Prince William Opens About Dealing With the Trauma of His Mother's Death While Becoming a Dad
Prince William is getting personal about becoming a parent, and how the life-altering event brought up a number of unexpected emotions.
In a new BBC documentary titled Football, Prince William, and Our Mental Health, the royal shares his feelings about fatherhood with former professional soccer player Marvin Sordell. During the candid discussion, Sordell told William that he grew up without a father, and when he became a parent himself, it was "the hardest time in my life." Relating to Sordell's struggle, William admitted that the experience brought back the pain of his late mom Princess Diana's tragic death.
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“Having children is the biggest life-changing moment, it really is," Will said. "I think when you’ve been through something traumatic in life, and that is like you say, you’re Dad not being around, my mother dying when I was younger, the emotions come back, in leaps and bounds.”
He continued, adding that he and wife Kate Middleton take an equal role in raising their three children, Prince George, Prince Louis, and Princess Charlotte. "Me and Catherine, particularly, we support each other and we go through those moments together and we kind of evolve and learn together.”
“I can completely relate to what you’re saying about children coming along — it’s one of the most amazing moments of life, but it’s also one of the scariest.”
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Throughout the film, the Duke of Cambridge speaks with various British footballers, as well fans and managers of the sport, about mental health, which fits with the mission of William's new Heads Up campaign. Launched earlier this year alongside the Football Association, the program aims to use the popular sport as way to encourage an open dialogue about mental well-being, particularly among men.
The full documentary will air in the U.K. on Thursday (May 28) on BBC One.
