“I want it to be a day to share the spirit of my mum with my family, with my children, who I wish could have met her,” the Duke of Sussex said

Prince Harry and Princess Diana. Photo: Gotham/GC Images; Georges De Keerle/Getty

Prince Harry is thinking of his mother.

The Duke of Sussex, 37, voiced his hopes and plans for the upcoming anniversary of Princess Diana’s death in remarks at the Sentebale Polo Cup in Colorado Thursday. The charity match at the Aspen Valley Polo Club benefitted Sentebale, the organization Harry founded in 2006 with Prince Seeiso of Lesotho to help children in Africa affected by poverty, inequality, HIV/AIDS and recently, COVID-19.

“My dear friend Prince Seeiso and I founded Sentebale 16 years ago in honor of our mothers, with a mission to support many of the most vulnerable young people on the planet, and to give them care and help so they can thrive,” Harry said on stage.

“In Sesotho, the language of the Basotho, the word ‘sentebale’ means ‘forget-me-not,’ ” he continued. “Next week is the 25th anniversary of my mother’s death, and she most certainly will never be forgotten. I want it to be a day filled with memories of her incredible work and love for the way that she did it.

Prince Harry. Chris Jackson/Getty
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“I want it to be a day to share the spirit of my mum with my family, with my children, who I wish could have met her,” he added, referencing son Archie, 3, and daughter Lilibet, 1, whom he shares with wife Meghan Markle. “Every day, I hope to do her proud.”

Praising his mother’s “tireless” energy in her efforts to “support and destigmatize those experiencing HIV and AIDS,” Harry touched on how the charity connects to Diana today.

“Fittingly, her favorite flowers were forget-me-nots,” he said. “I hope we can remember my mother’s legacy by recommitting to those that we serve, whoever and wherever they may be.”

Prince Harry in 2019 and Princess Diana in 1997. PA Wire/PA Images (2)

In more ways than one, Harry has followed in his mother’s footsteps in Africa. In September 2019, he walked through a minefield in Angola with the HALO Trust to raise awareness about danger of landmines just as Diana did, shortly before her death on Aug. 31, 1997 at age 36.

On Thursday, the prince rode to victory on the polo field with Team Sentebale, saddling up for the organization’s flagship fundraiser. There, his friend and teammate Ignacio “Nacho” Figueras spoke to PEOPLE about how dedicated the prince is to Sentebale’s mission.

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Chris Jackson/Getty

“From day one, I saw how committed he was to his charity,” said the pro polo player, who has known Harry since 2007. “Fast forward 15 years, I’ve been to Lesotho with him a few times, and I’ve seen what great work the charity does and how important it is for a lot of kids, how committed he is, how much he really cares about it.”

On his friend’s prowess in polo, Figueras added that Prince Harry is “very competitive.”

“He plays very well, he rides very well — it’s an honor to be his teammate,” he said.