Prince William opens up about ‘the very worst pain any child or parent will ever endure’ as he attends private dinner for charity connected to Princess Diana

The Prince of Wales has described grief as ‘the very worst pain any child or parent will ever endure’ as he backed the merger of two leading child bereavement charities.

Child Bereavement UK, of which William is patron, is to join forces with Winston’s Wish, it was announced on Wednesday.

William, whose mother Diana, Princess of Wales, died when he was 15, said there was a growing need for support for bereaved youngsters and praised the charities for taking the ‘bold step’.

He will remain patron of the new organisation which retains the name Child Bereavement UK.

William said: ‘Grief is the very worst pain any child or parent will ever endure, and while we cannot prevent these losses, we can ensure that every possible type of expert support and care is given, to help rebuild the lives of those affected.

‘In my 16 years as patron of Child Bereavement UK, I have seen the life-changing impact of their work and how the support, care and compassion provided protects the long-term health and wellbeing of those living with loss.

‘I have also seen the growing need for support of this kind, and it is because of this increasing demand that I am delighted that Child Bereavement UK and Winston’s Wish are joining forces to expand their impact.

‘They have recognised that together they can do so much more, and I commend them both for taking this bold step to reach more people and help to reduce the long-term challenges that unresolved grief can cause.’

Speaking at a private dinner for charity Child Bereavement UK’s 30-year anniversary, Prince William said grief is ‘the very worst pain a child or parent will ever endure’ (pictured in 2019)

William privately gave a 30th anniversary dinner for Child Bereavement UK at Windsor Castle on Tuesday evening.

The charity was founded in 1994 by Diana’s close friend, the psychotherapist Julia Samuel, who is godmother to Prince George.

She has remained close to both William and his brother, the Duke of Sussex.

Winston’s Wish was founded in 1992 after clinical psychologist Julie Stokes visited the US and Canada on a Winston Churchill Travelling Fellowship and, inspired by the services she saw, returned to the UK and set up Winston’s Wish, initially to help bereaved children in Gloucestershire.

The charities said uniting their missions when demand for services is growing would help them increase their reach and support more grieving people when they need it the most.

As the merger progresses, both organisations will continue to deliver their respective services, with beneficiaries and stakeholders able to access support and other services as usual, the charities said.

Back in February, William visited Child Bereavement UK’s facility in Widnes, the organisation’s busiest service, where he met and spoke with young people being supported by the charity as well as volunteers, staff and supporters. 

Speaking with 17-year-old Rebecca, who suddenly lost her father, he said: ‘Sometimes the hardest thing about grief is finding the words for how you actually feel.’

Prince William (pictured with the King and Prince Harry at the funeral of his mother in 1997) was a teenager when he lost his mother, Diana, Princess of Wales, and has been the royal patron of Child Bereavement UK for 16 years

The then-Cambridges meeting youngsters at the headquarters of the charity Child Bereavement UK in 2013

Diana with her sons Prince William and Prince Harry in 1995

‘It’s crucial in those first few years, particularly, that you have support like this…It gets you in a practice to know how to help yourself going forward.’

‘The mind gets focused on one thing, doesn’t it? It’s very difficult to do school and normal life.’ 

During the visit, William appeared visibly moved as he greeted young children supported by the charity.

Rebecca said she felt he ‘really understood’ what they were going through because ‘he’s been in the same situation, around our age as well’.

One child told the prince she stopped going to school after the death of her grandmother. 

‘The mind gets focused on one thing, doesn’t it? It’s very difficult to be able to do school and normal life,’ William responded.  

A source said of the visit that it would be ‘incredibly emotive and powerful’, adding: ‘The Prince is keen to shine a light on the important work the charity does day in, day out to support families at the most difficult time of their lives.’

When he became patron of the charity, William, who was following in Diana’s footsteps as its figurehead, said he wanted to ‘continue my mother’s commitment to a charity which is very dear to me’.

He added: ‘What my mother recognised back then – and what I understand now – is that grief is the most painful experience that any child or parent can endure.’

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