Prince William Says We Need “More Male Role Models”

Prince William sitting in front of BBC microphones and smiling — (Image credit: Getty Images)

Prince William has long been a champion of mental health causes, and on Wednesday, February 18, the Prince of Wales took part in a BBC Radio 1 show panel on male suicide. William, who joined a group of men including rapper Professor Green, said that men in the public eye can encourage those who are struggling to seek help.

"We need more male role models out there, kind of talking about it and normalizing it so that it becomes something that is second nature to all of us," Prince William said.

He also spoke about the importance of having a "tool kit" to dig into when times get tough. "When we're born, and when we grow up, and through life, you're sort of, depending on circumstance, family, upbringing, whatever it might be, you have a certain toolbox next to you, but no one has all the tools in it," the Prince of Wales said.

Prince William sitting with a man at a BBC studio — Prince William took part in a BBC Radio roundtable about men's mental health.

Prince William wearing a green cap and jacket sitting on a bale of hay with people drinking tea — The Prince of Wales joined farmers as the patron of mental health charity We Are Farming Minds in January.

Despite his role—or perhaps because of it—William admitted that he's always seeking out "new tools" to help his own mental health.

"Not one person in this world has all the tools for every eventuality your mental state's going to come across," the Prince of Wales shared. "And I like to go around looking for new tools to put in my toolbox when I might need it. And if we look at it like that, it does normalize the idea that the brain just needs sometimes a little bit of help, but we can't expect to have all the answers ourselves, and it's okay to ask for support, ask a mate, reach out, and that becomes just the normalization process of what's going on inside your head."

The Prince of Wales has worked with Princess Kate (and initially, Prince Harry) on the Heads Together mental health campaign through the Royal Foundation and also serves as patron of a number of charities, including We Are Farming Minds, which helps people with mental health issues in rural communities.

"Learn to love yourself and understand yourself," Prince William advised. "I take a long time trying to understand my emotions and why I feel like I do, and I feel like that’s a really important process to do every now and again. To check in with yourself and work out why you’re feeling like you do."

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Kristin Contino is Marie Claire's Senior Royal and Celebrity editor. She's been covering royalty since 2018—including major moments such as the Platinum Jubilee, Queen Elizabeth II’s death and King Charles III's coronation—and places a particular focus on the British Royal Family's style and what it means.

Prior to working at Marie Claire, she wrote about celebrity and royal fashion at Page Six Style and covered royalty from around the world as chief reporter at Royal Central. Kristin has provided expert commentary for outlets including the BBC, Sky News, US Weekly, the Today Show and many others.

Kristin is also the published author of two novels, “The Legacy of Us” and “A House Full of Windsor.” She's passionate about travel, history, horses, and learning everything she can about her favorite city in the world, London.