Just like being a celebrity doesn't guarantee someone a happy life, neither does being a royal. The only thing being royal guarantees someone is that the world will be watching when they go through some of the hardest moments of their life. Both Prince William and Prince Harry have dealt with trauma in their lifetimes — more than their fair share of it.
It started when they were just children when their mother, Princess Diana, was killed in a car crash at age 36. She was attempting to outrun the paparazzi when the driver lost control, which explains some of Prince Harry's resentment towards the media. But Diana's untimely death was not the only major traumatic moment the two princes endured as children, and growing up didn't come any easier to them. They had plenty of problems to deal with as adults as well.
For the most part, they've rebounded from all their loss and trauma, but both the Duke of Cambridge and the Duke of Sussex have taken time to place an emphasis on the importance of mental health, and that probably wouldn't have happened if they hadn't gone through so much together and apart. Here are 15 of the most traumatic events they've had to deal with.
Young William Fractured His Skull
When he was 8, William suffered a skull fracture after being hit in the head with a golf club. He was playing with his friends when the accident occurred and had surgery to fix the issue. Doctors at the time said there would be no lasting damage from the incident, but that's still a lot for an 8-year-old to deal with.
William Comforting His Mother as a Child
It should never be the child's job to comfort the parent, but this is a role that William often fell into with his mother. Royal correspondent Katie Nicholl once recalled a heartbreaking story "when Diana was in tears in her bathroom and William was pushing tissues under the door because he could hear her crying." That's a lot for a child to deal with.
Princess Diana's 'Panorama' Interview
Diana's 1995 BBC Panorama interview is the one where she infamously revealed that she had also been unfaithful in her marriage as well as deeply unhappy. Young 13-year-old William watched the interview and was upset by what he heard. He reportedly even cried while watching.
Diana & Charles' Divorce Also Messed With William
After years of enduring the struggles of his parents' marriage, the divorce was equally upsetting for William. According to Prince William: A Biography, "He remained traumatized by their breakup." Harry hasn't been as open about his feelings about the divorce, but that has to take a toll on any child.
Diana's Death
Obviously, one of the biggest traumas either Harry or William will ever have to deal with is the death of their mother. It was unexpected and gruesome and hugely impactful in a negative way. ABC News reported that William later said of the time, "I remember just feeling completely numb, disorientated, dizzy. You feel very, very confused. And you keep asking yourself, 'Why me?' All the time, 'Why? What have I done? Why? Why has this happened to us?'"
That's a lot for a 15-year-old and 12-year-old to deal with.
Walking Behind Their Mother's Casket
Not long after one of the worst moments of their life, William and Harry were made to walk behind Diana's coffin as it wove through the crowds during her funeral. ABC News reported that Harry once said of that choice, "I don't think any child should be asked to do that, under any circumstances. I don't think it would happen today." And William added, "It was one of the hardest things I have ever done."
Seeing Prince Charles Marry Camilla
It wasn't a secret to anyone, not even William and Harry, that a large reason Diana and Charles' marriage failed is because Charles was cheating on her with Camilla Parker Bowles. It must have been so hard, then, when Charles ended up marrying her in 2005, less than a decade after Diana's death.
According to the book Rebel Prince about Prince Charles, in the first few years after Diana died, William and Harry reportedly saw Camilla as "a constant reminder of their mother's torment."
They seem to have come around to her a bit since then.
Harry Went to Rehab
We all know about Prince Harry's partying days, but some royal fans may not know that Harry went to rehab. After he reportedly tried cannabis as a 16-year-old, Prince Charles arranged for Harry to visit a local rehab center to learn about the dangers of drugs. It seems to have been a one-time issue.
Having Kids Re-Traumatized William
Prince William admitted in 2020 that some of his old wounds from his mother's death came to the surface when he became a father. "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. And there's no one there to, kind of, help you, and I definitely found it very, at times, overwhelming," he said. The Duke of Cambridge added that he could at least count on Kate Middleton to help him through those tough times.
Prince Harry's Years-Long Mental Health Struggle
In 2017, Prince Harry admitted that his mental health had suffered as a result of his mother's death and not processing the trauma of it all. According to Forbes, he dealt with panic attacks, extreme anger, and even mental breakdowns for years due to the grief. He has since started to deal with his emotions around the issue to work on strengthening his mental health.
Harry's PTSD From His Military Days
Harry's mental health was also put through the wringer by his active duty military days. Speaking of the Invictus Games, which he started for wounded soldiers, Harry talked about images from battle — sometimes popping up in his mind. "You know there are images I’ve been lucky enough not to see, but there have been images that I've been unfortunate to see … It's always in there, and if you have dark moments in your life those slides will pop up," he said.
He didn't label it as PTSD, but it definitely seems similar.
Harry Seeing How the Press Treated Meghan
Meghan and Harry acted somewhat rashly when they decided to step back as working royals after just a year and a half of marriage, but it's understandable that Harry was afraid for Meghan. He started to see the press treat her the way they treated his mother, and he was not about to go through that again.
The Brothers' Falling Out
Going through so much as children bonded William and Harry, but apparently, not for life. The two brothers have since had a major falling out, and the book Battle of Brothers suggests that trauma played a role in their rift. "Both brothers have been damaged by their upbringings; both have reacted by finding different solutions," author Robert Lacey said. "There is so much pain and trauma in this story, going right back to the beginning."
'The Crown' Making Them Relive Everything
Going through their parents' unhappiness, divorce, and Diana's death had to be bad enough once, but now that The Crown is exploring that time period, William and Harry both have to deal with everything being brought back up again. Reportedly, William "feels that both his parents are being exploited and being presented in a false, simplistic way to make money," according to a royal source.
William Doesn't Always Want to Be King
William knows that it's his duty to one day be king, but even as a kid he wasn't always fond of the idea, according to Woman's World. He also once said as an adult, "I don't lie awake waiting to be king, because sadly that means that my family will have moved on and I don't want that."
It's understandable that his greatest career success will mean that his father has likely died and left him the throne.
