Young royals George, Charlotte and Louis make Mother's Day cards for 'Granny Diana'

In a sweet gesture, Prince William's three children have paid tribute to his mum, the late Diana, Princess of Wales, by making Mother's Day cards for her.

A post on the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's Instagram account today shows colourful creations by Prince George, seven, Princess Charlotte, five, and Prince Louis, two.

The caption reads: "This year Mother’s Day will be different once again.

"Many of us will be apart from our loved ones, but looking forward to a time in the not too distant future when we can give our mother a hug again.

"But for those experiencing bereavement, today may be particularly challenging.

"Each year on Mother’s Day, George, Charlotte and Louis make cards remembering their Granny, Diana, for William.

"Whatever your circumstances, we are thinking of you this Mother’s Day."

The duke, now 38, was 15 years old when his mother, 36, was killed in a car crash in Paris in 1997.

While William's youngest child Louis focused his efforts on his painting, the elder siblings penned thoughtful messages to "Granny Diana" on their artwork.

In his card, George wrote: "I love you very much and think of you always."

Meanwhile, in her card, his sister Charlotte shared: "Papa is missing you."

The moving post had received more than 1.7 million 'likes' from royal fans by 12.30pm, with many leaving messages of support.

These included Princess Beatrice's husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, who commented with a red heart emoji.

Another social media user wrote: "This is a beautiful way to honour Diana."

A third added: "What a lovely tribute."

And a fourth shared: "What a special way to make grandparents part of our lives even if they aren’t with us anymore."

It comes after the duke's brother Prince Harry's interview with Oprah Winfrey earlier this week has drawn comparisons between his wife Meghan Markle and Diana.

Earlier today, the Queen paid a Mother's Day tribute to "all mums" with a sweet photo of herself with her own mother, shared to her official Instagram account.

The 94-year-old can be seen in the throwback black and white image as a child smiling while standing beside the late Queen Mother.

The caption to the post reads: "To all Mums everywhere, we wish you a very special Mother’s Day. #MotheringSunday."

The Queen Mother, born Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, passed away in 2002 aged 101.