Prince William opens up to little girl about losing his mother

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have joined forces today for a touching visit to a centre for young children dealing with bereavement.

Understandably, Prince William was incredibly moved by the stories of the children, many of whom were struggling to recover from losing a parent.

Having had his own highly publicised experience with this, William seemed to bond with the children and what they were going through, even taking the time to chat to nine-year-old Aoife, who’s father died of pancreatic cancer six years ago.

Sitting down next to her, William told her that she wasn’t alone and that he knew exactly how she was feeling.

“Do you know what happened to me?” he asked? “You know I lost my mummy when I was very young too. I was 15 and my brother was 12.

“Do you speak about your daddy? It’s very important to talk about it. Very, very important.”

Most people will remember how heartbreaking it was to see William and Harry try to deal with the loss of their mother, Princess Diana, in the public eye. Thankfully, they were both able to find strength through their pain and are now both incredible advocates for a range of charities dealing with issues like this.

Afterwards, William asked Aofie’s mother Marie how she was coping and stressed the importance of encouraging children to talk openly about their grief.

“I think that for children it is sometimes difficult to understand that,” he said.

“Are there family or friends that can keep an eye on you too? That’s important, too, you know.”

Young Aofie seemed to take great comfort from the prince’s words, too.

“It was really nice that he talked to me. It was like there are other people who know what it is like to lose someone,” she said.

Catherine also sat with a number of parents and their children for a good chat at the centre, listening to their stories and offering her own condolences and admiration.

She later said that knowing her own struggles as a parent sometimes, she deeply admired everything the mothers and fathers at the centre had overcome.

The Duke and Duchess have worked with the charity for a number of years and continue to raise awareness for a whole range of issues close to their hearts.

Are you a fan of the Duke and Duchess? Is it nice to see William talking so openly like this?