Princess Diana was a philanthropist, a member of the royal family, and most importantly to her, a mother to her sons, Prince William and Prince Harry.

The Princess of Wales shared her children with now-King Charles, with whom she was married from 1981 until their divorce was finalized in 1996. Diana died in a car crash at the age of 36 after a high-speed chase in August 1997. At the time, William was 15 years old, and Harry was 12.

Even though Diana was in Paris at the time of her death, her boys were still top of mind. Her longtime friend Richard Kay said they spoke about William and Harry shortly before the tragic accident.

“The police said that the last call she made was to me,” Kay recalled in a 2021 documentary. Diana was “in quite a good place,” but “she wanted to come back and see her boys,” he said about their final conversation, per People.

The world mourned after losing the People’s Princess, and William and Harry have worked to keep their mother’s legacy alive. However, it’s the little things they miss most of all.

“I miss that feeling, I miss having that mother to give you those hugs and that compassion that everyone needs,” Harry said during the 2017 HBO documentary Diana, Our Mother: Her Life and Legacy. “Behind closed doors, she was a very loving, caring mother and an incredibly funny person. I think she lived a lot of her life, especially in private, through us and I think that childish fun element really came out when she was spending time with us.”

These 17 Princess Diana quotes prove what kind of mother she was and how much she valued parenting.

Princess Diana’s Quotes About Parenting, Motherhood, and Her Children

“I will fight for my children on any level so they can reach their potential as human beings, and in their public duties.”
 “I don’t go by the rule book. I lead from the heart, not the head.”
“Most importantly, [my role is] being a mother and a wife … That’s what I try to achieve; whether I do is another thing, but I do try.”
“I live for my sons. I would be lost without them.”
“I went to the school and put it to William, particularly, that if you find someone you love in life, you must hang onto it and look after it, and if you were lucky enough to find someone who loved you, then you must protect it.”
“I’ve got what my mother’s got; however bloody you are feeling you can put on the most amazing show of happiness.”
“I was [a little sad] because it’s opening another chapter in my life and certainly William’s,” she shared about sending William to school. “But he’s ready for it. He’s a very independent child
“A mother’s arms are more comforting than anyone else’s.”
“Then I was unwell with postnatal depression, which no one ever discusses, postnatal depression, you have to read about it afterwards, and that in itself was a bit of a difficult time. You’d wake up in the morning feeling you didn’t want to get out of bed, you felt misunderstood, and just very, very low in yourself … People see it as crying wolf or attention-seeking, and they think because you’re in the media all the time you’ve got enough attention, inverted commas. But I was actually crying out because I wanted to get better in order to go forward and continue my duty and my role as wife, mother, Princess of Wales.”
“Family is the most important thing in the world.”
“Hugs can do great amounts of good, especially for children.”
“I want my boys to have an understanding of people’s emotions, their insecurities, people’s distress, and their hopes and dreams.”
“Well, with William and Harry, for instance, I take them round homelessness projects, I’ve taken William and Harry to people dying of AIDs … I’ve taken the children to all sorts of areas where I’m not sure anyone of that age in this family has been before.”
“I don’t want expensive gifts; I don’t want to be bought. I have everything I want. I just want someone to be there for me, to make me feel safe and secure.”
“Everyone needs to be valued. Everyone has the potential to give something back.”
“I wish all the mothers, fathers and children out there realize how much I need them and how much I value their support.”
“Don’t call me an icon. I’m just a mother trying to help.”