A mother whose husband died by suicide hopes footage of her emotional conversation with Prince William will encourage others to speak out about mental health struggles. Rhian Mannings, whose one-year-old son George died after a seizure in 2012 and whose husband Paul took his own life five days later, said the video should show people "it's OK to talk about it".
The Prince of Wales visited Rhian's home near Cardiff for the frank discussion around her kitchen table. Their conversation was filmed to mark the launch of a new National Suicide Prevention Network on World Mental Health Day. William first met the campaigner eight years ago as part of the Heads Together mental health campaign he ran with Catherine and then-Prince Harry.
Emotional kitchen table conversation
During their filmed chat, Rhian told William about the devastating period when her family lost both George and Paul within days. "I will forever go over those last few days with him wondering what I missed. Before we lost George, we were just so happy. And I think this just shows that it really can happen to anyone," she said.
When William asked what she would say to Paul if she could speak to him again, Rhian replied: "There's only one thing I would ever say to him if I had time with him and that would be: 'Why didn't you speak to me?' I think, I ask myself that every single day. He was absolutely devastated. He did keep blaming himself that weekend."
The prince became visibly emotional as he listened, bringing his hand to his mouth. When Rhian noticed and asked "Are you OK?", William reached out to touch her hand and said: "I'm sorry. I just, it's hard to ask you the questions." Rhian, who set up the charity 2wish to support families affected by sudden child death, told him: "No it's fine. It's just you've got children. It's hard and you've experienced loss yourself."
Hope for preventing future tragedies
Rhian, 48, who has two other children - Holly, 17, and Isaac, 16 - believes her husband's death could have been prevented. "It didn't have to happen, it doesn't have to happen. It will be OK. You just need to be able to talk about it," she told PA Media. She hopes the video will show people "it's OK to open up" and demonstrate "the devastation that's left behind can be avoided".
The mother described Paul as someone who "lit up every room" and was "funny, charming" and "just the whole package". She said they were "a very sort of everyday family who had the same things going on in their lives as everybody else", emphasising that mental health crises can affect anyone.
New national prevention network
The National Suicide Prevention Network aims to transform suicide prevention across the UK's four nations. William and Catherine's Royal Foundation is investing £1 million in the initiative, which will be chaired by Professor Ann John, an expert in suicide prevention and public health medicine.
Four charities are joining as founding partners: James' Place representing England, PIPS Suicide Prevention Ireland for Northern Ireland, Mikeysline for Scotland, and the Jac Lewis Foundation for Wales. The Hub of Hope, the UK's largest mental health support directory, is also participating. The network will work over three years to identify root causes of suicide, provide accessible support, and foster greater collaboration and innovation.
Sources used: "PA Media" Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.
