Princess Diana's friend reveals how Prince George keeps her connected with the late royal

Princess Diana's close friend has shared the 'lovely' way that Prince George keeps her connected to the late royal icon in a new interview. 

• Princess Diana's close friend, Julia Samuel, has revealed the 'lovely way' Prince George helps her to stay connected with the late royal. 
• The British psychotherapist was one of Diana's few trusted confidants and remains in contact with the Royal Family to this day. 
• In other royal news, the Queen's bizarre dinner rule all royals have to follow sounds so complicated.
  

Princess Diana's close friend has opened up about how Prince George keeps her relationship with the late royal icon alive—24 years on from her tragic death. 

Julia Samuel was introduced to Lady Diana at a dinner in 1987 and the pair quickly became thick as thieves, regularly meeting for lunches and attending gym sessions together. The London psychotherapist has remained an important confidant to the Royal Family over the past few decades, providing emotional support to both Prince William and Prince Harry in the aftermath of their mother's death. 

It's also been reported that the 62-year-old counseled Meghan Markle when she was feeling suicidal during her pregnancy with her first child, Archie Mountbatten Windsor. 

With such a high standing in the palace's circle, Julia is regularly included in important royal milestones—including Princess Diana's statue unveiling in July 2021. Several years prior, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge asked Julia to be one of Prince George's seven godparents after the royal heir was born in 2013—an invitation she, naturally, accepted. 

Speaking to the Guardian on Sunday, 13 March, she revealed just why the guardianship role means so much to her. 

"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 said. 

The renowned grief counselor then reflected on her reaction to Diana's death in August 1997, admitting to feeling "angry" and "shocked" over the fatal accident. 

"I couldn’t really understand it all," she added. "I mean, I understand it better now. I understand that people felt they really knew and loved her. But I still feel sad today.”

Julia also commented on Prince William and Prince Harry's mental health advocacy—a key part of their public service in recent years. The brothers have been on a passionate journey to destigmatize the issue as of late, teaming up with Kate Middleton in 2019 to launch Heads Together, a UK charity that aims to destigmatize mental health and fundraise for mental health services. They have also pursued work in this area independently, with William endorsing the Time the Change campaign and Harry landing an executive role at a mental health app last year. 

The Duke of Sussex has also been refreshingly candid about his own mental health struggles, even undergoing a therapy session on camera in his Apple TV+ documentary, The Me You Can't See. 

“I think both the princes have really turned the dial on talking about grief so honestly and also about mental health," Julia said. "But that was all theirs—completely off their own bats.”