Prince William has taken the time to draw attention to what he calls the “very worst pain any child or parent will ever endure”: Grief.
The Prince of Wales has been the patron of Child Bereavement UK for 16 years, empathising with their work after losing his own mother, Princess Diana, when he was just 15 years old.
In a statement marking the charity’s new future following their merge with bereavement charity Winston’s Wish, he celebrated the work they do in supporting families when a child or parent is facing bereavement and praised the ‘expert support and care’ they offer those going through grief.
His comments come as the UK marks Mental Health Awareness Week (12 May – 18 May), which this year focuses on communities that make a difference to our mental health – and in the same week that Kate Middleton was credited by brother James for showing ‘it’s OK to not be OK’.
His own struggles in knowing how to cope with the loss of a parent are clear in his thoughtful statement, which reads, “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.”
(Image credit: Photo by Jayne Fincher/Princess Diana Archive/Getty Images)
He added, “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.”
William will remain the patron of the newly merged charity, which will also keep the name Child Bereavement UK.
Elsewhere in his statement, William drew attention to the “growing need” for bereavement services and praised the work of both charities.
“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.”
(Image credit: Getty)
Speaking about grief is something that woman&home‘s Royal Editor Emma Shacklock says must be ‘intensely difficult’ for William to speak about, even after all these years. And as well as doing a lot to raise ‘vital’ awareness of the struggles he and other children have faced while dealing with grief, it has also helped to prove why it’s important to talk about death.
Emma explains, “Although it must be intensely difficult for him to speak of, the Prince of Wales has been incredibly open about his experience of grief, particularly his grief after losing his mother Princess Diana. In talking about this so candidly and publicly, he has raised vital awareness for the importance of supporting those going through it.”
It’s not just his own personal experience that led Prince William to support Child Bereavement UK, but also the fact that the charity itself was set up by one of Princess Diana’s close friends, Julia Samuel.
Speaking about his involvement in the charity’s work, HELLO! reports that Julia previously said, “[Prince William] has deep empathy – that really comes across – which is why people feel better for meeting him. He has the genuineness that Diana had. They can see it in his face and hear it in his voice. He is warm, but very direct, just as she was.”
(Image credit: Getty Images)
It’s not the first time that William has spoken candidly about the grief of losing a parent. While it took him years to publicly speak about the death of Princess Diana, in his role as Prince of Wales, he’s spoken candidly about the “dark days of grief” that followed his mother’s tragic death and recently shared some heartfelt advice with a young boy who’d lost his own mother.
“I know how you feel,” he told 11-year-old Deacon during a visit to Church on the Street in Burnley, Lancashire. He then reassured him, “It gets easier.”
