How Becoming A Father Drastically Changed Prince William

William, Prince of Wales, is the proud father of three adorable children, who he shares with his wife, Catherine, Princess of Wales. While it might be hard for some to remember a time before the Prince and Princess of Wales were running around with Prince George, Prince Charlotte and Prince Louis, William himself has explained how truly different his life was, and how he's changed dramatically since becoming a dad.

William touchingly reflected on fatherhood back in 2016 in an ITV documentary, where he explained that he found himself feeling "a lot more emotional" after having kids. At the time, George was only 3 and Charlotte was 1 – while Louis wasn't born until April 2018. Still, William explained that having children made him realize just how precious life truly was, and how important it was for him to be there for his kids as they grew up.

"I never used to get too wound up or worried about things. But now the smallest little things, you well up a little more, you get affected by the sort of things that happen around the world or whatever a lot more, I think, as a father," William said in the doc (via BBC). "Just because you realize how precious life is and it puts it all in perspective."

Prince William is tragically familiar with the experience of losing a parent at a young age. He was only 15 when his mom, Princess Diana, died in a horrific car crash in Paris on August 31, 1997. In an interview in May 2020, for the documentary "Football, Prince William And Our Mental Health," William opened up about his own past loss, and how it has affected his experience with fatherhood.

"I think when you've been through something traumatic in life... your emotions come back in leaps and bounds because it's a very different phase of life," William shared in the film (via CBS News). "And there's no one there to, kind of, help you, and I definitely found it very, at times, overwhelming." Because of the swirling emotions associated with being a parent, William said having kids has been "one of the most amazing moments of life, but it's also one of the scariest."

That being said, William's love for his kids has only grown over the years, and he still shows his affection in small, everyday ways, even in his official capacity as the Prince of Wales. On November 4, 2024, during his solo trip to South Africa for the Earthshot Prize awards, William was spotted wearing a heartwarming accessory -– a friendship bracelet made of beads that spelled out "papa," proving his kids are always on his mind, especially when trying to help cultivate the next generation of scientists and world-changers.