A week before the anniversary of Princess Diana's death, Prince William opened up about the pain of losing his mother over 20 years ago. While visiting the Keech Hospice in Luton, England, the Duke of Cambridge recalled memories of his mother's death as he consoled Ben Hines, whose mother recently died of cancer.
"I know how you feel," he told the 14-year-old, reports the The Telegraph. "I still miss my mother every day — and it’s 20 years after she died.”
"Time makes it easier," he added. "The important thing is to talk about it as a family. It's okay to feel sad, it's okay for you to miss her."
Prince William meeting a family who lost their Mum, gives them advice and says he misses Diana everyday #HeartNews pic.twitter.com/675D7bufi5
— Four Counties News (@Heart4CNews) August 24, 2016
Hines and his brothers, Thomas and Richard, lost their mother to cancer in June of last year, reports The Telegraph. The boys described how helpful the hospice has been in providing counseling and therapy since their mother's death.
"Promise me that you will talk to each other," Prince William told the family at one point, adding that he knows that men are often not "great sharers."
"I promise, sir," 20-year-old Thomas told him.
"I was getting all choked up towards the end when Ben was talking about his mum," their father, Gary Hines, told The Telegraph. "[Prince William] gave Ben his absolute attention. You could see that it struck a chord with him."
Prince William, who became the Royal Patron of the Child Bereavement Charity in 2014, wrote to the Daily Mail that he took on the role "because I know what it is like to lose someone you love so much." Though he had previously remained relatively quiet about his mother's death, he wrote, "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."
It's inspiring to see that the royal family is continuing to end the stigma against mental health. Princess Diana herself often visited hospices and hospitals to comfort the sick and the grieving. Her sons are clearly continuing her legacy.