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Prince William Has a Clever Trick for Avoiding Anxiety While Giving Speeches

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Although you’d never know it by how confident he looks at events, Prince William is no stranger to battling anxiety. It’s something he’s been refreshingly open about over the years while promoting mental health awareness. In a new documentary, the future king also shared a clever trick that helps keep him so calm while talking to crowds.

“My eyesight started to tail off a little bit as I got older, and I didn’t used to wear contacts when I was working, so when I gave speeches I couldn’t see anyone’s face,” he explained in Football, Prince William, and Our Mental Health, which aired in the UK Thursday night. “And it helps, because it’s just a blur of faces, and because you can’t see anyone looking at you — I can see enough to read the paper and stuff like that — but I couldn’t actually see the whole room. And actually that really helped with my anxiety.”

Who knew poor eyesight could be such a blessing? You might not have even realized William needs contacts, but there are a few rare photographs of him sporting glasses that give his nearsightedness away. 

For example, it almost looks like his grandma, Queen Elizabeth, was just discovering his bespectacled secret in the 2015 pic below:

Prince William wearing glasses
Getty Images

We actually think the look suits him well and wouldn’t mind seeing him wear glasses more often! When he isn’t trying to avoid getting overwhelmed at speaking events, of course.

The documentary also shows William speaking with UK football player Marvin Sordell about how becoming a parent changes everything — especially after dealing with the sadness of losing your own mom or dad. 

“Having children is the biggest life-changing moment, it really is,” William admitted. “I think when you’ve been through something traumatic in life, and that is like you say, your dad not being around, my mother dying when I was younger, the emotions come back, in leaps and bounds.”

Thankfully, William can rely on his wife to help him through any rough patches, and be there for her, too. “Me and Catherine, particularly, we support each other and we go through those moments together,” he explained. “And we kind of evolve and learn together.” He also described having children as “one of the most amazing moments of life, but it’s also one of the scariest.” We’re sure any parent out there can relate to that!

There’s currently no word on whether the documentary will air here in the United States, but you can check out the trailer below:

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