William, Prince of Wales, turned 42 on Friday, June 21, and despite the millennial generation future king sharing the special day with his family, HRH is likely "missing" his late mother, Diana, Princess of Wales.
"His life with Kate gives him the security, love and friendship he needs," royal author Ingrid Seward shared. "He doesn't dwell upon the loss of his mother but knows the feeling of hurt will never go away completely."
It has been repeatedly written just how close William was to his mother while growing up. This led a former palace aide to recently reminisce about that special bond between a one-time future queen and Britain's king-in-waiting.
"She nicknamed him 'Wombat' during the tour of Australia and New Zealand in 1983," they shared. "He was only an infant then, but it was so easy to see how close mother and son were. It was all authentically recreated in The Crown. Today, she would certainly be proud of her Wombat."
The princess died tragically at the age of 36 in a Paris car crash on August 31, 1997. William was only 15 at the time, while his brother, Prince Harry, was just 12. But despite the next monarch having a "huge support network" to help him grieve and grow as a motherless adolescent, his recent trials and tribulations are said to be his most trying yet.
"It has been one of the most difficult couple of years of Prince William’s life," Seward added.
"In what seemed the blinking of an eye, he has gone from a carefree young dad to becoming the Prince of Wales on the death of his much-loved grandmother the late Queen," the author of William & Harry: The People's Princes continued. "Even at that emotional moment, Kate was unable to be at his side. It was their kids' first day at a new school and she correctly felt she had to support them."
When mentioning the "unforgettable" day Elizabeth II died and William's handling of the historic moment, Seward further observed: "There was also the problem with Prince Harry whose wife Meghan felt if Kate was at the Queen’s Balmoral home she should be allowed there too. William handled the whole difficult day with finesse."
Although the author once wrote about the loving bond between Diana's two sons, their wholly different dynamic today is not lost upon her.
"William is sensitive, he likes structure and has perseverance. He does not give up easily. His relationship with brother Harry upset him more than he would care to admit. But he found it easier to cut ties rather than allow himself to be continually annoyed," Seward concluded.
Daily Mirror spoke with Seward.