London
CNN
—
Princes William and Harry have visited a new garden dedicated to their mother on the eve of the 20th anniversary of her death.
The pair were accompanied on Wednesday afternoon by Prince William’s wife, Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge, as they toured what had been known as the Sunken Garden at Kensington Palace in London, to mark two decades on from the death of their mother Diana, Princess of Wales.
“The engagement will allow the Princes to pay tribute to the life and work of their mother the day before the twentieth anniversary of her death,” an earlier statement from Kensington Palace said.
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William, Harry and Catherine arrive at the White Garden at Kensington Palace, Princess Diana's home for 15 years, in London on Wednesday. The garden was planted to mark 20 years since her death.
Diana died in a car accident in Paris on August 31, 1997, leaving behind her sons then aged 15 and 12 years old, as well as a philanthropic legacy that won her admirers the world over. She divorced her husband Charles, Prince of Wales, in 1996.
The White Garden is the result of a transformation that features several of the late princess’s favorite plants and was inspired by her work, image and style, including her famous white “Elvis” Catherine Walker dress.
Open since spring this year, the garden contains white roses, lilies, gladioli and cosmos flowers. The transformed garden will continue into September.
Kirsty Wigglesworth/AP
Princes William and Harry paid tribute to their mother on the eve of the 20th anniversary of her death by visiting the Sunken Garden to honor her work with charities.
The princes toured the garden, alongside the head gardener and another gardener who knew the Princess of Wales, before meeting representatives from several of the organizations Diana supported in the final years of her life as well several charities that she had a close relationship with.
Those attending the engagement in the White Garden included people from the UK’s homeless charity Centrepoint, the National AIDS Trust, Great Ormond Street Hospital, the Leprosy Mission and the Landmine Survivors Network.
The royals invited them so they could hear about the impact of their mother’s work, according to the official Kensington Palace Twitter account.
Photos: Princess Diana: Her life and legacy
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Princess Diana remains a beloved figure more than 20 years after her untimely death. See more photos of the British icon and the legacy she left behind.
Photos: Princess Diana: Her life and legacy
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Diana, seen here on her first birthday, was born Diana Frances Spencer on July 1, 1961. She was born into a noble family in Sandringham, England. Her father, John, was Viscount Althorp before becoming the 8th Earl Spencer in 1975.
Photos: Princess Diana: Her life and legacy
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Diana circa 1965. Growing up, she attended private schools in England and Switzerland.
Photos: Princess Diana: Her life and legacy
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Diana poses with her brother, Charles, in 1968. She also had two sisters, Sarah and Jane.
Photos: Princess Diana: Her life and legacy
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Diana, far right, is photographed with her father, John, and her three siblings circa 1970. Sarah is on the far left and Jane is next to Diana. When Diana was 7 years old, her parents divorced and her father was given custody of the children.
Photos: Princess Diana: Her life and legacy
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A teenage Diana receives a "kiss" from her pony, Scuffle, in 1974. A year later, she became Lady Diana after her grandfather died and her father became the 8th Earl Spencer.
Photos: Princess Diana: Her life and legacy
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After finishing school, Diana worked various jobs, including cook, nanny and kindergarten teacher. Here she is in 1980 with two children she looked after as a nanny.
Photos: Princess Diana: Her life and legacy
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Diana and Camilla Parker-Bowles visit the Ludlow racecourse in October 1980, where Prince Charles was competing as a jockey. Diana and Charles would be engaged just a few months later. Prince Charles admitted in 1994 to a relationship with Parker-Bowles while still married to Diana; Charles and Camilla wed in 2005.
Photos: Princess Diana: Her life and legacy
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Diana looks startled after stalling her new car outside her London apartment in November 1980.
Photos: Princess Diana: Her life and legacy
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Diana is surrounded by photographers shortly before it was announced that she was engaged to Prince Charles.
Photos: Princess Diana: Her life and legacy
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Diana and Charles pose at Buckingham Palace after the announcement of their engagement on February 24, 1981.
Photos: Princess Diana: Her life and legacy
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Diana and Charles arrive at Goldsmith Hall in London for a charity recital in March 1981.
Photos: Princess Diana: Her life and legacy
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The couple poses with Charles' mother, Queen Elizabeth II, in March 1981.
Photos: Princess Diana: Her life and legacy
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The royal wedding was held July 29, 1981, at St. Paul's Cathedral in London. It was estimated that more than 700 million people watched the ceremony on television.
Photos: Princess Diana: Her life and legacy
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Charles and Diana kiss on the Buckingham Palace balcony after being married.
Photos: Princess Diana: Her life and legacy
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During their honeymoon, Charles and Diana leave Gibraltar on the royal yacht Britannia.
Photos: Princess Diana: Her life and legacy
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The couple spends part of their honeymoon in Scotland.
Photos: Princess Diana: Her life and legacy
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Charles and Diana attend the Grand National horse race in April 1982.
Photos: Princess Diana: Her life and legacy
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In June 1982, Diana gave birth to her first child, William.
Photos: Princess Diana: Her life and legacy
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Diana greets a child while visiting Wrexham, Wales, in November 1982.
Photos: Princess Diana: Her life and legacy
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Charles, William and Diana pose for a photo at Kensington Palace in February 1983.
