Prince William spoke of his mother, Princess Diana, while he gave a moving speech at a bereavement charity fundraiser this week.
The prince told the charity, Child Bereavement UK, that his mother would have been “immensely proud” of their work. Diana attended the charity’s launch 21 years ago; six years ago William got involved with the organization, and is now a patron.
“What my mother recognized back then — and what I understand now — is that grief is the most painful experience that any child or parent can endure,” William said. “But my mother was determined to help those in need.”
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William said he’s witnessed first-hand the incredible work of the organization, a steady support for people during immense grief, in a time when many others “slink away”.
“CBUK — and I don’t know how they do this — brings warmth, comfort, a guiding hand, a way through, even colour and joyfulness, and a renewed opportunity for love as a family reknits itself after tragedy.”
“As a father to two young children myself, I now appreciate it all the more.”
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Prince William is father to Prince George, 2, and Princess Charlotte, 5 months, with his wife Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge.
William was 15 when his mother Princess Diana died in a grisly crash. There was an outpouring of grief over her death, and an estimated 2.5 billion people watched her televised funeral.
William and his brother Harry walked behind her casket, while as many as one million people lined London’s streets to observe the procession. While her death in 1997 was very public, the prince has rarely publicly spoken about his mother.
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