Prince William has opened up about his ongoing experience with grief in the wake of his mother, Princess Diana’s, tragic passing in 1997.
The royal attended a private dinner in mid-May with Child Bereavement UK, an organisation of which he has been a patron since 2009, where he made the personal remarks.
“Grief is the very worst pain any child or parent will ever endure, and while we cannot prevent these losses, we can ensure that every possible type of expert support and care is given to help rebuild the lives of those affected,” he shared candidly at the event.
The Prince of Wales was only 15 years old when his mother died suddenly in a Paris car crash while being chased by paparazzi. She was only 36 years old.
Her death sparked an outpouring of grief around the world, with an estimated 2.6 billion people watching her televised funeral.
For William, his patronage is deeply personal. It is also one of his longest.
“In my 16 years as patron of Child Bereavement UK, I have seen the life-changing impact of their work and how the support, care and compassion provided protect the long-term health and wellbeing of those living with loss.”
“I have also seen the growing need for support of this kind, and it is because of this increasing demand that I am delighted that Child Bereavement UK and Winston’s Wish are joining forces to expand their impact,” he continued in his address.
Winston’s Wish was formerly another charity that supported young people through grief, but has now merged with the larger organisation.
“They have recognised that together they can do so much more, and I commend them for both taking this bold step to reach more people and help to reduce the long-term challenges that unresolved grief can cause,” the father-of-three concluded.
