Prince William looks to Princess Diana for guidance as he fights through ‘brutal year’: experts

Prince William is gearing up to make his mark as king with the help of his late mother after facing a turbulent time in his life.

During a trip to South Africa this month, the Prince of Wales described this past year as "brutal" following cancer diagnoses of his wife and father. He admitted that 2024 was probably "the hardest year of my life."

"Trying to get through everything else and keep everything on track has been really difficult," William added.

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"It has been the hardest year of Prince William's life, having both his wife and father very ill and having to keep strong for his family yet continuing to serve the nation," British broadcaster and photographer Helena Chard told Fox News Digital.

"He will have been reminded of the trauma of losing his mother at an early age," she explained. "I'm sure he was terrified that he could again lose his nearest and dearest… Prince William will always honor and respect his mother. She was a great role model for him, teaching him to love and help people and use his platform to create change for good."

The Prince of Wales, who is heir to the British throne, recently starred in a two-part documentary, "Prince William: We Can End Homelessness." For the special, the 42-year-old allowed cameras to follow him in the first years of his Homewards initiative, which aims to end long-term homelessness in the U.K.

Princess Diana came up frequently in the first part of the documentary.

"Princess Diana has been influencing Prince William a lot," Roya Nikkhah, royals editor for The Sunday Times and co-host of the podcast "The Royals with Roya and Kate," told Fox News Digital.

"What’s very interesting is you hear him in his own words saying that he’s been thinking a lot about, ‘What do people want my role to be? What do people want from me?’" she shared. "And he says, ‘I’ve been thinking about that a lot recently and taking guidance and inspiration from my mother now more than ever before.’"

"Diana’s vision – taking her young sons to homeless shelters when they were very young, showing them the other side of life, her pioneering work in all sorts of areas like mental health, HIV and AIDS and homelessness – it’s had a big impact on him," said Nikkhah. "It’s still shaping his role now as heir to the throne and as a father. He talks about how she’s introduced him and Harry to those issues and how he’s starting to introduce his children to them as well."

"She’s still got a huge influence," Nikkhah added.

In the documentary, William recalled how, growing up, his mother took him and Prince Harry to The Passage, which works to end homelessness.

"I was a bit anxious as to what to expect," the royal recalled, as quoted by People magazine. "My mother went about her usual part of making everyone feel relaxed and having a laugh and joking with everyone. I remember at the time kind of thinking, ‘Well, if everyone’s not got a home, they’re all going to be really sad.’ But it was incredible how happy an environment it was."

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"I remember having some good conversations just playing chess and chatting, and that’s when it dawned on me that there are other people out there who don’t have the same life as you do," he admitted. "When you’re quite small, you don’t really — you just think life is what you see in front of you. You don’t really have the concept to look elsewhere. And it’s when you meet people, like I did then, who put a different perspective in your head and say, like, ‘I was in the street last night.’"

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According to the outlet, William went on to become patron of The Passage as well as Centrepoint, another charity that aims to combat homelessness. Diana was previously a patron of Centrepoint.

"I think by championing several of the causes that Princess Diana held dear and staying true to her values, Prince William honors Diana’s legacy in his public and personal life," Kinsey Schofield, host of the "To Di For Daily" podcast, told Fox News Digital.

"Princess Diana was known for her hands-on approach to charity, particularly in areas related to homelessness, AIDS awareness, and anti-landmine campaigns," she pointed out. "William has continued this legacy by focusing on mental health advocacy, homelessness, and environmental conservation through his work with organizations like Heads Together and The Royal Foundation’s Earthshot Prize."

"Diana had a unique ability to connect with people from all walks of life, and William has carried this forward by being approachable and relatable," said Schofield. "He and Catherine, the Princess of Wales, make efforts to interact directly with the public, especially during royal engagements, making the monarchy feel more accessible."

Schofield said that the public is already getting a sneak preview of what kind of king William will be – and Diana’s influence is at the forefront.

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"Inspired by Diana’s openness about her struggles, Prince William has become a leading advocate for mental health awareness," said Schofield. "He speaks openly about the importance of mental well-being and has been instrumental in initiatives like Heads Together, encouraging others to break the stigma around mental health issues."

"What’s very interesting is you hear him in his own words saying that he’s been thinking a lot about, ‘What do people want my role to be? What do people want from me?’ And he says, ‘I’ve been thinking about that a lot recently and taking guidance and inspiration from my mother now more than ever before.’"

— Roya Nikkhah, royals editor for The Sunday Times

"Prince William’s style is generally more approachable and modern, like Diana, which appeals to contemporary audiences and has helped shape the monarchy’s future," she added.

Diana, the glamorous Princess of Wales, died in 1997 from injuries she sustained in a car crash. She was 36. William was 15 at the time.

"He reportedly told his mother [before her death that] he would restore her HRH title once he became king," British broadcaster and photographer Helena Chard told Fox News Digital. 

"[This] highlights that he will always have her in his thoughts as a guiding light and will continue her legacy where possible."

"Prince William has great empathy, passion and drive to do good and effect change," said Chard. "He will keep his mother’s legacy alive, but he is determined to continue working hard to do good and effect change in his statesman role."

"Princess Diana was a great role model for Prince William and now all the gifts he was taught by his mother, he is teaching and sharing with his children. This is the perfect ripple effect and Prince William will continue to work passionately for all his causes. He shares a huge amount of optimism for the coming year."

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Chard pointed out that while William learned valuable lessons from his mother, he would need to continue carving out his unique role as the future king. Chard said that William "shares a huge amount of optimism for the coming year" with his family’s support.

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"Princess Diana was a great role model for Prince William and now all the gifts he was taught by his mother, he is teaching and sharing with his children," she said. "This is the perfect ripple effect and Prince William will continue to work passionately for all his causes."

"She also wanted Prince William in particular, who is to become king, to be able to turn a duty into a source of job satisfaction," chimed British royals expert Hilary Fordwich.

"Patrick Jephson, Princess Diana’s private secretary, saw firsthand how she would turn a royal duty into something satisfying and, therefore, to derive personal reward from such. She wanted him to, as Patrick [told me], ‘Feel good by doing good.’"

The Associated Press contributed to this report.