Prince William's brave words after he and Harry were shattered by Diana's death
When Diana, Princess of Wales died in a car crash in Paris on August 31, 1997, her two young sons were holidaying with their father and the rest of the Royal Family at the Balmoral Estate in Scotland. The heavy task of waking Prince William and Prince Harry up to reveal what had tragically happened fell upon the King.
In the 26 years that have passed, the two princes have opened up many times about how their mother's death impacted them and how they managed to live with the grief.
While a number of their shared memories were positive, they also spoke vividly about how the events shaped the people they have become today. Prince William, in particular, revealed his thoughts on not letting the tragedy "break" him.
Prince William spoke about his mother's death (WireImage)In the 2017 ITV documentary 'Diana, Our Mother' William spoke candidly about the tragedy and revealed how it has influenced who he is today. He said: "It’ll either make or break you. And I wouldn’t let it break me, I wanted it to make me. I wanted her to be proud of the person I'd become.
"I didn't want her worried or her legacy to be, you know, that William and/or Harry were completely and utterly devastated by it." Elsewhere in the interview, William opened up about stepping outside of Kensington Palace to greet the crowds, see the flowers and read the messages left for his mother.
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He said: "People wanted to grab us, to touch us. They were shouting, wailing, literally wailing at us, throwing flowers, and yelling, sobbing, breaking down, people fainted, collapsed. It was a very alien environment.
"I couldn’t understand why everyone wanted to cry as loud as they did and show such emotion as they did when they didn’t really know our mother. I did feel a bit protective at times about that. You didn’t even know her – why and how are you so upset? Now looking back, I have learnt to understand what it was she gave the world and what she gave a lot of people."
Prince William spoke again about his mother's passing when he was appointed as the Lord High Commissioner to the General Assembly of Scotland in 2021. He said in his speech: "Scotland is incredibly important to me and will always have a special place in my heart. I've been coming to Scotland since I was a small boy."
He continued: "In short, Scotland is the source of some of my happiest memories. But also, my saddest. I was in Balmoral when I was told that my mother had died. Still in shock, I found sanctuary in the service at Crathie Kirk that very morning.
"And in the dark days of grief that followed, I found comfort and solace in the Scottish outdoors. As a result, the connection I feel to Scotland will forever run deep."
"And yet alongside this painful memory, is one of great joy. Because it was here in Scotland – twenty years ago this year — that I first met Catherine. Needless to say, the town where you meet your future wife holds a very special place in your heart,"
"George, Charlotte and Louis already know how dear Scotland is to both of us, and they are starting to build their own happy memories here too. We have no doubt they will grow up sharing our love and connection to Scotland from the Highlands to the Central Belt, from the Islands to the Borders".
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