The Duke of Cambridge made some poignant comments during his first public appearance since his brother Prince Harry stepped down from the royal fold earlier this week.
The Duke, 38, was joined by his wife, The Duchess of Cambridge, at the event - aimed to highlight the importance of community and bringing people together.
Speaking at a community centre in Bradford, Prince William said, “It’s sometimes trying to get people to understand that’s it’s OK to have these challenges, we just need to deal with them and we need to move forwards rather than just be stuck in paralysis and pretend they don’t happen, which is no good.”
Their visit to Bradford came just days after the Queen broke her silence on The Duke and Duchess of Sussex's shock announcement detailing their plans to embark on an independent life, splitting their time between the UK and Canada.
The couple released the statement on their Instagram page, sussexroyal, which explained that Meghan and Harry are working towards becoming “financially independent,” while still “continuing to honour our duty to The Queen, the Commonwealth, and our patronages”.
Shortly after the bombshell announcement, Meghan, 38, flew back to Canada to reunite with their son Archie. And, after days of “royal crisis talks,” the Queen confirmed she fully supported their decision.
In a statement she said, “My family and I are entirely supportive of Harry and Meghan’s desire to create a new life as a young family.
"Although we would have preferred them to remain full-time working Members of the Royal Family, we respect and understand their wish to live a more independent life as a family while remaining a valued part of my family.”
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William's comments about moving on from "challenging" times come just months after Prince Harry appeared to confirm things were tense between the formerly close brothers.
Speaking to Tom Bradbury as part of their Harry & Meghan: An African Journey, Harry failed to dispel rumours of a rift. And said, "Part of this role and part of this job and this family being under the pressure its under, inevitably stuff happens.
"But we’re brothers, we’ll always be brothers. We’re certainly on different paths at the moment but I’ll always be there for him and I know he’ll always be there for me."
