Prince William’s heartfelt words in the wake of Princess Diana’s tragic death continue to resonate decades later, offering a glimpse into his strength, resilience, and enduring love for his late mother.
The Prince of Wales opened up many times about the impact that his late mother's death had on him and how he vowed to do her proud after her tragic passing.
While conversing with the 2017 ITV documentary Diana, Our Mother, Prince William spoke candidly about the tragedy, when Diana, Princess of Wales died in a car crash in Paris on August 31, 1997.
He explained, "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."
In the interview, William also expressed his feelings about the meet and greet crowds at Kensington Palace shortly after Diana’s death.
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.”
William added, "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,” he noted.
Notably, Prince Charles and Prince William were on their summer holiday with Charles and the rest of the Royal Family at the Balmoral Estate in Scotland, when they received the news.
