KEY POINTS

  • Prince William uses football to encourage men to open up about their mental health
  • The Duke of Cambridge says men should not be ashamed of their mental health struggles
  • Prince Harry has reconnected with his older brother Prince William

Prince William encouraged men to not be ashamed of their mental health.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are active advocates of mental health along with Prince Harry. Before Meghan Markle joined the royal family, the royal trio started the Heads Together campaign.

In a new trailer for Prince William’s BBC program “Football, Prince William and Our Mental Health,” Kate Middleton’s husband opens up about the stigma that men face and how it affects their mental health.

“You can’t be ashamed of your mental health, you've got to be able to look it in the eye and go deal with it, here we go,” Prince William said.

In the trailer, an athlete shares with Prince William how men are programmed to say “I’m fine” even if they are not. The royal narrates at the latter part of the clip that one should be honest when things aren’t going smoothly.

“It’s OK to not be OK,” the future king said.

Prince William acknowledged the fact that there are really moments when one feels anxious or stressed, and when little things seem a struggle. But the good thing is that, one has the power to change things, according to him.

“Football, Prince William and Our Mental Health” is a documentary following the the duke’s campaign to help British men open up about their mental health struggles using football and to break the taboo around the issue. It will premiere on May 28.

Frank Lampard, the manager of Chelsea, was happy about Prince William’s initiative to incorporate football in his mental health initiative. He agreed that athletes should look after their mental health, too.

“It’s hugely important for men to think about their mental health and take action where they can,” Lampard shared.

“I came from a family where we bottled up a lot of emotions, feelings and sometimes anxieties. I think a huge thing now is the great campaigns that are going on encouraging people to speak openly about looking after your mental health and not feel bad about how you feel inside. I think as men, sometimes we can think that it’s a weakness but it certainly isn’t. It’s a huge strength.”

Meanwhile, Prince William and Prince Harry are reportedly on speaking terms already. The Duke of Sussex was feeling homesick in Los Angeles and has decided to reconnect with his older brother.

The Duke of Cambridge appeared to confirm this when he mentioned Prince Harry in his post on Instagram. It was the first time the future king acknowledged his younger sibling in months amid the rumors that they were feuding.

Prince William
Prince William is photographed. POOL/Brian Lawless