Prince Harry in 18th Diana tribute

Prince Harry: His own idea, and one which "greaty pleased" Prince Charles

LONDON, England -- Britain's Prince Harry, hurt by lurid headlines and stories since the death of his mother Princess Diana, will mark his 18th birthday by paying tribute to her deep devotion to charity work, a royal spokeswoman said.

The spokeswoman said the prince, the younger son of Diana and heir-to-the-throne Prince Charles, decided to mark his coming of age next Sunday with a series of public visits reflecting Diana's charity interests in a bid to remind people of her good work.

"Yes, he has been upset. This is his way of reminding people of all the good things she did in her life," the spokeswoman said.

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Princess Diana, one of the world's most photographed women, has continued to make headlines since her death in a Paris car crash five years ago last weekend on August 31, 1997.

Diana's death provoked at the time an unparalleled outpouring of national grief in Britain and thousands laid flowers on the fifth anniversary of her death -- though there was a downside with publication of a tell-all book by one of her former bodyguards, Ken Wharfe.

In the book, Wharfe describes the time the princess allowed him to see her naked and how she once leapt off a balcony to escape the prying eyes of paparazzi photographers.

Diana was fondly remembered in Britain on the fifth anniversary of her death

The book was reported to have enraged Harry and his elder brother William, third and second in line to the British throne after Prince Charles.

The spokeswoman said the visits were Harry's own idea but had greatly pleased his father.

The public engagements may also go some way towards shaking off Harry's burgeoning reputation as something of a royal wild child. British media have reported that he has smoked cannabis and was seen drinking at a bar when under-age.

Although the palace has not yet released details of Harry's schedule ahead of his birthday next Sunday, the spokeswoman said they would reflect his mother's interests.

In the last year of her life Diana, divorced from Charles, scaled down her public engagements but maintained a strong interest in anti-landmine, AIDS and children's charities.

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