Mental health meeting with William and Kate 'fantastic'

A music therapist who chatted to the Prince and Princess of Wales about mental health said meeting them was "absolutely fantastic".

The royals met with guests on a special episode of BBC Radio 1's Newsbeat for World Mental Health Day.

The group discussed their experiences and the importance of speaking out about struggles.

One of them, Ben Cowley, from Cardiff, said he was "gobsmacked" to be invited to meet them.

The Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama mental health advisor had just turned 37 in the days before meeting them.

"It was a unique way of celebrating my 37th birthday!" he said.

Mr Cowley was surprised by how relaxed he felt in their company.

"It was just surreal to be so close to people you have seen so much on TV, and to spend a significant amount of time with them was special on a lot of levels," he said.

"You can tell it's very important to them, driving the awareness of mental health, but they were also very fun with it too. It was nice to see that human side of them."

Mr Cowley, also a volunteer with 24-hour support service Shout, has struggled with mental health problems himself.

When he was younger he worked abroad and found returning to the UK difficult.

He spent two years unemployed and at times felt suicidal.

"There was a lot of not being able to sleep and just crying," he said.

"I would be waking up and feeling like I wanted to take my own life.

"I felt like I had no friends, I was not getting out and meeting people.

"I was lucky to have supportive family and that was probably one of the things that was important in saving me."

He was awarded an MBE for services to health and social care during Covid-19, and continues to play piano at a care home on a voluntary basis.

Music therapy he provides could involve making music with people, writing songs or lyrical analysis.

"It can be quite limitless," he said.

Music therapy, Mr Cowley told BBC Radio Wales, was like other therapies but with "creative flair".

"You would see us for exactly the same kind of reasons as you would see a counsellor or psychotherapist, we just might utilise elements of music to address any of the issues you bring to us," he said.

Also meeting the prince and princess were 24-year-old mental health advocate António Ferreria, Emma Hardwell of The Mix charity, and Dr Abigail Miranda, of the Anna Freud Centre for Children and Families.

Prince William said the couple wanted to "have a meaningful conversation about mental health".

The discussion at Radio 1's Live Lounge covered learning to deal with the unexpected in life, stigmas around mental health and the pressures of social media.

You can listen to the show on the BBC Sounds app.