Prince Harry was only 12 years old when his mother Princess Diana passed away in a tragic car crash in 1997. Twenty years later, the 32-year-old royal still grieves his mom's passing, and understandably so. The Prince recently revealed that he experienced "total chaos" after losing his mother, and suppressed his emotions for two decades until his brother Prince William suggested he seek professional help.
In a new interview with Newsweek, Harry continues to remember the aftermath of Diana's untimely death. Her highly publicized funeral was especially hard, he remembers.
"My mother had just died, and I had to walk a long way behind her coffin, surrounded by thousands of people watching me while millions more did on television," he said. "I don't think any child should be asked to do that, under any circumstances. I don't think it would happen today."
Harry went into a rebellious phase after losing his mom, as a few incriminating moments—like wearing a Nazi costume in 2005, or partying naked in Vegas in 2012—lent to his reputation as the Bad Boy of the royal family. He's moved on from that now, he admits: "My mother died when I was very young. I didn't want to be in the position I was in, but I eventually pulled my head out of the sand, started listening to people and decided to use my role for good."
But his inner rebel lives on. "I still have a naughty streak too, which I enjoy and is how I relate to those individuals who have got themselves into trouble," he said.
"Sometimes, I can have too much passion," he later added. "It has got me into trouble in the past, partly because I cannot stand the idea of people mincing around the subject rather than just getting on with it."
Despite constantly being in the public eye, the royal still aims to live a normal life, which is something he learned from his mom.
"My mother took a huge part in showing me an ordinary life, including taking me and my brother to see homeless people. Thank goodness I'm not completely cut off from reality. People would be amazed by the ordinary life William and I live," he said.
Harry admits that he does his own grocery shopping at the local supermarket, even if that means fans might spot him and take pictures on their phones.
"I am determined to have a relatively normal life, and if I am lucky enough to have children, they can have one too," he continued. "Even if I was king, I would do my own shopping."