From the title of this post, you could assume I'm talking about anyone. However, I'm not just talking about any son or any mother, I'm talking about His Royal Highness Prince Harry, who lost his mother Diana, Princess of Wales. (I am not forgetting that Prince William lost his mother too, but will be focusing on Harry due to his recent spotlight in the media regarding his bereavement)
It's a tragedy when any child loses a parent, but how much worse would it be when you are known by every person in the country, if not nearly the world? Harry recalls being forced to walk along behind the coffin, which would scar any 12 year old, never mind one that is being watched by millions on TV. When I lost my Dad at the age of 14, I remember the fear, anxiety, and sheer panic of being forced out my front door to see my street flooded with family and friends. I can still remember the feeling to this day, and I couldn't imagine how it felt for Harry and William to do that with the world watching.
Harry has recently opened up about the loss of Diana, and how he bottled it up for years, releasing his emotions in the form of smoking, drinking, and partying. This happens to a lot of young people after such a big loss, but when you're always in the public eye, and your grandmother is the Queen, it can be frowned upon. With the aid of his big brother, he finally sought help when he was 28.
After talking about all he's been through, I noticed a lot of people responded rather negatively. People claimed he should get on with it, he didn't deserve sympathy anymore, or that it was 'old news'. Now, just because someone is a Prince and gets a bit more public recognition with these things doesn't mean they don't deserve empathy. If your friend told you about their parent dying when they were younger you'd never dream of telling them to 'get over it'. Harry is made from the same cells as everybody on the planet, and feels the same emotions. Just because somebody is famous doesn't mean they don't deserve to grieve.
Bereavement happens to everybody in the world, and unfortunately is just a fact of life. If Prince Harry can open up and say even he needed support to deal with the loss of his mum, then it is nothing to be ashamed of. It's okay to not be okay.
