Prince William has appeared in a brand new video to mark World Mental Health Day where he talks about the devastating impact of suicide as his Royal Foundation launches its Suicide Prevention Network

Prince William is almost brought to tears in an emotional chat about the devastating impact of suicide. In a new video released to mark World Mental Health Day today, the Prince of Wales talks to Rhian Mannings about the importance of support being available for those at risk of suicide or affected by it.

Rhian from Cardiff tragically lost her one-year-old son George in 2012 following a hidden illness and just five days later, her husband Paul took his own life. Since then, the Mirror Pride of Britain winner has founded the bereavement charity 2wish, to support those affected by the sudden and unexpected death of a child or young adult under the age of 25.

In the incredibly emotional chat, William visits Rhian’s home, where over tea and Welsh cakes, they discuss the urgent need for better support for those bereaved and affected by suicide.

The prince starts off by asking how she has brought up her older children, Holly and Isaac, with Rhian admitting she didn’t know how they had survived it.

He also brings up how there is unfortunately a lot of stigma attached to suicide, with former PE teacher Rhian saying: “I was quite surprised by it, I had never been touched by suicide. It was something that happened in the news. Nobody would talk about it or say what happened, and I found that really confusing at the time.”

Prince William in a new video discussing suicide prevention released to mark World Mental Heath Day (Image: Kensington Palace)

William then talks about the unanswered questions that often surround suicide as Rhian says she will “forever go over those last few days with him wondering what I missed”. She explains: “Before we lost George, we were just so happy. And I think this just shows, this can happen to anyone.”

William then asks Rhian if she wanted to say something to her late husband Paul, what would it be. Poignantly, she tells him: “There’s only one thing I would have ever said to him if I had time with him and that would be why didn’t you speak to me? I think I ask myself that every single day.

“He was absolutely devastated, he did keep blaming himself that weekend [after George’s death], but I would just like to sit him down like this and just say why didn’t you come to me. Because he has 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.”

Paul and his son George before the double tragedy(Image: Kensington Palace)

And William becomes overcome with emotion and takes a moment to compose himself, as Rhian asks him: “You OK?” William tells her: “Sorry, it’s hard to ask you these questions,” before Rhian tells him: “I know, it’s hard, you’ve experienced loss yourself.” She adds: “Life can throw you these awful curve balls, but by talking about it, by having hope, you can continue.”

And William says: “The best way to prevent suicide is to talk about it. Talk about it early, talk about it with your loved ones, with those you trust. So thank you for talking about it.”

William with Rhian’s children and her mum, who baked Welsh cakes for the prince

The candid chat comes as William and Kate’s Royal Foundation launches its Suicide Prevention Network today. It is being backed by 20 organisations, including Rhian’s charity 2Wish with over £1million of funding from the Foundation to transform suicide prevention across the UK.

The network will focus on tackling the root causes of suicide and ensuring support is available for those who need it. Organisations across all four home nations are included in the new network including local charities offering crisis support as well as those offering prevention and postvention services.

Rhian and Paul’s children before their son George tragically passed away(Image: Kensington Palace)

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.

Chaired by Professor Ann John, an expert in the prevention of suicide and self-harm and consultant in public health medicine for Public Health Wales, it will work over the next three years to identify the root causes of suicide, provide accessible support for everyone, and foster greater collaboration, innovation and action.

William said: “The incredible partners who form this network reach those at risk of, or affected by, suicide with their inspirational work. I have had the privilege of meeting all of the founding partners to see firsthand their powerful community-based efforts to offer hope and support to those who need it most.

“Their efforts reaffirm the urgent mission of the National Suicide Prevention Network: to build a bold, unified national response to the heartbreaking—and preventable—tragedy of suicide.”

The prince met Rhian in 2017 for the BBC One documentary Mind Over Marathon which followed a group running for William, Kate and Harry’s Heads Together Mental Health campaign.

At the time, she asked William for advice on how to comfort her two bereaved children, with the royal telling her he still felt the “shock” of his mother’s death many years on.