Prince William recently fought back tears as he discussed the devastating impact of s**cide in a short film released by his office on Friday, in observance of World Mental Health Day via Reuters.
In the film, the heir to the throne speaks with Rhian Mannings, whose husband, Paul, took his own life just five days after the sudden death of their young son, George, due to illness in 2012. During their conversation at her home in Cardiff, they addressed the urgent need for improved support for those who have been bereaved or affected by s**cide.
He becomes clearly emotional after asking Mannings, who founded bereavement charity 2wish to help those who experienced the unexpected death of a child or a young adult, what she would have said to her husband.
‘ARE YOU OK?’
“I would just like to sit him down like this and just say ‘Why didn’t you come to me?’ Because he’s missed out on just so much joy, and we would have been OK. And I think that’s what the hardest thing is, we would have been OK,” she told the prince, who then tries to hold back tears.
“Are you OK?” Mannings asked him.
“I’m sorry,” William replied. “It’s just it’s hard to ask these questions that I…”
“No, it’s fine. It’s just you’ve got children … It’s hard … And you’ve experienced loss yourself.”
Last year, William attended the funeral of Thomas Kingston, the son-in-law of Prince Michael of Kent, who is a cousin of the late Queen Elizabeth. Thomas tragically died by s**cide after experiencing severe side effects from medication.
The film was released to coincide with the launch of a National Suicide Prevention Network by the Royal Foundation, the charitable organization founded by William and his wife, Kate. This network will focus on understanding the underlying causes of s**cide and providing accessible support.
As per William’s office, more than 7,000 deaths in Britain each year are caused by s**cide.
