Prince William opened up about feeling the trauma of the death of his mother, Princess Diana, when he became a father. The Duke of Cambridge has three kids with Kate Middleton, the Duchess of Cambridge, and stated in an upcoming BBC documentary that parenthood made him long for his mother because being a dad can be overwhelming.
In the documentary, Football, Prince William And Our Mental Health, the Duke of Cambridge shared that becoming a father to Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis is challenging as it is the "biggest life-changing moment." He said that strong emotions overcame him "out of the blue" when he had the children but there wasn't anyone around to help him process this. Prince William said that this was overwhelming for him.
However, Prince William also said that while becoming a dad has been the scariest, it is also the most amazing moment in his life. He responded to one of the documentary's guest, professional soccer player Marvin Sordell, who also lost a parent early on and said that he struggled with parenthood as well.
In 2017, his brother, Prince Harry, said in an interview that he and Prince William never actually talked about losing their mother when they were younger. Thus, the brothers are now advocating for mental health because they admitted they struggled with theirs.
Prince William said in another discussion that mental health should be a priority, especially in these stressful times. Someone in the family needs to take the lead and start the conversation, especially those working in the frontlines since being mentally equipped is "at the core" of their job.
The Duke of Cambridge also said that the coronavirus pandemic's lockdown measures may have an effect on kids in the longterm. He said that the children will not cope with social distancing that will make them miss schools or not see other family members. It's also not easy to make children understand when people they know, such as older family members, could die from the virus.
Prince William said that today is indeed a scary time but it will make a huge difference if people make an effort to take care of each other's mental health. He is especially grateful for charity volunteers whose advocacy are in mental health as well.
Meanwhile, the BBC documentary Football, Prince William And Our Mental Health will air on May 28. The Duke of Cambridge will be joined by other professionals from The Football Association.
