Harry recounted that Meghan knelt before Princess Diana’s grave on their first visit to Althorp and prayed for two special things related to the future.
Prince Harry and Meghan are expected to bring Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet to England in the coming weeks to participate in the countdown activities to the 2027 Invictus Games in Birmingham. This will be the first time Meghan and her two children have returned to Harry’s homeland since 2022.
According to British media, the Sussex family may visit Althorp – the Spencer family estate in Northamptonshire, where Princess Diana is buried. Althorp will be closed to visitors on July 10th and 11th, fueling speculation that Harry and his wife and children may visit during their stay in England.
Diana, mother of William and Harry, died in a car accident in Paris in 1997 at the age of 36. She is buried on a small island in the middle of Round Oval on the Althorp grounds. This area is not open to the public.
In his memoir Spare, Harry recounted taking Meghan to visit his mother’s grave in 2022, the 25th anniversary of Diana’s death. According to the Duke of Sussex, Harry’s uncle, Charles Spencer, took the couple by boat to the island. Harry placed flowers on his mother’s grave, spent a few minutes talking to her in thought, and prayed for guidance for the future.
When he returned, he found Meghan kneeling before the headstone, eyes closed, and hands on the stone. “On the way back, I asked her what she had prayed for. Meghan replied: ‘Wisdom and guidance’,” Harry wrote in his memoir.
It is unclear whether Archie and Lilibet have ever visited their grandmother’s resting place. If this trip takes place, it could be the first time the two children have personally visited Princess Diana’s grave.
Althorp is owned by Diana’s younger brother, Earl Charles Spencer. Harry has stayed here on several recent trips back to England, including attending the funeral of his uncle-in-law, Lord Robert Fellowes, in 2024.
Sources say King Charles III offered his son and family accommodation at a royal estate during their time in the UK, but Harry’s side has not yet responded. The King had previously offered Harry accommodation at Buckingham Palace, but this was declined.
One of the biggest obstacles for Harry is security. After stepping down as senior members of the royal family in 2020, the Sussexes no longer benefit from the protection paid for by British taxpayers. In a previous interview with the BBC, Harry said that England remains his home and an important part of his children’s legacy, but bringing his family back regularly is difficult without guaranteed safety.
The Prince has also expressed a desire to mend his relationship with his family after years of tension. “Life is too short to continue fighting. I really want reconciliation,” he said.
