Heartbreaking moment Prince William reflects on Diana's death with grieving little boy who lost his mum

Prince William has reflected on what it feels like to have grown up without his mother Princess Diana with a grieving little boy who also lost his mum.

• Prince William reached out to comfort a grieving little boy who lost his mum a year ago.
• The Duke of Cambridge opened up his heart on losing his mother Princess Diana 24 years after her tragic death.
• This royal news comes as it's revealed the Queen’s forgotten castle that could be Prince William and Kate Middleton’s new home.

Prince William has used his own personal heartbreak to help a grieving little boy cope with the death of his mum.

The Duke of Cambridge was just aged 15 when his mother, the late Princess Diana died, and even though the tragic event happened some 24 years ago, the Prince has made no secret of how much he misses his beloved mother.

Last year Prince William and his brother Prince Harry unveiled the Princess Diana memorial statue to mark what would have been her 60th birthday.

And as he met up with 11-year-old Deacon Glover at a centre that helps vulnerable people in Burnley, Lancashire, Prince William gave the young lad some words of comfort.

The Duke said "It gets easier" as he placed his hand on the little boy's shoulder. William added, "I know how you feel."

The boy's mother Grace Taylor, died last year aged 28 and he was being looked after by his great-grandmother Carole Ellis, who attended Church on the Street with him to meet the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.

Prince William previously opened up on what helped him cope with losing his mother at such a young age.

He said, "I was in Balmoral when I was told that my mother had died. Still in shock, I found sanctuary in the service at Crathie Kirk that very morning. "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."

To break the ice with the youngster, Prince William - an Aston Villa fan - chatted to Deacon about football, but the youngster, who was wearing a Burnley shirt, seemed unimpressed at first.

"He thought it was a footballer coming here so he was gutted when he found out it was William and Kate," one volunteer at the centre said.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d6Cc_a8IeW4

But on speaking to William and Kate for 15 minutes, Deacon became chattier as the Prince asked him about Burnley FC's prospects and pointed out that his father, the Prince of Wales, was a supporter of the club after directing some of his charities to work in the town.

Prince William, who is dad to Prince George, eight, Princess Charlotte, six, and Prince Louis, three, confessed, "I only found out a few years ago that my dad is a Burnley fan."

The Duke told Deacon and his great-grandmother that he hoped his own children would follow him in supporting Aston Villa. "I need to spread the love a bit," he added.

It comes after Prince William told Kate Middleton they were having "no more children" after she was spotted cradling a baby girl earlier that day.

William and Kate also met a "therapy puppy", an apricot cockapoo called "Alfie", while visiting the Clitheroe Community Hospital in Lancashire.