George, Charlotte, & Louis Have Carried On One Of Princess Diana's Sweet Gestures

Princess Diana’s untimely death in 1997 at the young age of 36 years old meant that she never had the chance to meet any of her future grandchildren, but she remains an integral part in the fabric of their family all the same. Both Prince William and Prince Harry have made efforts to pass on some of their mother’s wonderful habits, including a gesture of gratitude she instilled in them as young boys.

The late Princess Diana was a big believer in thank you notes. She famously answered many of the “47,000 letters of congratulation and 10,000 gifts” she received on the occasion of her 1981 wedding to Prince Charles when she was just 21 years old, according to Woman’s World, and continued the tradition throughout her life. She also insisted that both Prince William and Prince Harry write letters to thank anyone who helped them because she “wanted to ingrain a sense of appreciation into her two sons, with her often praised for her excellent way of parenting,” The Daily Express wrote. And it’s a tradition that stuck with Prince William and Kate Middleton, as their own three children are also expected to write thank-you notes.

I wonder if Prince Louis writes thank you notes to Princess Charlotte for keeping an eye on him at royal events. She certainly deserves one or two.

A source close to the couple told The Daily Express that the Prince and Princess of Wales “have developed this brilliant knack of letting as much as they can seem spontaneous and that’s how the children see it. Table manners, thank you letters, little courtesies are being drilled into the children so they become automatic.”

Princess Diana’s influence continues to carry enormous weight for both of her sons and their families. While Prince Harry’s two children, 4-year-old Archie and 2-year-old Lilibet, might be too young as of yet to write thank you notes, it seems likely they will in the future. Their mother Meghan Markle has also long been a fan of sending thank you notes, sometimes with a loaf of Prince Harry’s favorite banana bread, so it’s in their genes.

Here’s hoping the family also carries on with Princess Diana’s tradition of unconventional birthday cakes, like when she had a boob cake made for Prince William when he was 13 years old. She really was a treasure.