Prince William spoke candidly about his mental health struggles in a rare recent interview.
“I take a long time trying to understand my emotions and why I feel like I do, and I feel like that’s a really important process to do every now and again, to check in with yourself and work out why you’re feeling like you do,” William, 43, said during an Wednesday, February 18, appearance on BBC Radio 1’s Life Hacks.
William went on the radio show to discuss the mental health crisis affecting men in the U.K. He called it a “real national catastrophe” that the number of male deaths by suicide has not been discussed on a wider scale.
“We need more male role models out there, talking about it and normalizing it, so that it becomes second nature to all of us,” the Prince of Wales explained.
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William encouraged listeners to “learn to love yourself and understand yourself,” explaining that it can help during a mental health crisis.
“Sometimes there’s an obvious explanation, sometimes there isn’t,” William continued. “I think that [there’s an] idea that mental health crisis is temporary — you can have a strong mental health crisis moment, but it will pass.”
William’s Royal Foundation is contributing $1.3 million to develop a National Suicide Prevention Network in the U.K. His hope is that this will form a “little stepping stone” to get people through difficult times.
“If we talk about that more, and educate people more, then hopefully the idea of suicide keeps being pushed further and further away,” he added. “Because you know that tomorrow, you might wake up and you might feel very different.”
William explained that feelings are often discussed in his own household with wife Princess Kate Middleton and kids Prince George, 12, Princess Charlotte, 10, and Prince Louis, 7.
“Sometimes [they share] too much,” William joked. “I get all the details, which I love, it’s amazing.”
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The royal family has traditionally followed the “never complain, never explain” motto, putting their duty above personal struggles. However, several members of the royal family — including William — have been changing their mindset to put more of an emphasis on mental health education.
William and Kate, 44, launched the Heads Together campaign with Prince Harry in 2016. The mental health initiative was spearheaded by The Royal Foundation to “tackle stigma and change the conversation on mental health with fundraising for a series of innovative new mental health services,” according to its website.
Through Heads Together, the royal family members launched Shout, a free 24/7 text messaging service that offers support to anyone experiencing a mental health crisis.
“Through our work with young people, emergency response, homeless charities, and with veterans, we have seen time and time again that unresolved mental health problems lie at the heart of some of our greatest social challenges,” William said when launching Heads Together. “The more we talk about mental health, the more normal the topic becomes, and the more we feel able to open up and seek support.”
If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org.
