Prince William reflected on his own childhood grief while supporting a children’s bereavement charity, where he serves as patron.
On Feb. 5, the Prince of Wales, 42, spoke with candor during a visit to the Child Bereavement UK center in Widnes, England, to see the charity’s work helping bereaved families heal.
Prince William was 15 when his mother Princess Diana died in 1997. In 2009, he succeeded her as patron of the organization founded by her close friend, Julia Samuel, whom he and Kate Middleton later chose as a godparent to their first child, Prince George.
“Sometimes the hardest thing about grief is finding the words for how you actually feel,” Prince William said, according to the Daily Mail.
“It’s crucial for those first few years, particularly, [that] you have support like this… It’s got you in your practice, how to help yourself,” he said.
“The mind gets focused on one thing, doesn’t it? It’s very difficult to do school and normal life,” he continued.
The heir to the throne previously described learning the news of his mother’s death following a car accident in Paris as his “saddest” memory, and carries her torch in his royal work today by supporting several causes, including Child Bereavement UK, which she championed before her death.
Prince William met children and families who have been assisted by the charity, as well as volunteers, staff and other supporters, at the Wildnes center (its busiest) on Feb. 5, and heard from some young people about how the organization has been there for them.
“He knows exactly the situation we’ve been in — he’s been in the same situation around our age as well. He really understood,” Rebecca, 17, said of William, The Times reported.
Daniel, 18, echoed a similar sentiment and shared, “[William] was quite down to earth. The charity thrives on fundraising and donations. It can’t offer support without them. You need people like the prince to raise awareness of what they do.”
Both teens lost their fathers when they were young, and are among the thousands of individuals whom the organization has supported. It offers free and confidential bereavement support for young people up to age 25, couples and families across several locations and virtually via phone, video or instant message, plus trainings for professionals in several sectors (including the emergency services, linking to Prince William’s time as an air ambulance helicopter pilot) whose work engages them with bereaved families.
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Hearing about how Child Bereavement UK’s counselors turn to their own experiences to lend help, The Times reported that William made a heartfelt comment about how that makes an impact.
“It’s important to feel there’s a bond. You need a bit of understanding. It can’t be too clinical,” he said.
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