Prince William and Harry open up about Diana’s death and how it ‘uniquely bonded’ them – despite ‘not talking about it enough’ over the years
PRINCES William and Harry have opened up about their mother’s death saying it “uniquely bonded” them – even though the brothers did not talk enough about it for years.
Harry, 32, admitted he though there was no point “bringing up something that’s only going to make you sad” after Princess Diana was killed in a car crash in 1997.
The princes and Wills’ wife Kate spoke out on the importance of talking about difficult subjects in a YouTube film to promote their Heads Together mental health campaign.
It comes after Harry bravely told how he came close to a breakdown, spiralled into “total chaos” and ended up seeking counselling after “shutting down all my emotions” for nearly two decades.
Kate, 35, tells how mental health sufferers have told her talking is “like medicine” as they share a chat in the gardens of Kensington gardens in the new campaign video.
Harry adds of his brother: “Both of us have always been open to each other saying we’ve never really talked about losing a mum at such a young age.
“And when you speak to other people’s families and little kids and stuff, you think, wow, you know, I don’t want them to have to go through the same things.
“With a little bit of experience, you want to help as much as you can and try and empower them to have that conversation, to be brave enough for themselves to talk about it at a young age rather than bottling it up for far too long.”
Kate tells them: “Considering everything that you boys sadly went through, the trauma that you experienced, I do think it’s incredible how strong and how you’ve been able to cope.
“And I put that down to your really early years and childhood experience. But also the relationship that you’ve got. You’re amazingly close.”
William, 34, says: “But we have been brought closer because of the circumstances as well, that’s the thing
“You know we are uniquely bonded because of what we’ve been through. But you know even Harry and I over the years have not talked enough about our mother.”
Harry replies: “No never enough.
“I always thought to myself, what’s the point in bringing up the past? What’s the point in bringing up something that’s only going to make you sad?
“It ain’t going to change it, it ain’t gonna bring her back.
“And when you start thinking like that it can be really damaging. You (William) always said to me, you’ve got to sit down and think about those memories. But for me it was like, don’t want to think about it.”
William added: “What’s happened with us and it must happen with others as well is that you have to prioritise your mental health.
“Because it’s very easy to walk away from it and avoid it the whole time. Someone has to take the lead and be brave enough to force that conversation.”
He also reveals how he is more emotional since becoming a father and is surprised how affected he is by difficult cases as an air ambulance helicopter pilot.
The royals’ Heads Together campaign seeks to dispel the stigma around mental health problems.
Some 700 people will run Sunday’s London Marathon for the cause.
William has also spoken in a BBC documentary to go with the campaign, saying it was his mother’s death that prompted him to speak out on mental health.
And Harry reveals how fun and humour helped him cope with the tragedy.
Yesterday the Duchess of Cambridge admitted motherhood is “lonely at times” and she has felt isolated as she chatted to two mums in West London.
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