Prince William Opens Up About The ‘Anger’ He Felt After Princess Diana’s Death

It’s been nearly two decades since Princess Diana’s death, but it remains a pivotal moment in the lives of both Prince William and Prince Harry. Diana’s eldest son recently opened up about his loss as he and wife Kate Middleton worked with kids to make memory jars in celebration of people they’d lost.

Us Weekly reported that William, 34, opened up to a young girl during an event at the Child Bereavement UK center in London, bonding over the fact that both had lost a parent. The Duke of Cambridge suggested that the girl speak about her deceased father often, calling it “very, very important.” The girl’s mother said William told the kids “he felt angry” after his mother’s death, reiterating the importance of talking about your feelings — no matter how uncomfortable.

“I couldn’t believe it when he started to talk about his mother. It was very emotional and I was willing myself not to start to cry. I almost did,” she said. “He told us how he felt angry when she died. He very specifically used that word anger, he felt angry about it.”

Prince William isn’t the only one who struggled to open up about his loss. In a December documentary marking the anniversary of the creation of Sentable — a charitable created by Prince Harry to honor his mother’s memory — the youngest of her sons spoke candidly about his grief. Harry, 32, said that Princess Diana’s death gave him a new outlook on life. While he was once the kind of person to subdue his emotions, Prince Harry said he has embraced his title and begun using it to “make a difference.”

“The fact that I’ve managed to keep Sentable going...for the last 10/11 years has been fantastic because now everything else I’m involved in makes sense to me and I’m just getting started,” Prince Harry said (via Daily Mail). “My mother died when I was very, very young and I don’t want to be in the position. Now I’m so energised, fired up, to be lucky enough to be in a position to make a difference.”

At a previous event, Prince William bonded with another young person about the heartache he experienced after Princess Diana’s death. During a visit to Keech Hospice Care in Luton, England, in August 2016, the duke connected with a 14-year-old named Ben who had lost his mother one year prior according to ET Online.

“Time makes it easier,” he assured Prince William. “I know how you feel, I still miss my mother every day and it’s 20 years after she died.”

Princess Diana died in 1997 in a fatal car crash in Paris. She was 36 at the time.