Being Prince George's godmother is a 'lovely way of loving Diana'
Prince George’s godmother has said her close role in his life is a "lovely way of loving" Diana, the Princess of Wales.
Julia Samuel, a grief counsellor, was a close friend of Diana’s before her death. She is believed to be the person that the Duchess of Sussex turned to when she felt suicidal in her pregnancy.
The duchess revealed in her Oprah Winfrey interview: "One of the people I reached out to was one of my husband's mom's best friends, one of Diana's best friends. Because it's, like, who else could understand what it's actually like on the inside?"
Mrs Samuel, who is head of the Child Bereavement charity, said she "felt angry" after the Princess’s death, but now finds comfort in being Prince George’s godmother.
"Well, I feel lucky I was such a good friend of Princess Diana. And I really love my godson, George. And it’s a lovely way of loving her," she told the Observer Magazine.
Mrs Samuel, 62, said she struggled with how many people who did not know Diana publicly mourned her death.
"I was angry that she died, and shocked and I couldn’t really understand it all. I understand it better now," she said. "I understand that people felt they really knew and loved her. But I still feel sad today."
The mother of three daughters praised both princes for choosing to campaign for better mental health awareness, saying they did it "completely off their own bats".
"I think both the princes have really turned the dial on talking about grief so honestly and also about mental health," she said.
She spoke ahead of the release of her new book, Every Family Has a Story, which explores family and trauma. The book adds to her decades of experience after she pioneered the role of a maternity and paediatric psychotherapist.
Problems created by lockdown
Mrs Samuel also discussed the impact that lockdown will have on many people’s mental health, saying it will "enter the therapy rooms for years to come".
"The last few years I have seen more suffering than I’ve ever seen in my whole career," she said. "The fact that there was no bedside or graveside – it’s been a much more complicated grief.
"Seeing your partner die on an iPad while you are isolating at home is truly awful."
