Prince William has opened up about a difficult period in his life, revealing that his mental health suffered while he was working as an air ambulance pilot.
Speaking on Life Hacks on BBC Radio 1, the Prince of Wales said he began to notice changes in himself during his time with the East Anglian Air Ambulance between 2015 and 2017.
“I was doing work with the air ambulance, I was a pilot flying with them. We had busy jobs and you had people sadly in very difficult situations where you were having to help them and work with them,” he said.
Although he continued carrying out his duties, he later realised the emotional impact had been building up.
“Over time, I noticed my mental health really deteriorating, and I hadn’t really clocked onto it,” he admitted.
In the emergency services environment, he explained, there is often a tendency to brush off traumatic moments in order to cope. “You try and make light of some of the moments just to keep, frankly, sane and just to keep going.”
It wasn’t until he stepped away from the role for a longer break that he fully grasped what was happening.
“My God, I’m carrying everyone’s emotional baggage,” he recalled thinking. “I was taking snippets of each job I’ve been on, each family member that had been distraught or whatever, and I was carrying that in myself, and it was really weighing me down.”
William has previously spoken about one particular incident during a 2021 appearance on the Time to Walk, when he and his team attended to a young boy who had been hit by a car.
“I went home that night pretty upset but not noticeably,” he said. “I wasn’t in tears, but inside, I felt something had changed. I felt a sort of, a real tension inside of me.”
The impact surfaced more strongly weeks later. “It was like someone had put a key in a lock and opened it without me giving permission to do that,” he explained.
“I felt like the whole world was dying. It’s an extraordinary feeling. You just feel everyone’s in pain, everyone’s suffering. And that’s not me. I’ve never felt that before.”
Despite being content in his personal life, he struggled to understand his emotions.
“My personal life and everything was absolutely fine. I was happy at home and happy at work, but I kept looking at myself, going, ‘Why am I feeling like this? Why do I feel so sad?’”
Eventually, he recognised the cause.
“You’re taking home people’s trauma, people’s sadness, and it’s affecting you,” he said, adding that he was fortunate to have someone to speak to at work, where mental health support was prioritised.
By sharing his experience, William hopes to encourage others – particularly men – to speak more openly about their feelings and seek help when they need it.
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