As his little boy’s first birthday gets closer, a proud Prince William has reflected on his first year as a father.
Talking to a group of young leaders at Buckingham Palace on Wednesday, the 32-year-old described parenthood as the “silver lining” after losing his mother, Princess Diana in 1997.
While chatting with London brothers Rob and Paul Forkan, the future king found himself remembering his late mother, who was killed in a car crash in Paris when he was just 15, and the challenging time he had accepting her death.
Prince William offered comfort and words of encouragement to the Forkan’s, who had also lost their parents as teenagers, in the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami.
“He said he lost his mum at 15 but there was always a silver lining and you should dust yourself off and carry on,” 26-year-old Rob told reporters.
After their parent’s tragic passing, Rob and Paul honoured them by building orphanages in developing countries, funded by their company, Gandys.
“[Prince William] applauded what we had done and said keep up the good work,” Rob continued. “He’s got his own family now – that was his silver lining.”
And it seems William isn’t the only royal reflecting on the late Princess of Wales.
Earlier this month, his brother Prince Harry welled up while recalling his mother’s death when he met a group of Brazilian orphans.
Related: Prince Harry tears up recalling Princess Diana’s death
“I was completely overwhelmed and shocked,” Harry said.
“I’ve never blubbed in public as far as I can remember but I was pretty damn close. It was amazing to hear those stories.”
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