Prince William believes "grief is the very worst pain any child or parent will ever endure"

According to the Telegraph, William, who has been patron of the charity since 2009, said at the event on Tuesday (13.05.25): "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."

And the 42-year-old royal praised the decision for Child Bereavement UK to merge with Winston's Wish, which also supports young people through bereavement, in order to make a bigger impact in the midst of "increasing demand".

He said: "In my 16 years as patron of Child Bereavement UK, I have seen the life-changing impact of their work and how the support, care and compassion provided protects the long-term health and wellbeing 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 UK and Winston's Wish are joining forces to expand their impact.

"They have recognised 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."

The merged organisations will retain the name of Child Bereavement UK and William will remain in his role as patron.

The newly merged organisation will retain the name Child Bereavement UK and the Prince will remain patron.

Alexander Fitzgibbons, the chairman of Child Bereavement UK, said: "With more, we can do more. Together, we can reach further, giving a stronger voice to bereaved children, young people, parents and families across the UK."

In February, William met with teenagers who were receiving support from Child Bereavement UK and reflected on his own difficulties speaking about his grief.

Speaking to 17-year-old Rebecca, whose father died suddenly, 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."