Prince William and Harry discuss mental health ahead of World Cup

Prince William recently sat down with Harry for a chat about mental health, but it was a different Harry, not his younger brother. This time, the Prince of Wales talked about the important topic with England Skipper Harry Kane, just two weeks before the latter leads the Three Lions in their pursuit of World Cup glory in Qatar. They were joined by fellow England international Declan Rice in a 25-minute chat shared on YouTube.

Prince William is the president of the English Football Association. He told Kane that over the years, England's toughest moments were opportunities for him to become mentally stronger. "You learn by playing a number of times, and many other things in life, that disappointment is part of life and how you handle it is crucial."

Kane and Rice both agreed with the prince, saying that their devastating loss to Italy in the Euro 2020 final at Wembley brought their team closer together. They also praised manager Gareth Southgate for being able to use the moment to strengthen the bonds within the dressing room.

"There was a special moment after that game, the togetherness when we all came into a huddle after we'd lost that, and Gareth said some really important words," shared Rice.

William shared an anecdote of his own, saying that playing sports also helped him form bonds with his friends. "Some of the greatest friendships are born from playing games and being pushed together in slight adversity," he said.

Prince William shared that he was a defender during his school days and modelled his game after England legend Rio Ferdinand.

With two weeks left to go before the 2022 FIFA World Cup officially kicks off in Qatar, Kane and Rice claim that the squad has a really positive mindset. They spoke about the importance of mental health, while raising awareness about "Shout," a free and confidential 24-hour text messaging service for those seeking help for mental health issues.

Meanwhile, the World Cup is being criticised for the human rights issues surrounding the host country. Qatar is known to criminalise same-sex relations, and has been accused of other human rights violations against women and migrant workers.