On 14 February 2019, Pall Mall Barbers welcomed HRH Prince William, then the Duke of Cambridge and now the Prince of Wales, to Pall Mall Barbers London. The visit was about far more than men’s haircuts and grooming. Prince William came to learn more about the role barber shops and barbers can play in encouraging conversations around men’s mental health, wellbeing and suicide prevention.
During his visit, His Royal Highness spent time speaking with barbers and people involved with the Lions Barber Collective, discussing why familiar community spaces such as a barber shop can sometimes make it easier for men to talk about what is happening in their lives. For Pall Mall Barbers, it became one of the most memorable moments in our history, while also helping draw attention to a conversation that remains just as relevant today.
A Royal Visit at Pall Mall Barbers
Prince William arrived at Pall Mall Barbers Paddington with Pall Mall Barbers Founder Richard Marshall, as crowds gathered outside the barber shop to see the royal visitor. Inside, the focus quickly moved towards men’s wellbeing, mental health and the importance of creating spaces where men can feel comfortable speaking openly.
Prince William spoke with barbers and representatives connected with the Lions Barber Collective, an international initiative created to raise awareness around suicide prevention and help barbers recognise when somebody may be struggling. The visit also highlighted BarberTalk, training designed to help barbers recognise possible signs of mental health difficulties, listen appropriately and help direct people towards professional support where necessary.
The principle is important. A barber is not a therapist, counsellor or replacement for professional mental health care. However, because barbers regularly spend time speaking one-to-one with clients, the barber’s chair can sometimes become a natural setting for an honest conversation. The role is not to diagnose somebody or solve their problems. Sometimes it is simply about noticing, listening without judgement, and encouraging someone to take the next appropriate step.
Why Can a Barber Shop Matter for Men’s Mental Health?
For many men, visiting a barber is part of an ordinary routine. You sit down and conversation naturally moves through work, football, family, relationships, travel, what happened at the weekend, or what is coming up next week. Over time, familiarity and trust can develop between a client and the person cutting their hair.
That everyday setting can matter because conversations about mental health do not always begin with somebody clearly saying that they need help. A person might instead mention that they have not been sleeping properly, work has been getting on top of them, they have stopped seeing friends as much, things at home have become difficult, or they simply do not feel like themselves.
Sometimes a man may not immediately recognise that the pressures building around him are beginning to affect his wellbeing. Changes in mood, energy, sleep, concentration, social behaviour and interest in everyday activities can sometimes suggest that someone is having a difficult period. These signs should never be used by friends, colleagues or barbers to diagnose a mental health condition, but they can provide a reason to check in and ask how somebody is doing.
In the News
The Royal Visit attracted significant media attention across the UK and internationally. Pall Mall Barbers Founder & CEO Richard Marshall MBE was interviewed by ITV News London, while General Manager Daniel Davies appeared live on Sky News.
National and international publications reported the visit, including People, the Daily Mail, HELLO!, the Daily Express, ABC News, and Good Morning America, with further coverage from Royal Life Magazine, The Crown Chronicles, HJ, and 5 News. Official communications from the Royal Family, Kensington Palace and the Heads Together initiative also documented the visit and its focus on men’s mental health.
Men’s Mental Health: Why the Conversation Still Matters
Mental health affects men of every background, age and profession. Pressure can come from work, finances, relationships, family responsibilities, bereavement, physical health, loneliness or significant life changes. Sometimes there may be no obvious single cause behind the way someone is feeling.
A man can appear organised, successful and completely in control while privately finding things difficult. That is one reason conversations around men’s mental health continue to matter. Official UK statistics have consistently shown that suicide affects men disproportionately, reinforcing the importance of making it easier for men to speak and seek help before problems reach crisis point.
Statistics tell only part of the story, but they underline why reducing stigma matters. Talking does not automatically make every problem disappear, but it can become the first step towards understanding what is happening and accessing the right form of support.
Prince William and His Work Around Mental Health
Prince William’s visit to Pall Mall Barbers formed part of a much wider commitment to changing the conversation around mental health. Today, Prince William is HRH The Prince of Wales and heir to the throne. At the time of his Pall Mall Barbers visit in 2019, he was known as The Duke of Cambridge.
Mental health has been an important part of Prince William’s public work for many years. Through The Royal Foundation, he helped spearhead Heads Together alongside Catherine and Prince Harry. The initiative brought together leading mental health organisations with the aim of challenging stigma and encouraging people to speak more openly about mental wellbeing.
His work has also extended into areas where men can face particular pressures, including football, workplaces, emergency services and suicide prevention. A consistent theme has been that mental health should be treated with the same seriousness as physical health and that asking for help should not be viewed as weakness.
That message was particularly relevant during his visit to Pall Mall Barbers. Prince William has repeatedly spoken about the importance of having someone who will listen when people are struggling and challenging outdated expectations that men should simply deal with difficult emotions alone.
What Was BarberTalk?
Prince William’s 2019 visit highlighted the work of the Lions Barber Collective and its BarberTalk programme. The initiative grew from the recognition that barbers often speak regularly with clients in an environment where conversation can happen naturally and without the formality of a clinical setting.
BarberTalk helps participants better understand how to recognise when someone may be experiencing mental health difficulties, how to listen, and how to encourage someone towards appropriate professional help. The purpose is not to turn barber shops into counselling rooms or to make barbers responsible for treating mental health conditions.
Instead, the idea is to make everyday human conversations more effective. There is an important difference between listening and treating. Mental health conditions require appropriate professional assessment and support, but a barber, friend, colleague or family member can still play a positive role simply by listening and helping someone recognise that further support is available.
Sometimes the First Step Is Simply Asking
You do not need specialist terminology to check on somebody. If a friend, colleague, brother, son, father or partner seems different from usual, a straightforward question can open the door to a more meaningful conversation. Asking how someone has been lately, whether everything is alright, or how they are genuinely coping can sometimes be enough to give them an opportunity to speak.
What matters next is listening rather than immediately trying to solve the problem. Give the other person space to answer and avoid dismissing what they are saying with phrases that minimise their experience. If they need more help than you can provide, encouraging them towards professional support can be one of the most useful things you can do.
Some people also find difficult conversations easier when they are doing something alongside another person rather than sitting face-to-face specifically to discuss mental health. That may help explain why everyday environments, including walks, car journeys, gyms and even barber shops, can sometimes make conversations feel more natural.
Looking After Yourself Is More Than Looking After Your Appearance
Men’s grooming is naturally connected with how we present ourselves. A men’s haircut, beard trim, or shave can be part of getting prepared for work, a meeting, an interview, an event, or simply the week ahead. Feeling more prepared can support confidence, but looking after yourself goes considerably further than the reflection in the mirror.
Sleep matters. Movement matters. Relationships matter. Taking time away from constant work matters. Staying connected with people matters. Recognising when stress is becoming difficult to manage matters too. Good mental health does not mean feeling positive every day, and everyone experiences difficult periods from time to time.
The important point is noticing when things remain difficult, begin getting worse, or start interfering with everyday life. When that happens, speaking with a healthcare professional, counsellor or another appropriate support service can be an important next step.
The Barber’s Chair and the Value of Routine
Routine can give men useful points of connection throughout everyday life. For one person, that might be playing football every Thursday, while for another it could be meeting friends for coffee, going to the gym, visiting family, commuting with a colleague or keeping a regular barber appointment.
These ordinary interactions can help people stay socially connected. A barber appointment may involve a men’s haircut, beard trim, or shave, but it can also provide something increasingly valuable in a busy city: uninterrupted human conversation.
That does not mean every haircut needs to become a serious discussion. Most do not. The value is simply knowing that conversation can happen naturally if somebody needs it. That was one of the important ideas behind Prince William’s visit to Pall Mall Barbers.
A Memorable Moment for Pall Mall Barbers
The 2019 royal visit attracted significant media attention in Britain and internationally. Pall Mall Barbers Founder Richard Marshall welcomed Prince William to the Paddington barber shop and later described the visit as an incredibly special occasion for Pall Mall Barbers.
There were lighter moments too. Pall Mall Barbers presented Prince William with grooming products and, during the visit, he joked about his own hair while speaking with those in the shop. The humour kept the visit relaxed, but behind it was a serious purpose centred on men’s wellbeing and suicide prevention.
Coverage of the visit extended across television, national publications and international media, helping take the conversation about men’s mental health beyond the barber shop itself. More importantly, the engagement demonstrated how an ordinary part of many men’s routines can sometimes become an opportunity for human connection.
The Conversation Should Continue
Years after Prince William walked into Pall Mall Barbers Paddington, the subject that brought him there remains important. Men still experience stress, depression, anxiety, loneliness, bereavement, relationship difficulties and pressure at work, and some still find it difficult to tell somebody when things are becoming too much.
There is no single solution to men’s mental health. However, reducing stigma, recognising changes, listening properly and knowing where professional support is available can all make a meaningful difference.
Sometimes an important conversation happens in a doctor’s surgery. Sometimes it happens with a partner, friend or family member. And sometimes it begins somewhere completely ordinary, including a barber’s chair.
Where to Find Mental Health Support in the UK
If your mental health is affecting your everyday life, speaking with your GP can be a useful next step. NHS mental health services and NHS Talking Therapies may also be available depending on your circumstances and location.
If you need urgent mental health support but there is not an immediate life-threatening emergency, NHS 111 can help direct you towards the appropriate service. If you or somebody else is in immediate danger, call 999 or go to A&E.
Samaritans also provides confidential listening support 24 hours a day on 116 123. Asking for help does not require waiting until a situation becomes a crisis. Speaking early can make it easier to understand what support may be appropriate.
Pall Mall Barbers London
Pall Mall Barbers continues to welcome men across London for men’s haircuts, beard trims, shaving and men’s grooming services. Whether your visit is part of preparing for work, maintaining your regular routine or simply taking some time to get yourself sorted, the barber’s chair remains a place for grooming, human connection and conversation.
Looking after yourself is not only about how you look when you leave the chair. It is also about recognising what you need, maintaining connections and knowing when to speak.
Walk-ins welcome. Book Online Today.
Pall Mall Barbers — Keep Sharp. Every Day.
SOURCES & RELATED ARTICLES:
The Royal Family — Royal.uk – https://www.royal.uk/duke-cambridge-visits-mens-mental-health-charities-london
Royal Life Magazine – https://royallifemagazine.co.uk/duke-of-cambridge-to-visit-two-projects-supporting-men-with-their-mental-health/
The Crown Chronicles – https://thecrownchronicles.co.uk/royal-news/prince-princess-wales/prince-william-visits-mens-mental-health-organisations-barber-shop-fatherhood-classes/
People – https://people.com/royals/prince-william-barber-shop-visit-mental-health/
Good Morning America – https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/culture/story/prince-williams-visits-mens-mental-health-charities-london-61073704
5 News / Channel 5 – https://youtu.be/J3D_ryIMX2o?si=NHyYqcPGj1ji7d3L
ITV News London – https://www.itv.com/news/2019-02-14/long-way-to-go-on-mental-health-in-uk-says-william
HRH Prince William Twitter– https://twitter.com/KensingtonRoyal/status/1096010779541884928?s=20&t=xYmTf86FQTTHv6fBEb6bCA
Paddington Central– https://www.paddingtoncentral.com/news/paddington-central-welcomes-duke-cambridge
Daily Mail – https://www.dailymail.com/lifestyle/article-6704181/Prince-William-pays-visit-barber-shop-Paddington.html
Heads Together – https://www.headstogether.org.uk/duke-of-cambridge-visits-male-mental-health-organisations/
Hairdressers Journal – https://hji.co.uk/prince-william-meets-the-lions-barber-collective
Pure Wow – https://www.purewow.com/news/prince-william-joked-about-haircuts-at-the-barber
FAQS
1. When did Prince William visit Pall Mall Barbers?
Prince William visited Pall Mall Barbers Paddington in London on 14 February 2019, when he was the Duke of Cambridge.
2. Why did Prince William visit Pall Mall Barbers?
The visit focused on men’s mental health, wellbeing, and suicide prevention, including the role barbers can play in encouraging open conversations with clients.
3. Which Pall Mall Barbers location did Prince William visit?
Prince William visited Pall Mall Barbers Paddington in London.
4. Who welcomed Prince William to Pall Mall Barbers?
Pall Mall Barbers Founder Richard Marshall welcomed Prince William during his visit to the Paddington barber shop.
5. What is the Lions Barber Collective?
The Lions Barber Collective is an initiative focused on raising awareness around men’s mental health and suicide prevention through the barbering community.
6. What is BarberTalk?
BarberTalk is training designed to help barbers recognise when someone may be struggling, listen appropriately, and help direct them towards professional mental health support when needed.
7. Can barbers provide mental health treatment?
No. Barbers are not therapists or mental health professionals. They can listen, offer human connection, and encourage someone to seek appropriate professional support.
8. Why can barber shops help encourage conversations about men’s mental health?
Barber shops can provide a familiar, informal environment where clients and barbers naturally talk about work, relationships, family and everyday life, sometimes making difficult conversations easier to begin.
9. What has Prince William done to support mental health awareness?
Prince William has supported a number of mental health initiatives through The Royal Foundation, including Heads Together, with work focused on reducing stigma and encouraging people to speak more openly about mental wellbeing.
10. Where can men in the UK find mental health support?
Men can speak with their GP or access NHS mental health services. For urgent support, NHS 111 can provide guidance, while Samaritans offers confidential listening support 24 hours a day on 116 123. In an immediate emergency, call 999 or go to A&E.
PALL MALL BARBERS LOCATIONS
PALL MALL BARBERS FITZROVIA
45 Fitzroy St. Fitzrovia
London, W1T 6EB United Kingdom
+44 20 7387 8787
PALL MALL BARBERS KINGS CROSS
68 York Way Kings Cross
London, N1 9AG United Kingdom
+44 (0) 207 112 2372
PALL MALL BARBERS PADDINGTON
23 Sheldon Square Paddington
London, W2 6EY United Kingdom
+44 (0) 207 112 2373
PALL MALL BARBERS LIVERPOOL STREET
1 Finsbury Avenue, Broadgate
London, EC2M 2PF United Kingdom
+44 (0) 207 626 0123
PALL MALL BARBERS TRAFALGAR SQUARE
27 Whitcomb St. Trafalgar Square
London, WC2H 7EP United Kingdom
+44 (0) 207 930 7787
PALL MALL BARBERS WESTMINSTER
11 Palmer Street Westminster
London, SW1H OAD United Kingdom
+44 (0) 203 267 0001
PALL MALL BARBERS SOHO
Intimissimi Uomo | First Floor
266 – 270 Regent St | Oxford Circus,
Soho, London W1B 3AH
+44 (0) 207930 2592
DISCLAIMER: Some images, videos, and voices on our website and marketing may include AI-generated or digitally created people, also known as synthetic performers. These visuals may be used for creative, marketing, or advertising purposes. They may not show a real client, barber, or models.
