Prince William went through the extremely difficult experience of losing his mother, the beloved Princess Diana, when he was just 15 years old. His younger brother, Prince Harry, was 12 at the time.
So when the Duke of Cambridge met an 11-year-old boy who had recently lost his own mother at the age of 28 during his latest official visit, he was able to offer words of comfort to little Deacon Glover and his great-grandmother Carole Ellis.
The duke asked Deacon, "Do you feel like you can talk about your mum?" (via The Sun U.S.).
When the boy nodded, the royal told him, "It's difficult, but it gets easier, I promise you. It does get easier."
The prince and Deacon further bonded over both of their dads being fans of Burnley football (soccer) club. Deacon is also a Burnley fan, but Prince William supports Aston Villa, as does his oldest son Prince George.
The Duke of Cambridge met the child at Church on the Street in Burnley, Lancashire, England. He visited the charity with wife Kate Middleton, and they met founder Pastor Mick and various members of the community.
During that same visit to the North of England, the Cambridges visited Clitheroe Community Hospital, where they connected "with staff who work both here & across this rural community."
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They also met with therapy dog Alfie, a curly little cutie who much preferred the duchess to the duke.
Iris Goldsztajn is a London-based journalist, editor and author. She is the morning editor at Marie Claire, and her work has appeared in the likes of InStyle, Cosmopolitan, Bustle and Shape. Iris writes about everything from celebrity news and relationship advice to the pitfalls of diet culture and the joys of exercise. She has many opinions on Harry Styles, and can typically be found eating her body weight in cheap chocolate.
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