The Duke of Cambridge spoke movingly about the pain of losing his mother at  a young age when he yesterday comforted a 14-year-old boy who underwent the  same trauma. 

Visiting a hospice in Luton, Prince William rested his hand on Ben Hines’s shoulder and told him: “Time makes it easier.”

Ben had just spoken emotionally about his favourite memories of his mother,  who died last year aged just 40. 

Clearly moved, William referred to his own mother, the late Diana, Princess  of Wales, who died in a car crash in Paris on 31 August 1997. 

He told the youngster: "I know how you feel. I still miss my mother every day – and it’s 20 years after she died.” 

In a conversation that recalled Diana’s ability to comfort complete  strangers, William ended by making Ben, his brothers Thomas and Richard and their father Gary promise that they would keep talking to each other.  Men, he said, are not “great sharers”.  “I promise, sir,” said Thomas, 20. 

Mr Hines’s wife Alexandra died from cancer in June last year aged 40. While his brothers Thomas and Richard, 24, spoke of the help the hospice had  given them since their mother’s death, including counselling and music therapy, Ben – who is mildly autistic – spoke from the heart as he  described how “lovely” his mother was and how upset he was by her death.

On Mother’s Day, he said, she would insist they have a Chinese meal for a  treat, even though she could not eat it herself.  “I miss her so much,” he said. 

Mr Hines, 48, a gardener from Luton, said: “I was getting all choked up  towards the end when Ben was talking about his mum.” 

He added: "He gave Ben his absolute attention. You could see that it struck  a chord with him.” 

The visit, to the Keech Hospice also saw the Duchess of Cambridge hug two boys, Jamie and Ethan Conian, aged 10 and 6, who lost their older brother two years ago. 

Kieran had been born with cerebral palsy, epilepsy and autism, and suffered  with health problems all his life.  "I love cuddles,” she told Jamie and Ethan as she hugged them. 

There were further moving scenes when the Duke and Duchess visited a  project for young women suffering from mental health problems.

Here Catherine made the daunting prospect of talking about deeply personal  problems to a stranger - and a royal one at that - a little bit easier by discussing their shared interests. 

While touring Youthscape, also in Luton, she spotted Charlie Loveard, 16,  and Denice Matongo, 23, playing the card game Uno. 

She quickly stepped in and told them it was her favourite game as a child and was something she regularly used to play with her brother and sister James and Pippa.

Catherine told another user of the Youthscape facility, 20-year-old Laura  Murphy, how much she had enjoyed reading Girl on the Train, by Paula  Hawkins. 

The best-seller tells the story of emotionally troubled young woman who  becomes obsessed with a couple whose house she passes each day on her  commute to work.  “She said it was really, really good,” Miss Murphy said. 

Youthscape has pioneered projects such as SelfharmUK, one of the few  initiatives aimed specifically at helping youngsters understand and recover  from self-harm. 

During the visit the royal couple met Holly Keany and Ellis Jones, both 18,  and listened intently to the teenagers as they described the trauma they  had experienced during their lives. 

Miss Jones revealed that she began self-harming after her mother was  diagnosed with an autoimmune disease. She told the couple that Youthscape helped her cope, especially when her mother died when she was just 14. 

William told her: "What happened should never have happened to you and you  should never have gone through it. The fact you have gone through it and  got where you are now, you should be really, really proud." 

Kate, told both girls they were "so courageous" and "strong".  Speaking after the meeting, Miss Jones said: "I feel so thankful for what  he said, especially because he lost his mum at a similar age. 

"It meant a lot to me. He said I was really brave and strong and that I  should be proud of myself. He was really nice and so was Kate." 

But there were also more light-hearted moments during the visit.  Prince William, an avid Aston Villa fan and president of the Football  Association, joined Jermaine Hylton, 17, and Youthscape worker Matt Allen  for a computer game of Fifa. 

Playing his favourite team against Luton Town, who recently beat Villa, the  Duke scored a goal during the match, but one of the boys told him it was  offside. William protested, joking: "What? Are you kidding me?!" 

The Duke and Duchess - who was wearing a blue and white LK Bennett dress -  also toured the kitchen areas, where the centre's users are taught cooking  skills as part of their development. Here the couple happily tucked into  the chocolate rice crispie cakes made especially for them. 

Over the past year, the Duke and Duchess have focused much of their public  work on talking about the importance of looking after the emotional and  psychological well-being of children, teenagers and adults. 

COURTESY: Telegraph