Prince William Grants The Wish Of A Young And Grieving Friend

After her death in 1997, Princess Diana's sons have both found special ways to honor her throughout the years. Prince William proposed to his wife, Kate Middleton, with Diana's sapphire and diamond engagement ring, and revealed that he frequently talks about his mother with his three children: George, Charlotte, and Louis. In the 2017 documentary "Diana, Our Mother: Her Life and Legacy," William explained that he "constantly" tells his kids about their "Granny Diana" so they know "there are two grandmothers in their lives," adding that he wants to make sure that his children "know who she was and that she existed."

"We've got more photos up around the house now of her and we talk about her a bit," William explained (via Mirror). However, the pain of losing his mother at such an early age clearly lingers. When William and Kate shared Mother's Day cards that their children made for Diana, Charlotte included the message, "Papa is missing you."

So, it's not surprising that when William met a young boy grieving the loss of his own mom, he stepped in to comfort him. Deacon Glover's mother passed away in 2021, and he met William and Kate in Burnley, Lancashire in January 2022. When the future king of England found out about Glover's loss, William told the boy, "I know how you feel," adding, "I lost my mum when I was 15. It's difficult, but it gets easier, I promise you," as reported by The Telegraph. 

When Deacon Glover met Prince William and Kate Middleton in January 2022, he was a bit disappointed. "He thought it was a footballer coming here so he was gutted when he found out it was William and Kate," a volunteer told The Telegraph. And while the Duke of Cambridge did take the time to discuss the sport with Glover, he decided that wasn't enough — so he surprised the boy with a visit from his favorite footballer!

At the request of William, Glover got to meet Burnley goalkeeper Nick Pope. The boy was also presented with a signed football shirt from Pope and got to watch a match with his family. "This is going to be life changing for Deacon. This will help him to break the cycle of life that's been around him," Mick Fleming, the local pastor who helped arrange William and Kate's visit to the church. "This was something so special, and I think what the prince has done has given him hope for the future. It's phenomenal, what he has done, as it's not just meeting a footballer, it's a lot, lot deeper — it will help him. The prince has followed through with everything he said in the conversation that he had with him. He has honored it, and that's amazing."

To further underscore how much of his mother's son he is, Prince William has come through for different underprivileged people at different times, connecting with them in royal kindness, while also putting a smile on their faces with gestures that Princess Diana would undoubtedly approve of. He warmly had a video call with a struggling mother who had to stay shielded with her ailing son during the COVID-19 lockdown. Shielding was done for people who were more vulnerable to the coronavirus due to underlying health conditions. So, mom, Leanne, had to stay with her 5-year-old son, Kaydyn, who had been diagnosed with cystic fibrosis. Seeing the Duke of Cambridge dial in to speak with them undoubtedly brought some soul-lifting cheer to the two with Leanne even covering her mouth in disbelief at the gesture, per Express.

There was also a brilliantly executed Christmas surprise by the prince and his wife, Kate Middleton, for the children of frontline workers who pulled all their weight in the fight against COVID-19 when it was it was at its most excruciating in 2020. Seeing the tears of joy on the faces of those little angels must have made it all worth the effort for the royals.

Prince William has long been an advocate for mental health and wellness, and even launched a website in 2018, Mental Health at Work, which as its name suggests is meant to help improve mental health at work. Most recently, the prince has shown even more dedication to the cause. This time around, in January 2022, he put his focus on healthcare workers who have put a lot on the line in the face of COVID-19's menace. 

The second in line to the British throne and his wife, Kate Middleton, paid a surprise visit, according to People, to the healthcare workers at Clitheroe Community Hospital in the Northwest of England to check on their physical and mental wellbeing. Their trip was made even more worthwhile when they met a cute puppy, Alfie, who is a therapy dog at the facility. The two even took a photo with Alfie that they posted on their Twitter.