Prince William opens up about ‘understanding his emotions’ in candid conversation about
Prince William has opened up about ‘understanding his emotions’ in a candid conversation about men’s mental health alongside Professor Green on BBC Radio 1.
The future monarch, 43, featured alongside the rapper, musician Guvna B, Allan Browning, the Director of Clinical Services at James’ Place, and Nathan, who shared his own experience in a bid to promote conversation about men’s mental health.
The Prince of Wales even shared his own mental health struggles during his time as a first responder, while also revealing how it takes him a ‘long time’ to understand his own emotions.
During the special episode of Radio 1’s Life Hack’s, the father-of-three said ‘more male role models’ discussing their mental health issues openly was needed to help all men to be able to do the same.
Prince William also revealed to host Greg James that he hoped having discussions about suicide prevention and mental health would eventually ‘become a second nature to us all’.
Looking inward on his own emotions, the senior royal candidly shared that it often takes him a while to work out exactly why he feels the way he does in certain situations.
‘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,’ he told the BBC show.
‘Sometimes there’s an obvious explanation, sometimes there isn’t. I think that idea that mental health crisis is temporary – you can have a strong mental health crisis moment but it will pass.’
Prince William has made a surprise appearance on BBC Radio 1’s Life Hacks to promote men’s mental health and suicide prevention.
The future monarch candidly opened up about his own emotions revealing is takes him ‘a long time’ to understand his own emotions
Mental health has long been an issue of great importance to both the Prince and Princess of Wales, with the couple’s Royal Foundation contributing £1million to the launch of the National Suicide Prevention Network across the UK last autumn.
Meanwhile, during the radio show the prince said mental health organisations could prove to be ‘a little stepping stone’ in helping those struggling to get through the more challenging moments.
‘And 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.’
Professor Green, also known as Stephen Manderson, also featured on the show, having long campaigned on issues relating to mental health himself.
The rapper, 42, previously featured in a documentary, Suicide and Me, on the loss of his own father to suicide.
Professer Green was keen to get involved with the panel with the Prince as he wanted encourage that it was ‘important’ and ‘okay’ to have these conversations.
The advocate for suicide prevention charity Calm, also believed it was ‘incredibly important’ to have the Prince of Wales’ support, not only because of his openness but because of the suffering he has experienced and seen firsthand.
He added: ‘And I just think it enables us to shine such a light on something that people will otherwise just avoid.’
He featured on a special episode of BBC Radio 1 Life Hacks alongside the rapper, musician Guvna B, Allan Browning, the Director of Clinical Services at James’ Place, and Nathan
Professor Green, also known as Stephen Manderson, spoke on the show having long campaigned about mental health having lost his own father to suicide
Prince William previously spoke with campaigner Rhian Mannings, whose son George, one, died after suffering a seizure in 2012 and whose husband Paul died by suicide five days later
It comes after Prince William was brought to tears in a conversation with Rhian Manning when discussing her husband’s suicide.
In a film to mark World Mental Health Day, Rhian Mannings spoke to the Prince of Wales about the death of her husband Paul, just five days after their son George passed away in hospital.
The future king’s voice broke as Mrs Mannings, sat in her home in Cardiff, told him how she desperately wished Paul had spoken to her about how he was feeling.
‘I think that’s what the hardest thing is… we would have been ok,’ she said.
After the release of the emotional film, Mrs Mannings described the stigma that still surrounds suicide and revealed some of her closest friends chose to walk away from her grief, so concerned were they about saying the ‘wrong’ thing.
She told the Daily Mail: ‘It was a really important moment because I think when it gets to the stage of a conversation, when it gets emotional, a lot of people will shut down and stop. People are afraid of upsetting people and are afraid to have conversations that cause distress to other people.’
‘But actually it is just so important so I was talking about it, he got emotional, which made me emotional, but we continued to talk about it. And I think by him being emotional, people will see it’s OK to talk about it, it’s OK to find it difficult – but that’s not a reason to shy away from it.
‘By saying nothing to somebody is worse than saying something and getting emotional. Most people just want to know what is going on, they’re just afraid to open that can of worms, but once it’s open, for the person talking it’s easier and actually it is OK to care.
‘And sometimes if anything, that can really resonate with the person who is talking and opening up.’