Mother’s death still ‘shocks’ Prince William
ROYAL BROTHERS SPEAK OUT ON MENTAL HEALTH, GRIEF
Prince William has told how he still feels the shock of his mother’s death 20 years later, as he followed his brother Prince Harry’s lead by pledging: “It’s time that everyone speaks up.”
The Duke of Cambridge, who was 15 when Diana, Princess of Wales, died, said the loss of a parent was “such an unbelievably big moment” adding: “You never get over it.” Speaking in a new BBC documentary about mental health issues, he said: “People go, ‘Shock can’t last that long’, but it does.”
Prince Harry received universal praise earlier this week after speaking in depth about his past for the first time. He told The Daily Telegraph he had sought counselling after spending 20 years burying his head in the sand over his mother’s death and enduring two years of “total chaos.”
Speaking after a preview screening of the documentary at the BBC Tuesday, the Duke told an audience: “The more we have influential and very important people speaking about their issues and their battles, the better.”
Wednesday, the Duke also appeared in a video with pop star Lady Gaga, talking to her about mental health issues and declaring: “It’s time that everyone speaks up.”
He, Prince Harry and the Duchess of Cambridge will appear in Mind Over Marathon, a documentary about 10 “unlikely runners” with different mental health issues training for the London Marathon. Each of the young Royals spent time with the runners.
One participant, 39-yearold Rhian Burke, asked the Duke’s advice on how to help her two children cope with the deaths of their father and one-year-old brother, who died within five days of each other in 2012. She said: “When your mum passed away, you were obviously a bit older than my children but I obviously worry about them growing up. They’ll be OK, won’t they?”
The Duke replied: “They’ll be absolutely fine. With a mum like you, they’ll be absolutely fine.
“Because you’re aware of all this, you’re already a step ahead of what could happen. Like you said, the shock is the biggest thing.
“I still feel, 20 years later about my mother, I still have shock within me. You know, 20 years later. ... You never get over it. It’s such an unbelievably big moment in your life that it never leaves you. You just learn to deal with it.”
The most important thing, he added, was Burke being there to provide a “blanket of stability” for her two children.
The Duchess spent time with Shereece Foster, 24, who told her she found it difficult to train for the marathon while looking after her two small children. “You’re the heroes really because you’re standing up there very bravely telling your stories,” said the Duchess.
The Duke said of his mental health now: “I’m very lucky, I’ve got a good support network around me. For those who don’t have that network, that’s where the first cracks start to appear.”
Speaking on stage after the screening, the Duke said he believed the nation was “on the cusp of something big” when it came to changing attitudes about mental health.
The Duke and Duchess, and Prince Harry will all attend the London Marathon, representing Heads Together, to cheer the runners on.