Prince Harry Sparks Outrage on Princess Diana's 65th Anniversary With 'Embarrassing' Plan to Mark Her Death

Prince Harry is facing a huge backlash over plans to take his children to Princess Diana's grave on what critics call an "embarrassing" anniversary pilgrimage designed to keep him and Meghan Markle in the spotlight.

OK! can reveal, according to sources, the 41‑year‑old duke intends to bring Meghan, 44, and their children Archie, 7, and Lilibet, 5, to Britain in a matter of weeks for Invictus Games events in Birmingham and London – during which they are expected to travel to Althorp House in Northamptonshire to visit Diana's resting place around the time of what would have been her 65th birthday.

The visit will be the children's first encounter with the island grave at the center of the ornamental lake known as The Oval, which is normally closed to the public and controlled by Diana's brother, Earl Spencer.

Supporters of Harry say the trip is a deeply personal act of remembrance, but others view it very differently.

One source said: "However you dress this up, this will land badly with some people. The timing, the publicity around Invictus and the history of his book and documentaries make it look like Harry is once again reaching for Diana's memory to keep him and Meghan relevant."

The source added: "There is a real unease that every milestone in Diana's death becomes another chapter in their narrative."

Harry has spoken openly about visits to Althorp in his memoir Spare, where he described taking Meghan to the island in 2022 – 25 years after the Paris car crash that killed Diana at 36 on August 31, 1997 – and recounting how Spencer rowed them across the lake.

In his book, he wrote: "No visit to this place was ever easy, but this one... 25th anniversary and Meg's first time. At long last, I was bringing the girl of my dreams home to meet mum."

He recalled placing flowers on the grave, speaking to his mother in his head and asking for "guidance and clarity," before returning to find Meghan kneeling with her palms on the stone.

Supporters insist the new visit is a continuation of that private ritual. A friend of Harry's said: "He has always sent flowers, always gone back to that island when he can. For him, taking the children there is about introducing them to their grandmother in the only way he can."

But the same friend acknowledged the optics are complicated.

They added: "He knows there will be people who say he is trading on trauma. That is not how he sees it, but he can't control how others will interpret it."

Some insiders in royal and political circles are more critical.

One source said: "People remember Diana's funeral, the little boy walking behind the coffin, and they feel protective of that memory. When they see another highly choreographed 'emotional' moment scheduled right alongside a big public project like Invictus, they question the motives. To critics, it will feel like he is cashing in on Diana's death yet again – folding her story into a brand that keeps him and Meghan on the front pages."

Harry has previously described a joint visit to the grave with Prince William, now 44, in 2017, where he claims their mother's legacy became entangled with early tensions over Meghan.

In Spare he wrote William told him: "I think she's been in my life, Harold. Guiding me. Setting things up for me. I think she's helped me start a family. And I feel as though she's helping you now too."

Harry wrote he agreed and said he felt Diana had helped him "find Meg," only for William to recoil, saying: "Well, now, Harold, I'm not sure about that. I wouldn't say THAT."

The planned Althorp visit comes amid wider efforts by Harry to repair relations with King Charles, 77, following years of estrangement after the couple's move to California in 2020.

Harry and Meghan, who lost automatic taxpayer‑funded security after stepping back as working royals, are said to have accepted an offer to stay at a secure royal residence during their upcoming summer trip.

Charles has not seen Archie or Lilibet since the Platinum Jubilee in June 2022, when the Sussexes stayed at Frogmore Cottage and released a photograph of Lilibet's first birthday, prompting concern within the palace about private moments being commercialized.

Friends say Harry hopes the visit to Diana's grave will anchor the children in their family history.

One source said: "Harry wants them to understand that their lives didn't start in Montecito. There is a grandmother they never met, a whole part of their story that sits in that island."

Yet even some who are sympathetic warn that the gesture carries risks. The source added: "If this turns into another set‑piece anecdote in a future project, the criticism that he is monetizing grief will only grow louder."