Prince weeps over mother's tragic double bereavement

THE Prince of Wales fought back tears as he discussed the devastating impact of suicide and the need for better support for those at risk.

- LAURA ELSTON

William was filmed in a moving conversation with campaigner Rhian Mannings, from Pontyclun, whose one-year-old son, George, died after suffering a seizure in 2012 and whose husband, Paul, died by suicide five days later.

The footage marked the launch of a new National Suicide Prevention Network, spearheaded by the Prince and Princess of Wales’ Royal Foundation, on World Mental Health Day on Friday.

William travelled to Rhian’s home, having first met her eight years ago as part of his, Kate's and then-Prince Harry's Heads Together mental health campaign in 2017.

In a frank discussion between the pair around the kitchen table, the prince said to Rhian, who set up the charity 2wish to support families affected by the sudden death of a child: “From the families I've spoken to who've had to endure suicide, it’s a lot of unanswered questions that live with you forever, really, don’t they?”

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

The prince asked: “If you could say something to Paul, what would you have said?”

Rhian, 48, who has two older children - Holly, 17, and Isaac, 16, said: “There's only one thing I would ever say to him if I had time with him and that would be, ‘Why didn’t you speak to me?’ I think, I ask myself that every single day. He was devastated. He did keep blaming himself that weekend.

“I would just like to sit him down like this and just say ‘Why didn’t you come to me?’ He’s missed out on just so much joy, and we would have been OK. And I think that’s what the hardest thing is, we would have been OK.”