Prince William Descends Into the Dark Moment He Learned Mother Princess Diana Was Dead

Prince William got vulnerable during his recent visit to Scotland. The Duke of Cambridge attended the opening ceremony of the General Assembly of The Church of Scotland, where he briefly reminisced in a speech on losing his mother Princess Diana at the young age of 15. “Scotland is the source of some of my happiest memories but also my saddest,” William began. “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 [church] that very morning and in the dark days of grief that followed, I found comfort and solace in the Scottish outdoors.”

Scotland is also home to the University of St. Andrews in the Fife region, where Prince William attended college in 2001. The school is where he met his wife Kate Middleton, with whom he shares three children: Prince George, 7, Princess Charlotte, 6, and Prince Louis, 3. “As a result, the connection I feel to Scotland will forever run deep. And yet alongside this painful memory, is one of great joy,” he continued. “Because it was here in Scotland, 20 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,” William explained in his speech. “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.”

His brother Prince Harry was just 12 years old when their mother passed in a tragic car accident. He also talked about how the loss continues to affect him as part of his and Oprah Winfrey’s new AppleTV+ docuseries The Me You Can’t See. “I got a photo of her in his nursery, and it was one of the first words that he said—apart from ‘mama,’ ‘papa,’ it was then ‘grandma’. Grandma Diana,” Harry said. “It’s the sweetest thing, but at the same time, it makes me really sad because she should be here.” He added on the episode, “I wish she could’ve met Meghan. I wish she was around for Archie.”