Prince William says it has taken a ‘long time to understand my emotions’ in surprise radio appearance

Prince William has opened up about how he takes a “long time” to understand his emotions during a surprise radio appearance.

The Prince of Wales appeared on an episode of BBC Radio 1’s Life Hacks on Wednesday during a panel discussion about mental health and suicide prevention.

Hosted by radio presenter Greg James, the future king was joined by an “extraordinary” panel, which included rapper Professor Green and grime artist Guvna B, as well as Allan Brownrigg, director of clinical services at James’ Place charity, and a young carer named Nathan, who shared his personal experiences on the subject.

William said it was a “real national catastrophe” that suicide prevention and men’s mental health were such a taboo topic, before getting candid about his own emotional journey.

He said: “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.

“Sometimes there’s an obvious explanation, sometimes there isn’t. I think that idea that mental health crisis is temporary [is important] – you can have a strong mental health crisis moment, but it will pass.”

Prince William encouraged people to “learn to love yourself and understand yourself” as he emphasised the importance of “more male role models out there, talking about it and normalising it, so that it becomes second nature to all of us”.

The Prince and Princess of Wales launched the National Suicide Prevention Network last October on World Mental Health Day in an effort to transform suicide prevention in the UK.

The Royal Foundation invested £1m in funding over an initial three-year period to focus on understanding the root causes of suicide, ensuring accessible support and strengthening collaboration to achieve the greatest possible impact.

The initiative is being joined by four charities – James’ Place, PIPS Suicide Prevention Ireland, Mikeysline and the Jac Lewis Foundation, representing England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales – as founding partners, alongside the Hub of Hope, the UK’s largest mental health support directory.

As part of the launch, the Prince of Wales spoke with campaigner Rhian Mannings, whose one-year-old son George died after suffering a seizure in 2012 and whose husband Paul died by suicide five days later. He looked visibly moved as he fought back tears while discussing the devastating impact of suicide and the need for better support for those at risk.