Sad my children will never know my mother: Prince William on Diana's death

British royal opens up on mental illness nearly 20 years after her mother was killed in a car crash

It seems like the new-age British royals are all about being real, be it about themselves or the ones they rule over. It’s no secret that Prince William and his wife Kate Middleton – along with his brother Prince Harry – have joined hands with the ongoing Heads Together campaign to promote mental health. In fact, Harry recently admitted to getting therapy following his mother’s death in 1997.

This time it’s William, who has opened up about his deteriorating mental health following Princess Diana’s untimely demise. The Duke of Cambridge went on to admit how it took him a long time to come to terms with the death of his mother, who was killed in a car crash in Paris 20 years ago. “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 remember her better, and publicly talk about her better,” William said in an interview with GQ magazine.



"It has taken me almost 20 years to get to that stage! I still find it difficult now because at the time, it was so raw. And also, it is not like most people’s grief, because everyone else knows about it, everyone knows the story, everyone knows her. It’s different for most people who lose someone they love; it can be hidden or they can choose if they want to share their story.”

Of course, the ever dutiful son still misses Diana. "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."

William added that though he might seem “reserved” and “shy” at first, issues related to mental health are very close to his heart. “I've been really shocked how many people live in fear and in silence because of their mental illness. I just don't understand it! I know I come across as quite reserved and shy and don’t always have my emotions brewing but behind closed doors, I think about the issues and get very passionate about things,” he stated.

“I rely on people around me for opinions and I am a great believer in communication. I cannot understand how families, even behind closed doors, still find it so hard to talk about it. I am shocked we are so worried about saying anything about the true feelings we have. Mental illness is inside our heads; invisible. It means others tread carefully and don’t know what to say, whereas, if you have a broken leg in plaster, everyone knows what to say.”

Family remains the most important thing to William. "I could not do my job without the stability of my family. Stability at home is so important to me. I want to bring up my children in a happy, stable, secure world and that's so important to us as parents," he said. "I want George to grow up in a real, living environment. I don't want him growing up behind palace walls...he has to be out there. The media makes it harder but I will fight for my children to have a normal life."

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