Andrea Mandell

USA TODAY

Prince William shared his own experiences losing his mother, Princess Diana, when comforting a bereaved child on Wednesday.

During a visit with children and families who have suffered bereavement, William comforted a little girl grieving for her father, telling her he "lost my mummy when I was very young too," reports People and the Daily Mail.

He and Duchess Kate made the visit to Child Bereavement UK, one of his key causes, in Stratford to mark the center's one-year anniversary. The center provides support for children and families experiencing the loss of a loved one.

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When comforting 9-year-old Aoife, who lost her father to pancreatic cancer six years ago, the prince shared his own story of losing Princess Diana in 1997.

“Do you know what happened to me?" he asked the young girl, according to reports. "You know I lost my mummy when I was very young too. I was (15) and my brother was 12. So we lost our mummy when we were young as well. Do you speak about your daddy? It’s very important to talk about it, very, very important.”

Aoife’s mother, Marie, told reporters she became emotional listening to the exchange. “I couldn’t believe it when he started to talk about his mother. It was very emotional and I was willing myself not to start to cry. I almost did," she said. “I am telling my children that if they take anything away from this day, it is what he said about how important it is to talk. Kids do not forget that. Sometimes it hurts but we can remember the happy things too. It is so important to talk.”

The charity’s founding patron, Julia Samuel, was a close friend of Diana's, and is one of Prince George's godparents.

During their visit, William and Kate also helped the children make "memory jars" for loved ones they had lost.