Royal bid to address nation's mental health

At an event in which the royal brothers talked candidly about the psychological hurdles that they themselves have faced as they have grown up in the media spotlight, they vowed to bring charities and organisations together as part of a sustained campaign to face up to society’s mental health burden.

William, Kate and Harry pledged to find “practical ways of providing everyone who needs help with the right support and care” under their new Heads Together campaign.

In publicly confronting what is a major health issue, the campaign represents a bold step by a new generation of members of the royal family that evoked the compassionate societal role for which Diana, the Princess of Wales, became revered for.

Speaking at the launch event, the royals stressed the first goal of the campaign is to change the national conversation around psychological problems “from one of silence and shame to one of optimism and support”.

Both Harry and William opened up about their own experiences. Prince Harry admitted to getting stressed, while William said he had been affected psychologically by his work as a helicopter pilot with the East Anglian Air Ambulance. A former RAF helicopter pilot, The Duke of Cambridge had previously spoken of “feeling the nerves” as he began his job as an air ambulance pilot last July.

The new Heads Together campaign will see the brothers, and the Duchess, team up with a number of leading mental health organisations and charities to address the vast array of mental health issues that face members of society at different stages of their lives, from children and young people to pregnant mothers and young men.

The Cambridges and Harry each took it in turn to speak to an audience comprised of senior staff and supporters of the charities who are part of the campaign, as well as some of those whom the charities have helped.

Kate, who wore a skirt by Banana Republic and a blouse by Goat, explained how she envisaged that the campaign would make a difference.

“Heads Together wants to help everyone feel much more confident with their everyday mental health, and to have the practical tools to support their friends and family,” the Duchess said.

The leading charities and organisations involved in the project are the Anna Freud Centre, Best Beginnings, CALM - The Campaign Against Living Miserably, Contact (a military mental health coalition), Mind, Place2Be, The Mix and YoungMinds.

The launch event saw each of the charities involved in the project given space to set up a stall to showcase their work.

Prince Harry also pledged to spend time over the coming months to further the campaign’s aims.

He said: “As the year progresses, the three of us - working with all of you in this room and others who will join us along the way - want to come up with practical ways of providing everyone who needs help with the right support and care.”

Issuing a rallying cry to everyone involved in the campaign, the Duke of Cambridge, finished by saying: “So let’s all get our heads together and let’s change the conversation, from one of silence and shame to one of optimism and support.”