The experience of grief is a deeply personal one, but for Prince William, it has also been highly public. The royal lost his mother, Princess Diana, in a car accident in 1997 when he was just 15 years old, and he has made the need for grief care one of his chosen causes since becoming a working royal. For over a decade and a half, he has served as patron to the organization Child Bereavement U.K., and this week, as the charity announced it would be merging with another organization, Winston’s Wish, William opened up about grief in a statement about the charity’s work
“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 in a statement about the merger.
He continued, “In my sixteen 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 protects 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. They have recognised that together they can do so much more, and I commend them both for taking this bold step to reach more people and help to reduce the long-term challenges that unresolved grief can cause.”
While the royals haven’t always been so forthcoming about sharing their feelings, this is hardly the first time that the prince has spoken on the subject of loss. Back in 2019, he shared as part of a BBC special “I think when you are bereaved at a very young age, anytime really, but particularly at a young age—I can resonate closely to that—you feel a pain like no other pain. … But it also brings you so close to all those other people out there who have been bereaved.”
Lauren Hubbard is a freelance writer and Town & Country contributor who covers beauty, shopping, entertainment, travel, home decor, wine, and cocktails.