Harry honours Diana on 18th birthday

The young prince will carry out a series of charity visits next Sunday, St James's Palace has announced.

It is understood he is keen to remind the public of the good works his mother carried out.

He is deeply upset that the fifth anniversary of her death last month was dominated by a bodyguard's book detailing his mother's private life.

Harry will have a day off school to carry out a day of engagements which will reflect Diana's interests.

The late princess scaled down her public commitments in the last year of her life but retained connections with a number of charities, including ones helping the homeless and children.

As well as the engagements, Harry will accompany his father, the Prince of Wales, to a service at St Paul's Cathedral on Wednesday to mark 11 September.

Father's support

They will meet families of some of the British victims of the terror attacks in New York and Washington a year ago.

Harry's birthday plans were drawn up with help from palace aides but were initially his own ideas, it is understood.

He has become increasingly distressed that his mother is being remembered for all the wrong reasons, and wanted to use the publicity around his coming of age to remind people of her commitment to charitable causes.

Official portrait photographs of Harry by Diana's favourite photographer, Mario Testino, will also be released to mark his birthday.

They were taken on Friday at Eton, and Harry plans to have newspapers and magazines using them pay a fee to a charity, but he has yet to decide which one.

Prince Charles is understood to be fully supportive of Harry's desire to remember his mother with the series of engagements.

He has encouraged his youngest son to mark his birthday in a positive way and has helped him with the arrangements.

It will help shake off the party-loving image Harry has required since it was revealed in January that he had been illegally experimenting with cannabis and under-age drinking with friends.