Prince William thinks it is "very difficult" to continue with normal life while grieving
The Prince of Wales - who was 15 years old when his mother, Princess Diana, died in a car crash in Paris in 1997 - paid a visit to Child Bereavement UK in Widnes, Cheshire, on Wednesday (05.02.25) and spoke with the teenagers he met there about the importance of getting support following a loss, particularly during the first few years as it can be hugely beneficial for the future
8 February 2025
Speaking to 17-year-old Rebecca, whose father died suddenly, the Daily Telegraph newspaper reports he said: "Sometimes the hardest thing about grief is finding the words for how you actually feel.
"Did you find it quite hard at the beginning to talk about how you felt?
"It's crucial those first few years particularly that you have support like this. It gets you in a practice to know how to help yourself going forward."
And after 15-year-old Meika admitted she had stopped going to school after her grandmother died, William - who has three children with wife Catherine, Princess of Wales - acknowledged how hard it can be to function while grieving.
He replied: "The mind gets focused on one thing, doesn't it? It's very difficult to be able to do school and normal life."
The teenagers made memory jars as they spoke with the prince, which they filled with salt in colours that reminded them of their loved ones.
And the group praised William for how he "really understood" what they were going through.
Rebecca said: "He knows exactly the situation we've been in. He's been in the same situation, around our age as well. I feel like it was good because he really understood."
Ella, 17, added: "I think he understands how grief works. He seemed comfortable to be able to speak to us about stuff."
Kensington Palace dec lared the visit to be "incredibly emotive and powerful ", with the prince wanting to showcase the charity's work supporting families "at the most difficult time of their lives."
Child Bereavement UK was founded by Diana's friend Julia Samuel - who is godmother to William's eldest son, 11-year-old Prince George - in 1994 and the prince has been its patron since 2009.
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