Friday, 10 October, 2025
London, UK
Friday, October 10, 2025 8:30 PM
broken clouds 14.2°C
Condition: Broken clouds
Humidity: 78%
Wind Speed: 4.4 km/h

Prince William fights back tears in vulnerable chat about…

https://pagesix.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/10/113184878.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=1024

Prince William got emotional while conversing with a woman who lost her baby and husband just days apart.

The royal fought back tears as he sat down with Rhian Mannings, who recalled how her husband, Paul Mannings, died by suicide in 2012 — just five days after their 1-year-old son, George, died of pneumonia.

In a video posted Friday in honor of World Mental Health Day, William asked Rhian what she wishes she could have said to her husband before his death.

“Why didn’t you speak to me? … Why didn’t you come to me?” replied the mother of three, who also shared firstborn Hollie, 17, and second-born Isaac, 16, with Paul.

Prince William got emotional while conversing with a woman who lost her baby and her husband just days apart. The Prince and Princess of Wales / YouTube
The royal fought back tears as he sat down with Rhian Mannings, who recalled how her husband, Paul Mannings, died by suicide in 2012 — just five days after their 1-year-old son, George, died of pneumonia. The Prince and Princess of Wales / YouTube

Rhian recalled Paul being “absolutely devastated” and said he “kept blaming himself” for what happened to their youngest.

“He’s missed out on so much joy, and we would’ve been OK. And I think that’s what the hardest thing is — we would’ve been OK,” she told William, whose eyes welled up with tears as he turned his head away to collect himself.

“Sorry, it’s hard to ask you questions,” he explained as he reached to grab Rhian’s hand, but as she reminded him, “You’ve experienced loss yourself.” (William’s mother, Princess Diana, died in a car accident in 1997 when he was 15.)

“Life can throw you these awful curveballs,” Rhian said, “but by talking about it, by having hope, you can continue.”

“He’s missed out on so much joy, and we would’ve been OK. And I think that’s what the hardest thing is — we would’ve been OK,” Rhian told William, whose eyes welled up with tears as he turned his head away to collect himself. The Prince and Princess of Wales / YouTube
The video was posted Friday in honor of World Mental Health Day. The Prince and Princess of Wales / YouTube

The prince agreed, arguing that “the best way to prevent suicide is to talk about it.”

He noted that there’s “still a lot of stigma around suicide,” prompting Rhian to explain that she “had never been touched by suicide” until her husband’s death.

“It was something that happened in the news. Nobody would talk about it or say what happened, and I found that really confusing at the time,” she shared.

William, 43, then asked Rhian if she had any advice to families on how to navigate those conversations.

“The best way to prevent suicide is to talk about it,” the prince argued. Getty Images
The father of three asked Rhian how she’s “managed to bring up [her] children so brilliantly” following such tragedy. Anadolu via Getty Images

“I think it’s important never to lie. There’s ways in being truthful and just being gentle. As a parent, you know your children better than anybody else,” she replied, confessing that she still has a lot of unanswered questions.

“I will forever go over those last few days with him wondering what I missed,” she lamented. “Before we lost George, we were just so happy, and I think this shows that it really can happen to anyone.”

Despite life being “up and down,” Rhian marveled that her kids are “flourishing.”

When William, who also has three kids, asked how she’s “managed to bring up [her] children so brilliantly,” her eyes lit up.

“I look back, and I still don’t really know how we survived it. People ask me that a lot. Like, ‘How’d you do it?’ And I don’t really know,” replied Rhian, who also shared firstborn Hollie, 17, and second-born Isaac, 16, with Paul. The Prince and Princess of Wales / YouTube
The Royal Foundation is uniting charities across the four home nations to transform suicide prevention in the UK through a new National Suicide Prevention Network. Samir Hussein/WireImage

“They’ve just grown up to be incredible kids and young adults,” she gushed.

“I look back, and I still don’t really know how we survived it. People ask me that a lot. Like, ‘How’d you do it?’ And I don’t really know. They were so young. The memories they’ve got now are memories that probably I’ve placed into their minds.”

Rhian admitted that she still worries about “what tomorrow’s gonna bring” but tries to remain “rational and think positively,” adding, “I just want my children to be happy.”

At the end of the video, a message flashed across the screen: “The Royal Foundation is uniting charities across the four home nations to transform suicide prevention in the UK through a new National Suicide Prevention Network.”

If you or someone you know is affected by any of the issues raised in this story, call or text the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988.

LP Staff Writers

Writers at Lord’s Press come from a range of professional backgrounds, including history, diplomacy, heraldry, and public administration. Many publish anonymously or under initials—a practice that reflects the publication’s long-standing emphasis on discretion and editorial objectivity. While they bring expertise in European nobility, protocol, and archival research, their role is not to opine, but to document. Their focus remains on accuracy, historical integrity, and the preservation of events and individuals whose significance might otherwise go unrecorded.

Categories

Follow

    Newsletter

    Subscribe to receive your complimentary login credentials and unlock full access to all features and stories from Lord’s Press.

    As a journal of record, Lord’s Press remains freely accessible—thanks to the enduring support of our distinguished partners and patrons. Subscribing ensures uninterrupted access to our archives, special reports, and exclusive notices.

    LP is free thanks to our Sponsors

    Privacy Overview

    Privacy & Cookie Notice

    This website uses cookies to enhance your browsing experience and to help us understand how our content is accessed and used. Cookies are small text files stored in your browser that allow us to recognise your device upon return, retain your preferences, and gather anonymised usage statistics to improve site performance.

    Under EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), we process this data based on your consent. You will be prompted to accept or customise your cookie preferences when you first visit our site.

    You may adjust or withdraw your consent at any time via the cookie settings link in the website footer. For more information on how we handle your data, please refer to our full Privacy Policy