discussed his therapy sessions and his mother’s perfume in an episode of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert , as noted by The Independent . While speaking to the host, he said, “The wall has reduced in size. That is partly through writing a book, partly through therapy, and having her scent, her perfume. And spraying it and being able to unlock memories that I never thought I had.” Additionally, Harry disclosed in a 60 Minutes interview how he turned to alternative coping mechanisms, such as psychedelics and psilocybin mushrooms, to help him navigate his grief.

To Anderson Cooper, he said, “I would never recommend people to do this recreationally. But doing it with the right people if you are suffering from a huge amount of loss, grief, or trauma, then these things have a way of working as a medicine.” For Harry, the drugs gave him the clarity and closure he sought. He said, “They cleared away this idea that I had in my head…that I needed to cry to prove to my mother that I missed her, when, in fact, what she wanted was for me to be happy.” Harry described his ongoing struggle to find moments of release and allow himself to cry. He shared that he would even watch videos of Diana to evoke tears.

Diana’s tragic death occurred just one year after her divorce from Charles. Despite their profound loss, both Harry and Prince William have remained dedicated to preserving Diana’s memory. In May 2015, William and his wife, Kate Middleton , welcomed Princess Charlotte, honoring Diana by giving her the middle name. Similarly, in June 2021, Harry and his wife, Meghan Markle , welcomed their daughter, Lilibet, and paid tribute to Diana by giving her the same middle name.