Prince William Fights Back Tears as Widow Shares Tragic Story of Losing Husband and Baby – Did He Face the Same Loss?

Prince William became visibly emotional during a deeply moving conversation with a woman whose husband died by suicide, as seen in a video released by Kensington Palace on Friday.

The 43-year-old Prince of Wales visited campaigner Rhian Mannings at her home in south Wales, where she shared the story of losing her one-year-old son, George, in 2012 to an undiagnosed illness.

Just five days after her child's death, Rhian's husband also took his own life, blaming himself for their son's passing.

Prince William asked how she coped with the losses and found the strength to bring up two other kids.

'I look back and I still don't know how we survived it,' Rhian said in the video.

A Visibly Moved Prince

The prince also asked her about how she felt during the time of her husband's death, since there was a lot of stigma surrounding suicide. She said that she was a bit surprised when it happened, and she had never had prior experience with suicide before that incident.

When asked by the prince about what she would have wanted to tell her husband today, Theresa said: 'Why didn't you speak to me?' I ask myself that every single day. He was absolutely devastated, he did keep blaming himself.'

'But I would just like to sit him down like this and say "Why didn't you come to me?" Because he's missed out on just so much joy. And we would have been ok. I think that's the hardest thing, we would have been ok,' the lady also mentioned.

When Rhian found the prince visibly upset to speak, she asked him if he was okay.

The prince apologised, saying that he could not find the right words to blurt out the questions.

'You've experienced loss yourself,' the lady mentioned. 'Life can throw you these awful curve balls. By talking about it, by having hope, you can continue.'

Rhian's Charity: Turning Grief Into Hope

Despite losing both her husband and son, Rhian managed to build a charity in 2018 named 2wish to help those who dealt with the unexpected or sudden death of a child or young adult.

The video's release coincided with World Mental Health Day.

Rhian's charity will be included in the National Suicide Prevention Network, launched with £1 million for over three years, from the Royal Foundation of the Prince and Princess of Wales.

Hallmark of Modern Royal Leadership

The network of organisations will attempt to understand the causes of suicide and offer support to the capital agencies. They will also let anyone get free drinks to encourage more collaboration between charities and agencies.

The network will be spearheaded by Professor Ann John Johnson, an expert in dealing with suicide prevention and public health treatments in Wales.

Seeing the heir to the throne on the verge of tears highlighted his willingness to show vulnerability and empathy — qualities increasingly seen as hallmarks of modern royal leadership.

During his visit, the future king also met Rhian's two children, William and Hollie, who continue to inspire her mission.