Prince William opens up on grief just says after Prince Harry addressed same subject

Sir Kevin, 46, was knighted earlier this month for his extensive efforts to raise money and awareness for MND, following the death of his friend and fellow rugby player, Rob Burrows, who succumbed to the condition in 2024.

The former player turned coach completed seven ultra-marathons in seven days for MND charities, a feat that saw William cite his commemoration with a CBE as “probably the easiest decision anyone’s ever had to make.”

William went on to reveal his close association with Mr Borrows, also heavily involved in MND activism before his death.

The pair were awarded the Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) together in January 2024 at their old Leeds Rhinos training ground, Headingley Rugby Stadium.

The prince has remained close to Mr Burrow’s wife, Lindsey, and the cause, providing support for the Rob Burrow Centre for Motor Neurone Disease at Seacroft Hospital, which opened in Leeds last November.

Prince William has revealed that he wrote to the family, all of whom were present at the ceremony in 2024, a letter of condolence following Rob’s death.

He paid special attention to the experience of the rugby player’s daughters, Macy and Maya, and son Jackson, who were 10, eight and five at the time of their father’s death, citing his unique perspective on parental loss.

William was just 15 years old when his mother, Princess Diana, died following a car accident in Paris in 1997.

Ahead of the new special, the future king told the BBC: “Everyone grieves differently, and every circumstance is different, so you need to take your time over it.

“It’s always better to say something around grief than it is to ignore it.”

William’s estranged brother, Harry, 42, has also shared an insight into his thoughts on grief recently in a new Master Class titled Redefining Grief: Resilience through Loss.

In an interview with neuroscientist and grief expert Dr Mary-Frances O’Connor, Harry revealed: “I didn’t cry when I was told my mom died, only at her burial, and then not again for nearly two decades.

“I was convinced that was strength, but it wasn’t. It was a 12-year-old boy with no permission to fall apart and no roadmap for how to heal.”

He went on to reveal fears he had harboured in relation to healing after his mother’s sudden death;

“I’d spent so long emotionally numb, to a large extent, because I felt disloyal and guilty for the possibility of being happy and joyful without her,” he said.