Prince William talks about pain of losing a parent in emotional tribute to late mum Diana

PRINCE William has paid tribute to his mother Princess Diana in an emotional speech at a charity event for bereaved families.

The Prince spoke at a gala dinner to mark the 21st anniversary of

Child Bereavement UK, which his late mother helped to launch.

“What my mother recognised back then — and what I understand now — is that grief is the most painful experience that any child or parent can endure,” the second in line to the throne, 33, told the event at the Banqueting Hall, London.

Prince William was just 15 when his mother was killed in a car crash in central Paris in 1997.

He has spoken rarely about the impact of her loss on him and his brother, Prince Harry. Although when he first became the patron of Child Bereavement UK seven years ago he wrote about the aftermath of her death.

“Never being able to say the word “Mummy” again in your life sounds like a small thing,” he wrote.

“However, for many, including me, it’s now really just a word — hollow and evoking only memories.”

Child Bereavement UK helps children and parents who suffer bereavement and also in attendance at Thursday’s gala was Take That singer Gary Barlow, who lost his daughter Poppy when she was stillborn in 2012.

In Thursday’s speech Prince William said his mother was “determined to help those in need” and that she would have been “immensely proud” of what the charity had achieved.