Royal Watch News

William and Harry mourn former nanny

Sep 26, 2012, 11:01 GMT

Princes William and Harry

Britain's Princes William and Harry's are 'saddened' after learning their former nanny has died.

Olga Powell - who cared for the princes for 15 years, including at the time of their parents' divorce and the death of their mother Princess Diana in 1997 - suffered a heart attack at the age of 82 yesterday (25.09.12) morning.

A spokesman for William and Harry said: 'The princes have been informed and are very saddened to hear the news.'

Olga - who was a guest at William's wedding to Duchess Catherine, known as Kate Middleton prior to the nuptials, last year and also William's passing-out parade at Sandhurst in 2006 and Harry's confirmation at Eton in 2000 - previously said she viewed her former charges as 'grandsons'.

She said last year: 'I have a very normal relationship with them. Their upbringing was very normal and their parents wanted them to have as ordinary a childhood as they could.

'If they saw a muddy puddle they wanted to jump in it and if there was something to climb, they wanted to climb it.'

Three years after retiring she was awarded the Royal Victorian Medal.