It's twenty years since Princess Diana passed away, and in a new interview with GQ, Prince William has opened up about life without his mother. In the extremely moving article, the Prince is candid about missing his mom, who died in 1997 when he was still a teenager.
The interview is firmly focused on breaking down the taboo that surrounds mental illness. As Prince William tells GQ, "People can't access services till they feel less ashamed, so we must tackle the taboo, the stigma, for goodness sake, this is the 21st century." It's so important that he continues to take a stand on behalf of all those affected by mental health issues, particularly as the topic can be so difficult to broach.
Perhaps the most heartbreaking part of William's interview, though, is when he's asked about the loss of his mother. He says, "I would like to have had her advice. I would love her to have met Catherine and to have seen the children grow up. It makes me sad that she won't, that they will never know her." Now that Prince William has started his own family, with Kate Middleton, it's unsurprising that he misses his mother greatly, and wishes she was there to meet his children.
The Prince also speaks about how difficult it is to deal with his grief in the public eye. He says, "I am in a better place about it than I have been for a long time, where I can talk about her more openly, talk about her more honestly, and I can remember her better, and publicly talk about her better." On the twentieth anniversary of her death, William is honoring his mother in the best way, with his honesty.
Prince William's honest discussion of grief makes him even more relatable, as the impossible process is something everyone faces. The fact that a member of the royal family is prepared to open up about such a personal issue is unusual and important, and is what sets Prince William and Kate Middleton apart.
