Feb 28, People

More details are emerging about Prince Harry's time fighting in Afghanistan – including his heartfelt thoughts about how his mother Diana would have felt.

"Hopefully she would be proud," the 23-year-old royal told reporters, including the U.K.'s Press Association, during his time on the front line fighting Taliban forces. "She would be looking down having a giggle about the stupid things that I've been doing, like going left when I should have gone right, finding myself in an awkward position earlier today."

His thoughts were echoed by brother William. "William sent me a letter saying how proud he reckons that she would be," Harry adds. "You know, it's one thing that I don't necessarily think about the whole time because I've got the guys to worry about. You worry about yourself, you worry about the blokes you're looking after, you worry about the blokes that you're not even looking after."

Harry's deployment in Afghanistan was publicly confirmed on Thursday after foreign media outlets leaked the news – breaking a press embargo that has held firm since Harry left for the war-torn country in December.

Read more this news quote

photo: Prince Harry and Princess Diana (Photo by: John Stillwell / AP; Tim Graham / Corbis)