Prince William spoke of his "dark days of grief" at the opening ceremony of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland in Edinburgh. Photo / AP
Prince William spoke of his "dark days of grief" at the opening ceremony of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland in Edinburgh. Photo / AP
Prince William has relived his "dark days of grief" after the death of his mother just days after an investigation found a BBC journalist used "deceitful behavior" to secure an interview with Princess Diana in 1995.
The Duke of Cambridge recalled how he had been at Balmoral when he heard of the death of his mother in 1997, but said he 'found comfort and solace in the Scottish outdoors' as he mourned, The Daily Mail reports.
He said the "painful" memories came alongside "great joy" because it was in Scotland, at St Andrews' University, that William met his now-wife Kate Middleton.
Prince William spoke of his "dark days of grief" at the opening ceremony of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland in Edinburgh. Photo / AP
"Scotland is a source of some of my happiest memories but also my saddest. I was in Balmoral when I was told that my mother had died," Prince William said in a speech today.
"Still in shock, I found sanctuary in the service at Crathie Kirk that very morning and in the dark days of grief that followed I found comfort and solace in the Scottish outdoors.
"As a result, the connection I feel to Scotland will forever run deep. Alongside this painful memory is one of great joy 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."
Prince William and his wife Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge. Photo / Getty Images
Prince William's comments come after his brother Harry accused the family of displaying "total neglect" and claimed their father Charles had made him "suffer" after their mother's death.
Harry made the comments in his documentary "The Me You Can't See".
"My father used to say to me when I was younger, he used to say to both William and I, 'Well, it was like that for me so it's going to be like that for you.'
William and Harry, accompanied by Prince Charles, at their mother's funeral. Photo / Getty Images
"That doesn't make sense. Just because you suffered, that doesn't mean your kids have to suffer. Actually quite the opposite," he said in the documentary.
Prince William also spoke this week about the "livid and false" claims made by BBC journalist Martin Bashir in order to interview Diana in 1995.
Bashir has been found to have forged bank documents in order to secure the interview. He also told Diana she was being spied on, among other things, all in an effort to win her trust and secure the interview.
"It is my view that the deceitful way the interview was obtained substantially influenced what my mother said," William said this week.
Diana with William and Harry at an amusement park. Photo / Getty Images
"The interview was a major contribution to making my parents' relationship worse. And has since hurt countless others.
"It brings indescribable sadness to know that the BBC's failures contributed significantly to her fear, paranoia and isolation that I remember from those final years with her," he added.
