Prince Harry admits he ‘never really dealt’ with Princess Diana death and ‘buried’ his feelings for 16 years
The fifth in line to the throne said he found direction in setting up a charity for awareness around HIV/AIDS
PRINCE Harry has revealed he never dealt with his mother's death, almost 20 years on from Princess Diana's shock passing.
The fifth in line for the throne was just 12-years-old when his mother was tragically killed in a car crash in Paris on August 31, 1997.
But 32-year-old prince has now revealed he was inspired by his mother to make a difference in the world, including setting up a charity to help people in need in Africa.
He said: "I never really dealt with what had happened. It was a lot of buried emotion. For a huge part of my life I didn’t really want to think about it."
He added: "My mother died when I was very, very young and I don’t want to be in the position. Now I’m so energised, fired up, to be lucky enough to be in a position to make a difference."
Prince Harry spoke out to mark the 10th anniversary of the he set up.
He said he found it therapeutic to know he was able to help those in need and to have a direction in life.
He said: "And now for me, I can see exactly where I want to take it.
"The fact that I’ve managed to keep Sentebale going... for the last 10-11 years has been fantastic because now everything else I’m involved with makes sense to me and I’m just getting started.
"I need to make something of my life."
Speaking in a TV documentary, which followed his work for a year, Harry admitted he "didn't want to be this person".
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He said he was inspired by visiting Sentebale, a landlocked area that he travelled to during his gap year to Lesotho in 2004.
The charity was founded with Prince Seeiso in 2006, working to help the huge numbers of people affected by HIV/AIDS.
Prince Harry said: "What started as an idea of me turning round and saying, right, I’ve got a year off, I want to do something really constructive with my life, want to do something that makes my mother proud.
"Someone said, right, go to Lesotho, it’s like where the hell is that? Now I can see exactly where I want to take it.
"I have huge amounts of passion for the causes and interests and charities I’m involved with."
He said that he liked knowing that he had been able to use his name and position "for good".
Prince Harry said he had at first been unsure of what he wanted to do in Africa, saying he was the "ginger white prince".
He said: "To a certain extent this is a lot of unfinished business, unfinished work my mother never completed."
But he also hinted at the future, saying: "For me, now, I have this love of Africa and it will never disappear and I hope it carries on with my children as well."
The prince, who is currently dating Meghan Markle, said he had learnt a lot through setting up the charity.
Prince Harry In Africa is on tonight at 9pm.
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