Prince William talks about Princess Diana’s bulimia battle for the first time

The young royals have been opening up a lot about their beloved mother recently, ahead of the 20th anniversary of Princess Diana’s death.

Now, Prince William has spoken for the first time about his mother’s battle with bulimia, in a documentary to air in the UK on Thursday.

Wasting Away: The Truth About Anorexia follows former TV newsreader Mark Austin and his daughter Maddy, who has now recovered from the disease, as they talk to other families affected by eating disorders.

The prince, a patron of mental health charity Heads Together, was interviewed for the documentary.

According to British Vogue, Diana’s eldest son says he’s “absolutely” proud that his mother opened up the dialogue some 22 years ago, during a 1995 interview with BBC.

However, he was quick to commend the father-daughter duo for their contribution to the conversation.

“We need to normalise the conversation about mental health. The fact that you are speaking out is incredibly brave,” he said.

Ahead of the TV special airing, Mark Austin and wife Catherine told The Sun how the disease nearly “destroyed” their “strong family”.

“I’ve covered wars and atrocities in my career as  a television journalist but I have usually been able to shut out the horror and return to a normal life," Mark said.

“But when anorexia came crashing headlong into my own family, it was a very different story.”