The royals, Prince William and Catherine, take over BBC Newsbeat on World Mental Health Day. Know more

Becoming reporters briefly, Prince William and Kate Middleton visited the Live Lounge of Radio 1 and listened to the experiences of the four guests as they took over Radio 1 Newsbeat.

The Prince and Princess of Wales talked about the significance of building a “toolbox” that can help you deal with sudden problems in your personal life. The royals also stressed the importance of opening up.

Recorded on the occasion of World Mental Health Day, the full show airs later on 1Xtra, Asian Network, and Radio 1.

‘Meaningful conversation’:

The urge to have a “meaningful conversation” about mental health brought the couple on the show, said, Prince William.

Their guests included Emma Hardwell from charity The Mix; Antonio Ferreria, the 24-year-old mental health advocate; music therapist Ben Cowley and Dr Abigail Miranda from the Anna Freud Centre for Children and Families.

During the discussion, the guests along with the royals spoke about the pressures of social media, the importance of opening up, and the stigma around mental health.

Panel guest António related to the Prince and Princess of Wales.

Antonio noted that though he was a “model student” while growing up, expectations and pressure became a “boulder” on his back, leading to his being diagnosed with emotionally unstable personality disorder and schizophrenia as a teenager.

‘Never a topic of discussion’:

Antonio Ferreria further said that mental health issues were “never a topic of discussion” while he was younger.

Additionally, Prince William urged people to build coping strategies and a “toolbox” of techniques to deal with unexpected problems that arise in people's lives. The princess added that different things work for different people and that there’s “no right or wrong”.

FAQs:

When is World Mental Health Day?
October 10, 2022,

What colour represents mental health day?
The green ribbon is the international symbol of mental health awareness.