Prince William plays with mum Princess Diana's handbag in adorable unearthed photo


The future King looked just like his youngest son, Prince Louis, as he played with his mother's bag at a polo match in 1989


prince william in suit smiling© Getty Images
Laura Sutcliffe
Laura SutcliffeFashion and Beauty News Editor
Updated: 2 minutes ago
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Prince William and his late mother, Princess Diana, had a wonderfully close relationship. Diana was often pictured with him and his brother, Prince Harry, out and about during their childhood. A famously hands-on mother, Diana was always spotted enjoying days out with her sons, and in this unearthed photo, William can be seen at the polo.

In 1989, the royal was aged seven and looked wonderful at the Cartier International Polo Day at Smiths Lawn Polo Club, basking in the sunshine in his stylish outfit, which consisted of a Burberry polo shirt, printed chino shorts, and the cutest socks and shoes.

Prince William Playing With Princess Diana's Handbag At Cartier International Polo Day At Smiths Lawn Polo Club.  (Photo by Tim Graham Photo Library via Getty Images)© Getty Images
Prince William with his mother, Princess Diana in 1989

Incredibly, the royal was also seen playing with his mother's white handbag, twisting it around himself and stepping through the handles. How sweet!

The royal looked so cute as he twisted Diana's bag around his middle© Tim Graham Photo Library via Get
The royal looked so cute as he twisted Diana's bag around his middle

Proud mum Diana looked as proud as punch as she walked alongside her son, wearing a magnificently chic outfit - a pastel blue, pleated dress that was adorned with gold buttons. 

Prince William Playing With Princess Diana's Handbag At Cartier International Polo Day At Smiths Lawn Polo Club.  (Photo by Tim Graham Photo Library via Getty Images)© Tim Graham Photo Library via Get
William skipped over the bag at the polo event

She accessorised with statement gold jewellery, white sling-back kitten heels and aviator sunglasses. What a stylish pair!

Prince William Playing With Princess Diana's Handbag At Cartier International Polo Day At Smiths Lawn Polo Club.  (Photo by Tim Graham Photo Library via Getty Images)© Getty Images
The duo made such a stylish pair

William on grief

The father-of-three lost his mother when he was just 15. Speaking about his grief during the BBC One documentary, Mind Over Marathon, in 2017, the royal said: "I still have shock within me - people say it can't last that long, but it does.

He added, "You never get over it, it's such an unbelievably big moment in your life that it never leaves you. You just learn to deal with it."

Diana's son Prince William and daughter-in-law Catherine followed in her footsteps, staying at her favorite hotel, the Carlyle, during their visit to NYC in 2014. In the documentary Always at The Carlyle, the hotel's forner ddirector of communications, Jennifer Cooke,  said: "I think definitely stayed here at The Carlyle because Princess Diana used to stay here, and she was very fond of this hotel, and I know they had heard about it. I heard him [William] say that in the lobby that he heard so much about this hotel through the years and they were really happy to be here."© Getty Images
Princess Diana passed away when William was 15

Around the same time, his brother Harry revealed he spent nearly 20 years not processing his mother's death, shutting down his emotions to the extent that it affected his personal life, as well as his work.

Prince William and Prince Harry enjoyed a night out at Boujis in 2006 © FilmMagic
Prince William and Prince Harry dealt with thier grief in different ways

Speaking candidly in an interview with The Telegraph, Harry said: "It was 20 years of not thinking about it and two years of total chaos." 

Harry admitted that he didn't process his grief until his late twenties, saying: "My way of dealing with it was sticking my head in the sand, refusing to ever think about my mum, because why would that help? [I thought] it's only going to make you sad; it's not going to bring her back. So from an emotional side, I was like 'right, don't ever let your emotions be part of anything," he revealed.

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