Prince William has opened up in an emotional interview with British GQ about his grief following his mum’s death.
Princess Diana was killed in a car accident in 1997, and as it approaches the 20 year anniversary of her passing, William has revealed his sadness that she will never get to meet his children.
Prince William discusses Diana's death, mental health and Lady Gaga with @campbellclaret in our July issue. https://t.co/cyiUjZXTGP pic.twitter.com/u0tLeBxiGV
— British GQ (@BritishGQ) May 29, 2017
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Speaking to the publication about how that’s something he struggles with, the prince said:
“I would like to have had her advice.
“I would love her to have met Catherine and to have seen the children grow up. It makes me sad that she won’t, that they will never know her.”
Recently, Prince William and his brother Prince Harry have been more open about their mother’s death in a bid to raise awareness of mental health.
Together with Kate they’ve been working with charity Heads Together to get people talking.
Harry even admitted in a podcast with mental health campaigner and journalist Bryony Gordon:
“I can safely say that losing my mum at the age of 12, and therefore shutting down all of my emotions for the last 20 years, has had a quite serious effect on not only my personal life but my work as well.
“I have probably been very close to a complete breakdown on numerous occasions when all sorts of grief and all sorts of lies and misconceptions and everything are coming to you from every angle.
“My way of dealing with it was sticking my head in the sand, refusing to ever think about my mum, because why would that help? “(I thought) it’s only going to make you sad, it’s not going to bring her back.
Read more: Prince Harry opens up about being “close to a complete breakdown”
“So from an emotional side, I was like, ‘Right, don’t ever let your emotions be part of anything’.”
In his GQ interview, William has revealed how he’s in “a better place” now.
“I am in a better place about it than I have been for a long time, where I can talk about her more openly, talk about her more honestly, and I can remember her better, and publicly talk about her better.
“It has taken me almost twenty years to get to that stage. I still find it difficult now because at the time it was so raw.
“And also it is not like most people’s grief, because everyone else knows about it, everyone knows the story, everyone knows her.
“It’s a different situation for most people who lose someone they love, it can be hidden away or they can choose if they want to share their story.”
The magazine also released a beautiful picture of William and wife Kate playing with their children Charlotte and George, and dog Lupo.
William, Kate, George and Charlotte – plus Lupo the family dog. (📸 #normanjeanroy) https://t.co/cyiUjZXTGP pic.twitter.com/XEe9cn0vsc
— British GQ (@BritishGQ) May 29, 2017
What a gorgeous family.