Prince William Talks Mental Health in Video Interview with England Soccer Stars

Prince William is continuing to highlight the importance of mental health.

This weekend, the Prince of Wales was a guest on Kelvyn Quagraine's COPA90 discussion show, Game of Fives, where the two chatted about mental wellness with English soccer stars Harry Kane and Declan Rice.

During the talk, ahead of the FIFA World Cup, all guests spoke of their own mental health journeys, shared soccer memories, and touched on the highs and lows of life as important figures in their fields

William said during the chat that in his mind, sport teaches people crucial lessons about coping with the downside of defeat—and that ability comes in handy in many other areas of life.

"You learn by playing a number of times and many other things in life that disappointment is part of life and how you handle it is crucial," he said to Kane and Rice, who lost the final of the Euro 2020 tournament in July 2021.

"Handling some of those really disappointing England results in the past, that was hard, I found that really difficult, because again the same euphoria that we had comes crashing down," the royal added. "You feel high and all together, and then normal life just gets on again."

Prince William and wife Prince Kate have long been deeply involved with various mental health initiatives, and through their Royal Foundation of The Prince and Princess of Wales, regularly take part in projects and support charities aiming to change the conversation surrounding mental illness.

William previously led a campaign called Heads Up meant to encourage soccer players to discuss their mental wellness.

"It's important to have people who catch us a little bit when we're down," William said in the show this weekend, mentioning Shout, a 24-hour texting service for people going through mental health struggles, which he and Princess Kate support. "It is there to carry people through those darker moments."

Last month, the prince and princess visited BBC Radio 1's Newsbeat for World Mental Health Day. And last week, they stopped by The Street, a youth and community center based in Scarborough, England, wearing red poppy pins—a symbol that both honors the United Kingdom's Remembrance Day and represents a hope for a peaceful future.

During their mental health talk, Prince William, the athletes, and show host also wore poppy pins.

You Might Also Like

• 15 Can't-Miss Fashion Gift Ideas from Oprah's Favorite Things 2022

• 4 Investment-Worthy Skincare Finds From Sephora

• The 17 Best Retinol Creams Worth Adding to Your Skin Care Routine