Prince Harry has slammed the decision for him to walk behind his mother's coffin as a young child.

Prince Harry

Prince Harry

The flame-haired royal was just 12-years-old when his mother, Princess Diana of Wales, passed away and he was forced to walk behind the coffin in a procession through London with his grandfather, Prince Philip, his uncle, Earl Spencer, his father, Prince Charles and his brother Prince William, who was 15 at the time.

He said: "My mother had just died, and I had to walk a long way behind her coffin, surrounded by thousands of people watching me while millions more did on television.

"I don't think any child should be asked to do that, under any circumstances. I don't think it would happen today."

And the 32-year-old royal went on to praise his late mother for having the "most wonderful sense of humour" and for always protecting him and his brother.

He added: "She had the most wonderful sense of humour and always wanted to make things fun for us, as well as protect us."

Harry - who is dating actress Meghan Markle - is keen to make something of his life in the "smallish window" until Prince William and Duchess Catherine's children - Prince George and Princess Charlotte - take over the public interest.

He told Newsweek: "I want to make something of my life. I feel there is just a smallish window when people are interested in me before [William's children] take over, and I've got to make the most of it."

Meanwhile, Prince Harry recently revealed he suffered bad panic attacks following the passing of his mother.

He said: "In my case, suit and tie, every single time I was in any room with loads of people, which is quite often, I was just pouring with sweat, like heart beating - boom, boom, boom, boom - and literally just like a washing machine. I was like, 'Oh my God, get me out of here now'. Oh, hang on, I can't get out of here, I have got to just hide it."