Prince William Admits That Parenthood Has Made Him “A Lot More Emotional”

A new family photo – Merry Christmas from The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Prince George and Princess Charlotte. The Duke and Duchess are hugely appreciative of all the warm messages they have received about their family this year and are very much looking forward to their first Christmas as a family of four.

A photo posted by Kensington Palace (@kensingtonroyal) on Dec 18, 2015 at 1:11am PST

In last night’s British documentary, When Ant and Dec Met the Prince: 40 Years of the Prince’s Trust, which offers a glimpse inside Prince Charles’ charity for youth, The Prince’s Trust, we also got a more intimate look at Prince William’s life as a father.  The future king opened up and shared the impact Prince George and Princess Charlotte have had on his life:

“I’m a lot more emotional than I used to be, weirdly. I never used to get too wound up or worried about things. But now the smallest little things, you well up a little more, you get affected by the sort of things that happen around the world or whatever a lot more, I think, as a father. Just because you realize how precious life is and it puts it all in perspective. The idea of not being around to see your children grow up and stuff like that.”

You don’t have to dig too deep to realize Prince William was referring to the early loss of his mother, Princess Diana, which happened when William was only 15 years old — a loss that has taken on an even more profound significance now that he is a father himself. Her death, which Prince William once described as “the most painful experience,” is surely never far from his thoughts, especially as he raises his own two children.

As far as getting more emotional about the “sort of things that happen around the world,” he is absolutely right. Once you become a parent, the local news is enough to drive you to tears. So instead of leaving you on this sad note, I offer you Prince George’s chubby cheeks:

Charlotte’s are deliciously chubby, too.