By Katherine Tinsley
3:00pm PDT, Oct 10, 2025
_
Prince William spoke to
Rhian Manning, whose husband,
Paul, took his own life just days after their 1-year-old son,
George, died.
"I would just like to sit him down like this and just say, 'Why didn't you come to me?' Because he's missed out on just so much joy, and we would have been okay, and I think that's what's hardest — we would have been okay," Manning said after William asked what she'd tell her husband if he was still alive.
_
"Are you OK?" Rhian Manning asked
Prince William, who teared up when he heard her response.
The Prince of Wales quickly reached for Manning's hand and said, "I'm sorry. It's just… It's hard to ask these questions that I…"
"No, it's fine. It's just… you've got children," Manning compassionately replied. "It's hard… and you've experienced loss yourself."
_
Prince William, who is outspoken about mental health issues, released "It Starts With a Conversation" on YouTube in honor of World Mental Health Day.
"The best way to prevent suicide is to talk about it," William told Rhian Manning. "Talk about it early, talk about it with your loved ones, those you trust, your friends. So thank you for talking about it."
_
Prince William and Rhian Manning first met in 2017 and have since teamed up together to discuss these important topics.
"From the families I've spoken to who have had to endure suicide, there's a lot of unanswered questions that live with you forever, really, don't they?" the Prince of Wales said.
_
After experiencing immense loss herself, Rhian Manning's charity helps grieving families.
"I will forever go over those last few days with him, wondering what I missed. Before we lost George, we were just so happy," Manning said. "And I think this just shows that it really can happen to anyone."
