Prince William — aided by his wife, Kate Middleton — is taking another step in his ongoing mission to change the conversation around mental health and prevent suicide.
The Prince and Princess of Wales, both 44, joined sports stars at a British soccer stadium in Liverpool to launch a new guide, which aims to help people spot the warning signs and hold supportive conversations so they can intervene before a crisis point. For the outing on Thursday, Sept. 10, Kate wore a bright blue pantsuit while her husband looked smart in a navy blue suit.
Prince William, who has made highlighting the help for those facing or affected by the issue a central part of his public work, writes in a foreword to On Your Side: A Suicide Prevention Toolkit for People in Sport how sport can “provide vital connection and support at times when people need it most — times when they’re feeling pressure, loss or even despair.”
The royal heir adds, “Through my work on mental health, I have met people whose lives have been changed forever by suicide. But I have also met people whose lives have been saved because someone stepped in to help. Each of their experiences has had a profound impact on me.”
Highlighting the practical guidance available in the kit, he writes, “Whatever your role — athlete, coach, parent, official or supporter — you may be the person who notices that someone is struggling. You could be the one who starts an honest conversation, and who helps that person to find the support they need.”
“I hope that On Your Side encourages everyone in sport, in every discipline and at every level, to make suicide prevention part of your game plan,” he added.
The toolkit has been developed by the Royal Foundation in partnership with a U.K. mental health charity, Chasing the Stigma. It comes with a short animated film encouraging conversation and looking out for teammates. Sharing the film on Instagram, the prince wrote, “One conversation can change everything. The world of sport is coming together behind one shared goal: suicide prevention.”
The film features sports stars and coaches, including England soccer star Harry Kane, proving the power of simply asking somebody if they are “alright,” telling them “I care about you,” and reassuring them, “You don’t have to figure this out on your own.”
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At the event on Sept. 10, at the ground of Premier League team Everton FC, the Prince and Princess of Wales were joined by husband-and-wife Olympic cycling couple Sir Jason and Dame Laura Kenny, former soccer star Jill Scott and leading athlete Dame Kelly Holmes.
At the launch event, hosted by British TV presenter Gabby Logan, William, Kate and the athletes discussed the power of sport in supporting well-being and resilience. There were other sessions that highlighted the importance of early intervention, too.
Prince William said in a speech, “Suicide remains one of the greatest challenges facing our society. Many people will have felt the impact of this personally. You will know families whose lives have been changed forever by loss. Today, we remember them. And we recommit ourselves to doing everything we can to prevent more families from experiencing that pain.”
“Sport reaches people in ways few other sectors can,” he continued. “Every week, hundreds of thousands of people walk through the gates of stadiums and arenas. Millions more gather in clubhouses, sports halls, gyms and community centres. They play together. Train together. Watch together. And support one another. Building relationships that can last a lifetime. Sport creates belonging. It creates identity. It creates connection. And those connections matter.”
“When somebody is struggling, often it is not a professional who first notices. It is a friend. A coach. A colleague. A teammate. Someone who sees a change. Someone who asks if everything is alright. Someone who starts a conversation. And that conversation could make all the difference,” the royal heir added.
The issue of suicide is a deep-seated one with the prince. When he was an air ambulance pilot, William witnessed the devastating effects on families after attending to tragedies in his work, and he has spoken about how one of his first calls in his job at East Anglia’s air ambulance service was to a young man who had died by suicide.
Last year, The Royal Foundation, led by William and his wife, said it has donated around $1.3 million over an initial three-year period to help establish the National Suicide Prevention Network. In September 2025, William supported a Welsh charity set up in memory of a young man, the Jac Lewis Foundation, created to honor Jac, who died by suicide in 2019.
He also recently launched a mental health hub in partnership with the Welsh Rugby Union, of which the Prince is patron and has also recently launched a mental health hub in partnership with the Welsh Rugby Union, of which the Prince is patron, as well as supporting James’ Place, an organization that provides help for men facing suicidal crises.
As he continued his mission, in October 2025, Prince William fought back tears as he spoke to a widow of a man who had taken his own life after the loss of the couple’s 1-year-old son. Speaking with Rhian Manning, who lost her husband, Paul, in 2012, the conversation turned to talking about her surviving children, Holly and Isaac. William gently asked what she might say to Paul. “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.”
The return to royal duty comes amid a busy week for Prince William. On Tuesday, he and Princess Kate accompanied their eldest son, Prince George, as he started at William’s alma mater, Eton College.
On Wednesday, the Prince of Wales represented his father, King Charles, at the state funeral for King Harald of Norway in Oslo.
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