Speaking candidly about mental health in the documentary Football, Prince William and Our Mental Health, the Duke of Cambridge told football player Marvin Sordell about the struggles he experienced after becoming a father.
“I really struggled with my emotions at that time,” he said. “I think when you’ve been through something traumatic in life — and that is like you say, your dad not being around, my mother dying when I was younger — your emotions come back in leaps and bounds because it’s a very different phase of life.”
“And there’s no one there to, kind of, help you, and I definitely found it very, at times, overwhelming,” he added.
He went on to talk about the difficult emotions that resurfaced when he became a father.
“I think emotionally things come out of the blue that you don’t ever expect or maybe you think you’ve dealt with, and so I can completely relate to what you’re saying about children coming along, it’s one of the most amazing moments of life but it’s also one of the scariest.”
The Duke says the support of his wife Kate helped him get through the tough times. “Me and Catherine particularly, we support each other and we go through those moments together,” he said. “We evolve and learn together.”
The documentary is part of #HeadsUp, a campaign to promote conversation around mental health through football.