Britain’s Prince William opens up about mental health in new podcast

London, December 5

Prince William, the second in line to Britain’s throne, has opened up about sensitive topics such as coping with mental health pressures during his work as an air ambulance rescue pilot and memories of his late mother Princess Diana.

Speaking on Apple’s ‘Time to Walk’ podcast, the 39-year-old Duke of Cambridge also reflected upon the royal family’s love of long walks as well as the life lessons he has picked up over the years. Prince William served as a rescue pilot in the East Anglian Air Ambulance (EAAA) from 2015 to 2017 and the podcast reveals how those moments have stayed with him.

“I learned to prioritise my own mental health,” Prince William said on Twitter.

“In the hope of inspiring a few other people to get active and take some extra time for their own mental health – I wanted to share a few of my stories and favourite songs with you in an episode of ‘Time to Walk’,” he said.

“My whole family have a passion for walking – whether it’s my Grandmother [Queen Elizabeth II] still taking her corgis out at 95; my father [Prince Charles] embarking on lengthy rambles over the summer in Scotland; or my own children making their first appearance at our annual walk to church on Christmas at Sandringham,” he said, with reference to his young kids – Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.

During the recording, he revealed how recalling the experience from his days at EAAA now makes him “quite emotional” and “still even affects me now”.

“But I think, as a human being, when you see someone in such dire circumstances, basically at death’s door, you can’t help but not be affected by that,” he notes.

He also touched on joyful memories, such as how his mother would sing Tina Turner’s hit song ‘The Best’ at the “top of her voice” with her sons on the way to school to help ease his anxiety.

“You’d be singing and listening to music right the way up to the gates of school when they dropped you off and that’s when reality kind of sunk in – you really were going back to school. Because before that you’re lost in songs – want to play it again, just to keep that family moment going. And when I listen to it now it takes me back to those car rides and brings back lots of memories of my mother,” he recalls.

William also revealed that AC/DC’s ‘Thunderstruck’ is a favourite “Monday morning” track that helps him “get back into the grind of the week”.

“It absolutely wakes you up, puts your week in the best mood possible, and you feel like you can take on anything and anyone,” he added.

The ‘Time to Walk’ episode featuring Prince William will be streamed free on Apple Music 1 on Monday. The podcast series is designed as an “immersive walking experience” to get Apple watch users out and about walking. —PTI