Photo: The Canadian Press

Princes William and Harry have spoken candidly about the death of their mother, Princess Diana, in an interview marking 20 years since she was killed in a car crash in Paris, paying tribute to the actions of their father in breaking the tragic news.

Excerpts of the BBC interviews released Wednesday mark something of a departure for the two princes, who have largely refrained from discussing Prince Charles' actions in other interviews describing their mother ahead of the anniversary. But in the documentary "Diana, 7 Days," they appear to offer sympathy for him, quelling speculation that he had been uncaring in the crisis.

"One of the hardest things for a parent to have to do is to tell your children that your other parent has died," Harry said. "How you deal with that I don't know but, you know, he was there for us."

The documentary chronicles the week after the princess' death on Aug. 31, 1997 and features then-Prime Minister Tony Blair, senior royal aides and Diana's brother. The princes have spoken out for a series of programs and interviews in the run-up to the anniversary, sharing personal insights into their lives in keeping with their campaigns to promote mental health.

The two brothers discussed the funeral, with a now balding Prince William describing how he hid behind his bangs to keep out the prying eyes of sobbing crowds. He described the procession as a "very long, lonely walk," even though understood there was a balance "between me being Prince William and having to do my bit, versus the private William who just wanted to go into a room and cry, who'd lost his mother."