Tina Turner influenced Prince William as a child, brings back memories of Princess Diana

Prince William had fond memories of Tina Turner, which includes his brother Prince Harry and his late mother Princess Diana.

Prince William’s comments about his favorite Turner song have resurfaced in light of the icon’s death on Tuesday.

“And one of the songs that I remember overwhelmingly that stuck with me all this time, and that I still enjoy to this day in secret, is Tina Turner’s ‘The Best’ because sitting on the backseat, singing, it was like real family time,” William previously said on an episode of the “Time to Walk” podcast in 2021.

“And my mother, she was driving, singing at the top of her voice,” he recalls. “And we even put the policeman in the car, he would also sing from time to time.”

TINA TURNER’S RELATIONSHIP WITH IKE

Prince William recalled listening to Tina Turner’s “Simply the Best” in the car with this mom and Prince Harry. (Mathieu Polak/Sygma)

“You were singing and listening to the music all the way to the school gates when they dropped you off. When I listen to it now, it takes me back to those car rides and brings back a lot of memories of my mom.”

The death of the queen of rock’n’roll was announced Wednesday on Instagram. Turner died Tuesday after a long illness at her home in Küsnacht, Switzerland, near Zurich, according to her manager. She became a Swiss citizen ten years ago.

“It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Tina Turner,” the social media statement read. “With her music and boundless passion for life, she has enchanted millions of fans around the world and inspired the stars of tomorrow.”

“Today we say goodbye to a dear friend who leaves us her greatest work: her music. Our deepest sympathy goes out to her family. Tina, you will be sorely missed.”

CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE TO THE ENTERTAINMENT NEWSLETTER

Tina Turner first launched her career with her ex-husband Ike Turner. (Photo by Aaron Rapoport/Corbis/Getty Images)

Turner is remembered by the music industry.

“So saddened by the passing of my wonderful friend Tina Turner. She was truly an extremely talented performer and singer,” Mick Jagger wrote on Twitter.

“She was inspiring, warm, funny and generous. She helped me so much when I was young and I will never forget her,” he concluded.

Lionel Richie shared, “What a life! What a show! What a talent! Your resilience has been a lesson to us all. I will miss you my dear friend! Thank you for the memories…”

And Oprah Winfrey wrote, “I started out as a Tina Turner fan, then a full-fledged groupie, following her from show to show across the country, and then, eventually, we became real friends. She is our eternal rock ‘n’ roll goddess who held a breadth of inner strength that grew throughout her life. She was a role model not just to me but to the world. She encouraged a part of me that I don’t didn’t know she existed…I’m a better woman, a better human, because her life touched mine. She was indeed just the best.”

Tina Turner performs in Brussels, Belgium on April 16, 1985. (Photo by Gie Knaeps/Getty Images)

Throughout her career, Turner has sold over 150 million records. She has won eight Grammys and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1991. She was again inducted and honored for her solo career in 2005.

Turner launched his career in 1960 with the release of “A Fool in Love”. The song peaked at number two on the Hot R&B Sides chart and number 27 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Besides singing, Turner also dabbled in acting. She landed her first role in 1975 with “Tommy” and would later appear in “Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome” alongside Mel Gibson.

Tina Turner performs on stage at Ahoy, Rotterdam, Netherlands in 1990. (Rob Verhorst/Redferns via Getty Images)

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

The Associated Press contributed to this report.