prince william urges more male role models as he opens up on mental health
The Prince of Wales has delivered a frank message on male mental health, describing his own practice of taking time to "understand my emotions" and calling for more men in the public eye to speak openly about their struggles. The intervention comes as part of a panel discussion on male suicide that paired personal testimony with calls for greater prevention work and funding.
A candid conversation about emotions and recovery
In an extended conversation with a radio host, the prince reflected on how he manages difficult feelings and why that process matters. He said he often spends "a long time trying to understand my emotions and why I feel like I do, " and argued that regular self-checks can help people identify the causes of distress, whether obvious or not. He framed mental-health crises as often temporary, saying a severe moment can pass and that recognising this can offer hope.
He urged people to "learn to love yourself and understand yourself, " and highlighted the importance of sharing feelings as part of becoming comfortable with mental-health conversations. Speaking about his family life, he quipped that his children sometimes share "too much" detail about their emotions — a light moment that underscored his wider point about normalising open discussion.
Prevention funding and practical steps
The prince’s Royal Foundation has committed £1 million toward developing a National Suicide Prevention Network, a move intended to strengthen coordination among services and provide clearer routes to support. He argued that organisations working in this space can offer "that little stepping stone" that helps someone through a difficult moment, and that expanding those entry points could shift thinking around suicide.
Public data underline the urgency of the issue: the Office for National Statistics found that suicide was the leading cause of death among people aged 20 to 34 in England and Wales in 2024. The prince described male suicide as "a real national catastrophe" and said the issue does not receive the level of public attention it requires.
The role of public figures and lived experience
During the discussion, the prince said more male role models speaking out would help make conversations about mental health "second nature" for wider society. The panel included clinicians, musicians who have campaigned on mental health, and a young man who shared his personal experience, illustrating how professional expertise and lived testimony can combine to reach people who might otherwise stay silent.
By encouraging public figures to be candid, he hopes to reduce stigma and create a social environment where seeking help is a routine response to distress. He also emphasised education on mental health as a long-term strategy to push the idea of suicide "further and further away, " suggesting that increased awareness could change outcomes day by day.
He closed with a pragmatic note that people can wake up feeling very different from one day to the next, reinforcing the message that crisis moments can pass and that reaching out for support during those moments could make a decisive difference.
Anyone affected by the issues raised in this coverage is urged to seek immediate professional help or contact local support services for assistance.
