Prince William: ‘grief never entirely lost’ after Princess Diana’s death


Prince William doesn’t get as much press as his brother here in America. This is both good and bad – Prince Harry can seem at times like a racist douche, but at other times Harry is “the hot but dumb prince”. It must be a little difficult for Prince William to be in the shadows (publicity-wise) of his younger brother as of late.

But Prince William is trying to rectify the situation. Will is speaking out like never before in an exclusive statement to The Daily Mail. Will has just become the Royal Patron to the Child Bereavement Charity, and for the first time Will is talking (or writing) in detail about his mother’s death.

Prince William says about Princess Diana’s death: “Never being able to say the word “Mummy” again in your life sounds like a small thing. However, for many, including me, it’s now really just a word – hollow and evoking only memories.” He also writes, “Real grief often does not hit home until much later. For many it is a grief never entirely lost. Life is altered as you know it, and not a day goes past without you thinking about the one you have lost. I know that over time it is possible to learn to live with what has happened and, with the passing of years, to retain or rediscover cherished memories.” So much for the British stiff upper lip. Here’s William’s exclusive statement to The Daily Mail:

Yesterday I became Royal Patron of the Child Bereavement Charity. I took on this role because I know what it is like to lose someone you love so much. Losing a child or being a child when your parent dies is the awful reality for over 23,000 families in Britain every year.

Initially, there is a sense of profound shock and disbelief that this could ever happen to you. Real grief often does not hit home until much later. For many it is a grief never entirely lost. Life is altered as you know it, and not a day goes past without you thinking about the one you have lost.

However, I also know that over time it is possible to learn to live with what has happened and, with the passing of years, to retain or rediscover cherished memories.

Our families and friends play a crucial role in coping with grief. The Child Bereavement Charity can never replace their love. It can, though, provide another, sometimes invaluable lifeline. The charity is there to help the bereaved directly. It also works with those in the community – such as teachers, nurses and the police – who have to deal with the realities of death on a daily basis.

The Child Bereavement Charity has another vital role: raising awareness of child bereavement and informing people of where they can get help and support. Yesterday, the charity launched its Mother’s Day campaign. The theme is “Silence”. The silence that death leaves. The silence of death’s taboo. The silence of listening.

Mother’s Day is so painful for grieving families; for mothers remembering a lost child or for children longing for their mother – a day of happiness turned to sadness. Losing a close family member is one of the hardest experiences that anyone can ever endure. Never being able to say the word “Mummy” again in your life sounds like a small thing.

However, for many, including me, it’s now really just a word – hollow and evoking only memories. I can therefore wholeheartedly relate to the Mother’s Day campaign as I too have felt – and still feel – the emptiness on such a day as Mother’s Day.

This year I hope that, through the Child Bereavement Charity’s tireless and dedicated hard work, for some families at least, it will be a little less painful. For those who have lost the one they love, rest assured they will be watching over you.

From The Daily Mail

Some celebrity/royal-watchers have pointed out in the past that Prince William never seemed to really deal with his mother’s death. Considering the emotional resonance behind his statement, I’d have to disagree. I think Will still feels Diana’s death acutely, almost painfully, on a daily basis. Perhaps this is why Will is reticent to settle down with Kate Middleton. He has both a fear of abandonment and survivor’s guilt. But that’s just my diagnosis. I’m still very happy that Will can turn his personal grief into something positive – it’s what his mother would have done.

Prince William is shown at a reception for the The Child Bereavement Charity held at the Sladmore Contemporary Art Gallery in London on 3/12/09 and also at a Dinner to mark the 40th Anniversary of Centrepoint held at St. James’ Palace State Apartments in London later that night. Credit: WENN.com

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23 Responses to “Prince William: ‘grief never entirely lost’ after Princess Diana’s death”

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  1. snappyfish says:

    well said

  2. HEB says:

    I wish him the best.

    Side note: I don’t think he looses much sleep over Harry getting more press than him–they both hate it!

  3. barneslr says:

    Of course his grief isn’t entirely lost. When you love someone and they pass away, there is a sense of loss that never goes away. You adapt to life without that person, but you never forget and you never stop loving them.

    I don’t think that’s why he hasn’t married Kate yet, though. I think it’s more because he witnessed his own parent’s horrible and ugly divorce and is probably afraid of going through the same thing. They seem to really love each other, however, and have been together quite a long time, so I hope he gets past those fears and is able to have a healthy and happy marriage with her. They seem like a well matched couple.

  4. sarah says:

    i think he is dealing with the death of his mother very well. As someone who lost a parent as a child- in the same way that william did, I can honestly say that you can move on, and you do get by, and while the grief remains, it is also diminished, you can look back and remember fondly (as he said). I dont think this means that he is forever saddled with a fear of abandonment or survivors guilt- and i personally find such a statement a bit silly. I think he is quite simply a self aware young man, who is going on with his life, and who is committed to his girlfriend and maybe thinking about settling down. you dont need to make it into more than it is.

  5. RAN says:

    Ok, the cynic in me is jumping out. Prince William didn’t write that grief speech – therefore, it certainly didn’t come from the heart. I don’t doubt that he still grieves for his mother – who wouldn’t, but if the words were from his own heart, I may believe they were completely sincere. That’s the problem with speech writers… too much dependence on someone else writing about your own personal feelings.

  6. tigerlille says:

    I doubt that Will wrote this statement, but hopefully it does reflect his feelings. Where would anyone get the idea that William is dumb? I believe that that is Harry’s forte. William, I understand, was quite academic while in school. Both the boys hate publicity and the press.

  7. Sarah says:

    This is a superficial comment: I am a couple of years younger than William, and I had a big crush on him in my pre-teen years. Harry always seemed awkward-looking in comparison. But as they’ve gotten older, Harry seems to have become better-looking than Wills… even though he does dumb things over and over. William’s got a jewel in Kate Middleton though. It would be nice to see them get married.

  8. KateNonymous says:

    He may not have written the words, but I’m sure he means them. Having lost my own mother, I know that while the grief and loss become more manageable, I will always miss her.

  9. Zoe says:

    I must say, the timing of this is unbelievable. Mere days ago people were publically accusing him of doing nothing and barely doing royal engagements, and since then he hasn’t stopped doing them and is now talking about his mother. Great PR team, trying to recover some badly needed credibility. It’s totally not working for me and feels massively contrived. Diana would be so disappointed if she saw what her two children turned into.

  10. Zoe says:

    ::William, I understand, was quite academic while in school. Both the boys hate publicity and the press.::

    Supposedly, William is the smartest royal yet according to standardized testing. So, there’s really no reason for him to commit himself to a life of doing the bare minimum or taking part in things that aren’t helping anyone. As for hating the publicity and press, I should think he has bigger fish to fry if he’s supposed to inherit the monarchy and allow it to survive another generation. If I were him, I’d be taking that prospect a little more seriously because at this rate it isn’t going to be there when he stands to inherit the throne. Press and publicity are the only tools he has left to ensure the survival of his family, he better start using it.

  11. Anoneemouse says:

    His mother would have been so proud of him!

  12. anastasiabeaverhausen says:

    Awww. I was a grown adult and a mother of a two year old when she died and I remember my heart breaking for these two boys during the funeral and after. I think wherever she is, she’s proud of her boys. And I do think this is something that she would support whole-heartedly.

  13. eternalcanadian says:

    oh dear, even though he said it well regarding grieving over one’s parent, i can’t help but notice he’s going bald really quickly. that sucks. he’ll be totally bald by the time he’s like 32 or so.

  14. Mairead says:

    It doesn’t strike me as being a ghost-written address. He is a university graduate from St. Andrew’s and would have had to have become adept at putting pen to paper, as it were there.

    In interviews with him when he was much younger and doing overseas work during his gap year, he came across as being very articulate and thoughtful.

    He is, however, physically morphing more and more into a Windsor with each passing hour. The Spencer genes are that bit stronger in Harry 😉

  15. pippipcheerio says:

    So sad, he looks like he’s fighting to keep from crying in the header photo. How children go on after such a tremendous loss is difficult to fathom.

  16. tigerlille says:

    The press pursued Diana relentlessly, and most people recognize that the paparazzi played a role in her death, and that is why both boys hate and distrust the press/paparazzi; in Europe paparazzi behavior is even worse than here, and has been for some time. Remember her brother’s comment to the effect that Diana was named after the Goddess of the hunt, and that she was the most hunted woman of the century?

    I wonder how William really feels about the prospect of inheriting the throne. It must feel like a terrible burden for such a young man. I’d be tempted to take the money and run, but I don’t imagine that he feels that he has much choice in the matter.

  17. rarahrarah says:

    he is SO BALDING 🙁

  18. Baholicious says:

    Charles writes most of his speeches/addresses, as does the Queen and if they don’t, they have great input into them. I would say that William probably did write this.

  19. nag says:

    He needs to get marrried before he looks just like his father…

  20. LondonParis says:

    Mairead, I totally agree.
    Why is it that everyone is under the impression that William didn’t write this? The reason he’s in the public eye is because he’s a British royal (and largely because the media has watched him and his brother grow up since Princess Diana’s death)- he’s not some American celebrity.
    Being Royal Patron of charities and helping the people of his nation in the best way he can are things that are his responsibility! It’s not some publicity stunt put on by his “people”.

  21. raven says:

    I believe he wrote it as well. I have another question for a Brit or someone familiar with this charity. Exactly what does the child bereavement charity do? I understand the thought behind it from his statement,but what do they fund? Counseling, wreaths on graves, education about grief?

  22. J says:

    I don’t understand what William’s balding head has to do with the Child Bereavement Charity.

  23. Hi really enjoyed reading your post.
    Which adverts were shown on either side/ in between the coverage of Princess Dianas funeral or wedding?
    Cross