A Prince's Pain William's Raw Revelations

The Future King Lays Bare the Toll of His Own Bereavements

- Judy Kean

He comes from a family that’s the epitome of the “British stiff upper lip”. But Prince William is continuing his crusade to get people to express their emotions for the sake of their mental health by talking about his personal struggles.

The future king has opened up about the trauma of losing his mum, Diana, Princess of Wales, and how it has continued to affect him since she was killed in a car crash in 1997. He’s also revealed how the years he spent working as an air ambulance pilot took a toll on him.

Speaking out about mental health in a TV documentary, Royal Team Talk: Tackling Mental Health, William says Diana’s death when he was just 15 caused him huge pain, but also allowed him to identify with others who are grieving.

“I’ve thought about this a lot, and I’m trying to understand why I feel like I do, but I think when you are bereaved at a very young age, any time really, but particularly at a young age... you feel a pain like no other pain.

“You know that in your life it’s going to be very difficult to come across something that’s going to be even worse pain than that. But it also brings you so close to all those other people out there who have been bereaved. So instantly, when you talk to someone else… you can almost see it in their eyes sometimes.”

The documentary, which was aimed at men in particular, includes footage of William (36) discussing mental health issues such as depression with top British soccer players and England football manager Gareth Southgate (48).