The Prince of Wales then looked back on his years as a volunteer pilot for the East Anglian Air Ambulance between 2015 and 2017, an experience that he explained impacted him more deeply than he was initially willing to admit, even to himself. “Over time, I noticed my mental health really deteriorating, and I hadn’t really clocked onto it because in that community you try and make light of some of the moments just to keep, frankly, sane and just to keep going,” he said.
In the role, the prince was part of medical health teams operating in Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Norfolk, and Suffolk, dealing with complex and often tragic interventions as a search and rescue helicopter pilot. In that environment, he added, there is a tendency to downplay tough emotions to cope. Only later did he realize, “My god, I’m carrying everyone’s emotional baggage.” He relived fragments of each mission, the pain of family members, the most difficult images: “I was carrying that in myself, and it was really weighing me down.”
The prince also spoke of the difficulty of dealing with others’ pain without trying to fix everything right away: “I have to remind myself that you don’t need to fix everything, but you need to listen, and it’s important just to be okay with those feelings and those comments.” The topic of male suicide and mental health crises in the United Kingdom is unfortunately a very timely one: The Royal College of Psychiatrists has spoken of a “silent mental health pandemic” running through England. In 2024/25, 4.1 million people, including 1.2 million children and adolescents, were reported to be in contact with mental health services, an increase of 56 percent in eight years.
According to data from the Office for National Statistics, suicide was the leading cause of death among young men aged 20 to 34 in England and Wales in 2024, which William unhesitatingly called “a real national catastrophe.” During the discussion, William emphasized that mental health organizations like James’ Place can be “ that little stepping stone” for those struggling.
Prince William piloted search and rescue helicopters.
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“We need men to talk more about these issues.”
While discussing suicide prevention, the prince reiterated that talking about it can make a difference and ward off destructive thoughts. “If we talk about that more, and educate people more, then hopefully the idea of suicide keeps being pushed further and further away,” he said. “Because you know that tomorrow, you might wake up and you might feel very different.”
