15-05-2025
Prince William Shares the 'Worst Pain' He Has Ever Endured
Prince William is opening up about the 'worst pain' he has ever felt, which came after the sudden loss of his mother, Princess Diana, in a Paris car accident on August 31, 1997.
The Prince of Wales was only 15 at the time of her death, and the loss still profoundly affects him to the present day.
The future king's statement on May 14 came as Child Bereavement U.K.—a charity founded by Diana's close friend Julia Samuel—prepares to merge with Winston's Wish, another bereavement charity, to serve a broader population that neither organization could tackle William is opening up about the 'worst pain' he has ever felt—grieving the unimaginable loss of his mother, Princess Diana, who died in a car accident when the Prince of Wales was just 15 years old.
William has been patron of the organization Child Bereavement U.K. since 2009, and said in a statement on May 14—as the charity announced a merger with another bereavement charity, Winston's Wish—that '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 added, via Hello!, 'In my 16 years as patron of Child Bereavement U.K., I have seen the life-changing impact of their work and how the support, care, and compassion provided protects the long-term health and well-being 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 U.K. and Winston's Wish are joining forces to expand their impact,' the future king added. 'They have recognized 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.'
As Child Bereavement U.K. and Winston's Wish merge, they will 'look to provide training to professionals, equipping them to provide the best possible care to bereaved families,' Hello! reported. The combined organization will retain the name Child Bereavement U.K., and will also retain the patronage of William. The organization was set up by Princess Diana's close friend Julia Samuel, who serves as one of Prince George's godparents. Samuel previously said of William that 'He has deep empathy—that really comes across—which is why people feel better for meeting him.'
'He has the genuineness that Diana had,' she continued. 'They can see it in his face and hear it in his voice. He is warm, but very direct—just as she was.'
William said of his mother's death that the shock 'never leaves you': 'I still have shock within me,' he said in a 2017 documentary, Mind Over Marathon. 'People say it can't last that long, but it does. The shock is the biggest thing [which] I still feel 20 years later about my mother. You never get over it. It's such an unbelievably big moment in your life that never leaves you. You just learn to deal with it.'
In a continued show of support for the organization, on May 13, the Prince of Wales privately hosted a 30th anniversary dinner for Child Bereavement U.K. at Windsor Castle, according to The Times.
Read the original article on InStyle
