Prince William Speaks on his Mother’s Death in Recent GQ Interview
Norman Jean Roy
When Princess Diana passed away in 1997, people from all over the world went into mourning. Her death was tragic and as she touched so many people in her life, her passing meant that a special light and kindness were gone with her. Her compassionate spirit made her a strong force in this world, one for good, and while qualities like that live on long after our natural lives end, it didn’t make it easier on those who loved her.
The car accident was in the news for a long time after the crash and her passing and a spotlight was put on her family. It seemed as if the world was waiting for what happened next, for what was to come, and it made the loss of Princess Diana even harder on those who loved her the most.
Her son, the Duke of Cambridge sat down with GQ for an interview where he spoke, candidly for the first time, about how he processed her death when it happened, how he processed it in the years after, and what not having his mother here with him has been like.
Recently, the Duke spoke about his depression and struggles with mental health surrounding her passing, saying that he sought help years after she passed but that he was thankful to receive the help, even if it came late. He seems to follow up those statements in his most recent interview.
‘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. It has taken me almost twenty years to get to that stage. I still find it difficult now because at the time it was so raw.’
His pain was raw, it still is, and her death was sudden and tragic. The fact that he can talk more openly about her life and legacy now is wonderful, but he’s stronger than ever for being able to admit that he still struggles with the pain.
‘…but I knew him’
