Prince William says 'disappointment is a part of life' in honest chat about his mental health

Prince William said “disappointment is a part of life” in an honest chat about his mental health with England football stars Harry Kane and Declan Rice.  

• The Prince of Wales has spoken out about football and mental health in a new discussion organized by Copa90 and the Royal Foundation.  
• Here Prince William got candid about disappointment and the importance of “how you handle it” as he reflected upon how “inspiring” football has been to him.  
• This royal news comes as it was revealed why King Charles, William and Harry exploded in ‘torrents of profanity’ over Princess Catherine. 

In recent years the Prince of Wales has been more open than ever about mental health and just a few weeks ago Prince William and Kate Middleton took over a huge radio show as they marked Mental Health Awareness Week. Whilst 2021 saw fans praise the “care and compassion” of the future King for speaking up about the mental health of emergency responders. Now Prince William has got candid once again in a new discussion with England football stars Harry Kane and Declan Rice, hosted by Kelvyn Quagraine. 

In this new episode available on YouTube they opened up about their mental health and what the game has taught them. This enlightening saw Prince William say that “disappointment is a part of life” as he remarked upon how he learnt these valuable lessons from football. 

As reported by OK!, Prince William explained, “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. 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.”

“You feel high and all together, and then normal life just gets on again,” he added reflectively. 

The Prince of Wales also highlighted the vital work of Shout - the UK’s first and only free confidential 24/7 messaging support service which provides help for those struggling to cope. Earlier this year Prince William and Kate Middleton made fans “tear up” as they raised awareness of this incredible service during Pride Month. 

As the recent discussion continued, Prince William shared that football had inspired and helped him in other ways as well as by giving him a greater understanding of the inevitability of experiencing some disappointment. He said had met “lots of friends” through playing football in his youth and how it “pushed” them together. 

“Some of the greatest friendships are born from playing games and being pushed together in slight adversity,” the senior royal disclosed, adding that when he was at school he looked to Rio Ferdinand for “inspiration”. 

It was then that England football captain Harry Kane spoke about the Harry Kane Foundation which has just launched in partnership with Shout. 

“I’ve just launched a foundation which is really exciting for me,” he said. “My aim is to, especially to the younger generation, talk to them and try and provide ways of talking about mental health and wellbeing. The more we talk about it, and open up, it will definitely help solve and hopefully encourage people not to be afraid to ask for help, especially when you are feeling a little bit lower.” 

Organized by Copa90 with the Royal Foundation, Prince William’s honest discussion with Harry and Declan showcased his ongoing advocacy for more awareness and support surrounding mental health.