Princess Diana’s Tragic Death Reportedly Helped Prepare Prince William for His New Parenting Role

When Princess Diana’s young life tragically ended in a car crash in 1997, the whole world mourned. But nobody more than her two children, Prince William and Prince Harry, who were only 15 and 12 at the time. Now, Prince William is drawing on the coping skills he learned during that horrific time to help his kids Prince George, 10, Princess Charlotte, 8, and Prince Louis, 5, as they deal with their mom Kate Middleton staying in the hospital for an extended length of time after a recent abdominal surgery.

“He’ll be feeling emotional, stressed, and probably rather bewildered by this sudden turn of events,” royal expert and former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond told OK! Magazine, per Marie Claire. “You can have every privilege in life, but your health is paramount and beyond your control.”

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That is a lesson Prince William had to learn at any early age with the passing of his mom, and it’s still true. As his wife recovers, the Prince of Wales is set up to be there for his children’s needs, including their emotional ones.

“William will certainly be there for the children,” Bond continued. “They want to keep things as normal as possible, so I’d expect William will be doing the school run, helping with homework, cooking, and doing the bedtime routine. Keeping the routine going is important. But they are certain to be feeling a bit confused.”

She added, “William is, sadly, perfectly placed to help. He knows exactly how it feels to be worried about your mum and, in his case, to lose her. So he will be taking extra care to reassure the children and tell them as much, or as little, as he judges they need to hear.”

Tragic Death

Prince William doesn’t often talk about his mom’s death, but he did mention how traumatic it was in a May 2020 BBC documentary, Football, Prince William and our Mental Health.

“Having children is the biggest life-changing moment, it really is,” he told former professional English soccer player Mavin Sordell. “And I agree with you; I think when you’ve been through something traumatic in life, and that is your dad not being around, my mother dying when I was younger, your emotions come back in leaps and bounds because it’s a very different phase of life.” He added, “And there’s no one to, kind of, help you, and I definitely found it very, at times, overwhelming.”

Because of that experience, he knows how overwhelming it must be for his kids to have their mom in the hospital. There’s no doubt he is able to be more empathetic and helpful because of that.

Hands-On Dad

The Princess of Wales had a planned abdominal surgery at The London College on Jan. 16, where she plans to remain for up to 2 weeks. Afterward, she will go back home to Adelaide Cottage to continue her recovery until Easter. Prince William is taking on full dad duties during this time, which he reportedly will have no problem with.

A source recently told Hello! Magazine that Prince William is a “hands-on” dad who “won’t be fazed” by handing the majority of childcare duties, including doing the school run at the Lambrook School. The insider explained, “He is a regular at the school gate and events and he’s very hands-on as a dad, so being in charge while Kate is away won’t faze him. They often do things as a full family unit and he’s very confident looking after the kids.”

“Everyone was very shocked and concerned when they heard,” the source continued. “The Lambrook parents are a close-knit group and William and Kate have absolutely become part of it, so I’m certain their class groups will be rallying round to offer any help they can.”

Between all the help and Prince William’s own involvement, the royal kids will likely get through this time unfazed. Hopefully Princess Kate will get to come home soon!

Before you go, check out Prince William’s most endearing dad moments.

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