Prince William Admits He ‘Reflected On Grief’ After Princess Diana’s Death

Prince William recently opened up about the grief he experienced following the death of Princess Diana.

On Aug. 31, 1997, Princess Diana died following a fatal car crash in Paris. At that time, Prince William was just 14 years old. Prince Harry, on the other hand, was just 12 years old.

During his recent visit to New Zealand, Prince William opened up about the struggles of his loss and said that he understands what the survivors of the Christchurch shooting are feeling.

“I’ve had reason myself to reflect on grief, sudden pain, and loss in my own life. What I’ve realized is that, of course, grief can change your outlook, you don’t forget the shock and sadness or pain, but I do not believe grief changes who you are,” he said.

Prince William said that acknowledging grief can help reveal a person’s real identity. Doing so could also help individuals reveals depths about themselves that they didn’t know existed.

“This is what happened here. An act of violence was designed to change New Zealand, but instead, the grief of a nation revealed just how deep the values of warmth, compassion, and love really run. In a moment of acute pain, you stood up and you stood together… In reaction to the tragedy, you achieved something remarkable,” he said.

Prince William also visited Christchurch to meet the staff who helped save lives after the shooting. The Duke of Cambridge flew to New Zealand on Prince Louis’ birthday for two-day engagement on behalf of Queen Elizabeth II.

The 93-year-old monarch no longer flies overseas, presumably due to her delicate age. But since she still hasn’t resigned or abdicated, the Queen simply delegates some of her official duties and roles to her eldest son, Prince Charles, and the latter’s eldest son, Prince William.

Prince William has returned to London following his short trip to New Zealand on Friday and he is expected to take part in more royal duties in the coming weeks.