As the 28th anniversary of Princess Diana’s passing approaches, the world once again turns its gaze to her two sons. Once inseparable, Prince William and Prince Harry now stand on opposite shores of an ocean — and a bitter rift — but continue to honor their mother through the lives they’ve built and the causes they champion.

On July 16, Prince Harry retraced his mother’s most iconic steps, walking through a minefield in Angola nearly three decades after Diana brought the world’s attention to the devastation of war. Just weeks earlier, on what would have been Diana’s 64th birthday, William marked the second anniversary of his homelessness initiative Homewards in Sheffield, echoing his mother’s compassion for society’s most vulnerable.

But while their work reflects Diana’s enduring influence, it also underscores the divide. “We all remember the days when Harry and William were joshing with one another,” says Diana’s biographer Andrew Morton. “Harry, as Diana used to say, was meant to be William’s wingman. It’s a great loss for the monarchy.”

The brothers, who once leaned on each other through their parents’ divorce and the trauma of Diana’s tragic death in 1997, now lead very different lives. William and Kate are raising Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis in Windsor, preparing the next generation of royals. Meanwhile, in California, Harry and Meghan are raising Archie and Lilibet, far from palace walls. The cousins haven’t been seen together publicly since 2019.

The split, ignited by Harry and Meghan’s decision to step back from royal duties in 2020, only widened with Harry’s memoir Spare and the couple’s Netflix docuseries, which leveled sharp criticism at William and the monarchy. Harry has spoken of wanting reconciliation, but insiders say his calls to his brother go unanswered. Royal historian Robert Lacey believes the wound is unlikely to heal without a major gesture: “It will not be changed, in my opinion, until Harry makes a move and apologizes.”

And yet, in every public step, Diana’s legacy remains visible. William continues to quietly visit shelters and advocate for those experiencing homelessness, recalling his mother’s habit of exposing him to life beyond palace gates. Harry, too, carries Diana’s compassion into his work, from founding Sentebale to supporting children living with HIV in Lesotho. Both brothers gave their daughters Diana as a middle name — a small but powerful tribute.

Even as silence defines their relationship, sources say their shared values as fathers may be the truest reflection of Diana’s influence. “They are both very good role models as parents,” says historian Amanda Foreman. “That is pure Diana.”

There are faint signs of thaw. Earlier this summer, Harry’s representatives held talks with King Charles’s communications chief, sparking speculation about a possible reunion with his father. William, however, remains focused on family, supporting Kate through her recovery from cancer and preparing George for his future role as heir.

The estrangement, say insiders, is perhaps Diana’s greatest heartbreak in hindsight. “This is the sadness of it — they aren’t supporting each other like they should be,” says a source close to the royal household. Morton adds, “Diana always said she had two boys for a reason — the younger would be there to support the older in the lonely task of being King. If she had been around, they would have worked things out in a different way.”

For now, William and Harry honor her apart. But in their children, their work, and the lives they’ve chosen, Diana’s spirit endures — as the bond that connects them, whether they reconcile or not.