Why Prince William Can’t Talk About His Mental Health Struggles Like Prince Harry

While fans of the royal family may appreciate the moments when Prince Harry opens up about how Princess Diana’s death has affected his mental health, they shouldn’t expect Prince William to get candid about his struggles anytime soon.

Unlike Harry, William is at a higher place in the monarchy than his younger brother. The CEO of mental health clinic Smart TMS, Gerrard Barnes told Express.co.uk, that the Duke of Cambridge’s royal status has prevented him from opening up about his private struggles.

“Harry has a different role in the monarchy if he even has any role at all at the moment. Prince Harry is not an heir to the throne in a direct way that Prince William is, he is able to speak out in ways that William doesn’t feel able to talk about,” Barnes said.

Since Prince William is second in line to the throne and expected to become King, Barnes suggested the royal may feel that his only option is to confide in others privately, rather than publically sharing his battles like Harry.

“He has got more latitude and opportunity than William. One would hope that if Prince William has any mental health issues of his own, he has a support network around him,” he said.

“People he can rely on when he needs them, these people, you would imagine are confidential. They keep these things to themselves as it would not be good for these things to become public without his say so.”

In a 2017 interview with British Paralympic sprinter David Henson, Harry revealed that he never dealt with his grief following Princess Diana’s death in 1997.

“I’ve got plenty of issues, but none of them really relate to Afghanistan, but Afghanistan was the thing that triggered everything else,'” he told Henson.

“Not to get too personal, if you lose your mum at the age of 12, then you’ve got to deal with it and the idea that...15, 17 years later I still hadn’t dealt with it, Afghan was the moment. I was like, ‘Right, deal with it,’” he said.

Over the years, Prince Harry has continued to open up about his mental health struggles and spread awareness about the importance of seeking help.