The dashing Prince William was just a 15-year-old teen when his mother Diana was tragically killed in Paris. Her eldest son rarely discusses the incident, but a new interview has the royal speaking out.
Chatting to Sky News ahead of the Queen’s 90th birthday, William spoke out about how his grandmother was the “strong female influence” he needed as a teenager.
“Having lost my mother at a very young age, it has been particularly important for me that I had somebody like the Queen to look up to and who has been there and has understood some of the more complex issues when you lose a loved one,” he mused.
Recounting a stand-out memory of Her Majesty’s guidance, the royal shared a fond story from his childhood.
See Wills recount a memorable moment from his childhood in the video player below! Post continues…
“[We] were on a quad bike in Balmoral and we were chasing Zara around who was on a go-cart. Peter and I managed to herd Zara into a lamppost and the lamppost came down and nearly squashed her,” William, 33, began.
“I remember my grandmother being the first person out and running across the lawn in her kilt. She came charging over and gave us the most almighty bollocking.”
“That sort of stuck in my mind from that moment on that I really should be a little bit more careful about what I’m doing and try not to kill my cousins.”
Wills considered his grandmother a “strong female influence” after his mother’s death.
And despite the recent criticism the father-of-two has met for cutting back on his royal duties and his job as an air ambulance pilot, he insists that Her Majesty has his back, and supports his choice to spend more time with his adorable family.
“Surprisingly, she is very supportive of what I’m doing at the moment – she understands that I’m a family man and I want to be around for my children as much as I can,” the handsome royal said before adding: “There’s a time and a place for taking on more and more responsibilities, and that will come.”
WATCH: Prince William and cheeky Prince Harry view old family videos in the player below! Post continues…
“To be honest, I’m going to get plenty of criticism over my lifetime and it’s something that I don’t completely ignore, but it’s not something I take completely to heart,” said William to BBC in a separate interview.
“I’m concentrating very much on my role as a father. I’m a new father and I take my duties and my responsibilities to my family very seriously and I want to bring my children up as good people with the idea of service and duty to others as very important. But if I can’t give my time to my children as well, I worry about their future.”
Speaking of his family, the father of George, two, and Charlotte, 11-months, had some choice words to say about his cheeky son in a recent chat with BBC’s Nick Witchell.
When asked whether his son is beginning to realise that he isn’t part of a “normal family”, William replied, “Well, as far as we’re concerned, within our family unit we are a normal family.”
“I love my children the same way any father does.”
“I love my children the same way any father does and I hope George loves me the same way any son does to his father, so we are very normal in that sense,” the future King quipped before adding, “And you know, George, there’ll be a time and a place to bring George up and understand how he fits in the world.”
“But right now, it’s just a case of keeping a secure, stable environment around him and showing him as much love as I can as a father.”
Meanwhile in a teaser for the upcoming BBC documentary, *Elizabeth at 90 – A Family Tribute(, which will be aired at 9pm on Wednesday night in England, a proud Prince William and Prince Harry can be seen watching old family videos of their dad, Prince Charles.
In the snippet, the brothers point out the family similarities. “He walks like George or George walks like him,” Harry says of his two-yea-old nephew.
“There’s a purpose to the walk,” Wills agrees.
Want to catch up on all the exciting coverage of The Queen’s 90th? Head here!
Her Majesty pictured with her five great-grandchildren and her two youngest grandchildren. (Photo credit/ 2016 Annie Leibovitz)
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