Prince William Shares Deeply Personal Message About Mental Health - Video

In a candid radio interview, the Prince of Wales drew on personal experiences while reflecting on fatherhood, generational trauma, and why "bottling it up" can have lasting consequences.

Prince William has delivered one of his most personal interventions yet on mental health, urging men to open up, seek support, and challenge a culture that has long equated strength with silence.

Speaking on a special episode of BBC Radio 1's "Life Hacks" released on February 18, 2026, the Prince of Wales addressed the stigma that still surrounds emotional vulnerability, particularly among men.

The 43-year-old future monarch said that learning to recognise and process his own feelings has been an ongoing journey. "I take a long time trying to understand my emotions and why I feel like I do," he began.

"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," Prince William continued.

He acknowledged that not every period of distress comes with a clear explanation. While some difficult moments are triggered by obvious events, others are harder to define.

Crucially, he stressed that even intense episodes do not last forever, describing the idea that a mental health crisis can be temporary and will pass. At the centre of his message was a call for greater male role models to speak openly. He said:

"We need more male role models out there kind of talking about it and normalising it, so that it becomes something that is second nature to all of us."

Prince William suggested that part of becoming comfortable with such conversations lies in understanding emotions in the first place. This led to him describing emotional wellbeing as a kind of personal "toolbox" shaped by upbringing and life experience.

No one, he noted, is born with every coping mechanism they will ever need. Instead, he tries to keep adding new "tools" that may help when challenges arise.

Looking at mental health in that way, he explained, helps to normalise the idea that the brain sometimes needs support and that asking for help from a friend should feel ordinary, not exceptional.

His comments were not confined to theory. The Royal Foundation is contributing £1 million to develop a National Suicide Prevention Network, linking advocacy with practical investment in prevention efforts.

For Prince William, part of his own learning has involved understanding why earlier generations found it so hard to talk about emotions.

The Prince of Wales also offered a glimpse into how these conversations play out at home. Asked whether his children — Prince George, 12, Princess Charlotte, 10, and Prince Louis, seven — speak openly about their feelings, he joked, "Yes, sometimes too much."

"I get all the details, which I love. It's amazing," he said, before admitting that he sometimes feels compelled to solve every problem they raise. Over time, however, he has had to remind himself that listening matters more than fixing.

Being present and accepting their emotions, he suggested, is often enough. The discussion also widened to generational change.

For Prince William, part of his own learning has also involved understanding why earlier generations found it so hard to talk about emotions. Those who lived through the World Wars, he said, "couldn't talk about their emotions."

They endured hardship, kept their feelings private, and unintentionally passed that restraint down. "[...] Not deliberately, but that's all they knew," he further remarked. Breaking that pattern, he argued, is essential. The Prince of Wales shared:

"You have to talk about your emotions. You can't just bottle them up and pretend they don't exist because that's when it all goes wrong."

Online, reaction was swift and divided. On one hand, many welcomed his intervention in the debate around men's mental health. "It's not always easy for men to talk about mental health, but I'm glad William did. Well done. 👏," one person shared.

"So true - seeing male role models talk openly about mental health matters so much 🤍 For anxious men especially, it challenges the idea that strength means silence. Normalising these conversations creates permission - and that can be life-changing," another commented.

Others praised his personal composure. "You can't dislike William. All the [expletive] he's been through and still remains level headed. Would be more than welcome as king," one person wrote. Another added, "He's so fresh! And pure."

Yet criticism also surfaced. "Pity William doesn't share this same energy with his brother," one commenter remarked. Another netizen typed, "How DARE you."

A final person shared, "Hard to hear him talk men's mental health when he has cut off his own brother who has been honest about his mental health difficulties. It's nice to preach William [sic]."

"Also I don't see him pushing the UK government to provide proper funding for mental health services. People are on waiting lists for help that go in for years. My partner waited 2 years just for an initial appointment," they continued.

The debate underscores how closely Prince William's words are scrutinised. Still, his central message was clear — conversations about mental health must become routine, particularly for men, and seeking help should be seen not as weakness, but as a necessary part of modern life.