Prince William is opening up about his bittersweet memories of Scotland.
On a recent trip to the country, the Duke of Cambridge, second in line to the British throne, said Scotland is the source of both his “happiest” and “saddest” memories, reports Yahoo! Entertainment.
“In short, Scotland is the source of some of my happiest memories, but also, my saddest,” said William, 38, on a Saturday visit to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland to fill a new role appointed by his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth, as Lord High Commissioner.
Prince William went on to recall the time immediately after he learned of the death of his mother, Princess Diana, when he was 15 and his brother, Prince Harry, was 12. He specified how the country consoled him during the emotional aftermath.
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"Still in shock, I found sanctuary in the service at Crathie Kirk that very morning," said William. "And in the dark days of grief that followed, I found comfort and solace in the Scottish outdoors. As a result, the connection I feel to Scotland will forever run deep."
During the speech, however, he also explained that Scotland was where he first met his wife, Kate Middleton, who joined him on his trip to the country that will also include stops in Edinburgh, Fife and Orkney to thanks healthcare workers who worked during COVID-19.
“Alongside this painful memory is one of great joy because it was here in Scotland, 20 years ago this year, that I first met Catherine,” the royal said, per BBC.
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"Needless to say the town where you meet your future wife holds a very special place in your heart."
William and Middleton met while they were both students at the University of St. Andrews in Fife.
“I spent four very happy and formative years studying in St. Andrews. The town and the students left me alone to get on with student life, allowing me to share their freedoms — and their pubs,” he quipped.
Like his brother, Prince Harry is also opening up about how he coped with the death of his mother Diana.
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In Prince Harry’s upcoming Oprah-produced, Apple TV+ documentary series on mental health, “The Me You Don’t See,” Harry admits that he turned to drugs and drinking to cope with Diana’s death during a “nightmare time” in his life.
“I would probably drink a week's worth in one day on a Friday or a Saturday night. And I would find myself drinking not because I was enjoying it, but because I was trying to mask something… I was willing to drink, I was willing to take drugs, I was willing to try and do the things that made me feel less like I was feeling," Harry tells Winfrey in the special.
He added that panic attacks and severe anxiety came into play also. "28 to probably 32 was a nightmare time in my life," the former royal says.
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