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Prince Harry Just Recreated a Cherished Princess Diana Memory With Archie at Disneyland

Last week, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle celebrated Princess Lilibet’s fourth birthday with a family trip to Disneyland, California. In a video shared on Markle’s Instagram, the couple is seen laughing on a rollercoaster ride with Prince Archie between them. It brought back happy memories for royal fans of a young Harry riding the same Splash Mountain ride with his late mother, Princess Diana, in Disney World over three decades ago.

As reported by People magazine, back in 1993, Diana took then 8-year-old Harry and 11-year-old Prince William to Walt Disney World in Florida on a solo trip. Their outing came shortly after she and Prince Charles had separated. Diana and her young sons were treated to an exclusive ride on Splash Mountain, which was closed off to the public. She and her boys were escorted through Disney’s secret underground tunnels for VIPs with close family friends.

As children, Harry and William loved to visit theme parks with their mother. One of the trio's most iconic photos comes from their visit to Thorpe Park in England during the 1993 Easter holidays. According to The Mirror, the late Princess had told the Thorpe Park staff that she wanted to be treated just like everyone else, including waiting in long queues for rides. She and her boys were photographed enjoying several rides like the Loggers Leap, the Teacup Ride, Thunder River, Depth Charge, and the Hudson River Rafters.

Harry, similarly, recently also spent Archie’s birthday honoring his late mother’s legacy. On May 6, the Duke of Sussex flew to Las Vegas to support The Diana Award. The charity in memory of the late Princess encourages businesses to invest in youth leadership. Echoing his mother’s stance on mental health, Harry spoke about how young people now had a renewed openness about the subject. He said, “This generation isn’t waiting for permission to lead – they are already doing it. They bring emotional intelligence, social awareness, and an honesty about mental health that previous generations struggled to express,” possibly referring to mom Diana’s ignored pleas for help in the royal family.

As for the Duke’s Disneyland trip, their celebration included a blue two-tiered birthday cake inspired by The Little Mermaid, Lilibet’s favorite Disney Princess. As per Hello! magazine, the couple and their children also rode Buzz Lightyear's Star Cruiser, and Cars-themed Radiator Springs Racers. Later footage showed Harry and Markle enjoying a Star Wars stage show with Archie, and Lilibet riding Dumbo the Flying Elephant. The Sussexes, who are highly protective of their children’s privacy, had them wear Micky Mouse hats and glasses to conceal their identities. The kids also kept their glasses on while meeting Elsa and other Frozen characters in more public areas of the park.