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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
National
Sarah Marsh

Did your parent die when you were a child? How did you cope?

Princess Diana and prince harry
‘It’s OK to suffer, as long as you talk about it. It’s not a weakness. Weakness is having a problem and not recognising it and not solving that problem.’ Photograph: Martin Keene/PA

Prince Harry, who was just 12 when his mother – the late princess Diana – died in a car accident, has said that he regrets not talking sooner about how her loss affected him.

His words came during an event for mental health charity Heads Together, a charity founded by Harry and the duke and duchess of Cambridge. He was speaking to former England and Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand, whose wife, Rebecca, died of cancer last year.

Ferdinand asked Harry to share his views on how Rebecca’s death might impact on his children, to which the prince responded [talking about his own experiences], saying, “I regret not ever talking about it [Diana’s death].”

Harry added: “It’s OK to suffer, as long as you talk about it. It’s not a weakness. Weakness is having a problem and not recognising it and not solving that problem.”

We want to hear about how grief affected you if you lost a parent when you were a child. Did talking help? Did you find other mechanisms to cope with grief? How do you feel as an adult? What advice would you give to others? Share your stories below.

As this is a sensitive and personal topic, please be reassured that we will not share or publish any personal details without obtaining contributors’ permission first.

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