William and Kate join forces with Dua Lipa and Harry Kane in powerful mental health message
Prince William and Kate have been joined by England captain Harry Kane and singer Dua Lipa to encourage Britons to reach out to their friends at the beginning of mental health awareness week.
The duke and duchess recorded a message which was played out across all UK radio stations at 10.59am on Monday.
The royals were joined by England captain Harry Kane, singer-songwriter Dua Lipa, actor David Tennant and two-time heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua in the message, focussing on telling people they are not alone during the coronavirus pandemic.
The Duke of Cambridge said: “We’re all connected. And sometimes just talking about how you’re feeling can make a big difference. So right now, let’s join together across the UK and reach out to someone.”
The Duchess of Cambridge said: “If you’re struggling, it’s important to talk about it. Or if someone you know is acting differently, it’s OK to ask how they are. Use this moment to send a message.”
This afternoon, the couple will release their ‘Heads Together Wellbeing Guides’ on Instagram, a collaboration of their mental health campaign with the social network.
The guides will allow users to find reliable recommendations from individuals and organisations who they trust.
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William, 37, and Kate, 38, have just marked one year of their text-based crisis line Shout, which they launched with Prince Harry and Meghan when the Royal Foundation represented both couples.
It comes after William also announced a new documentary with professional footballers including Burnley goalkeeper Joe Hart to break the stigma around mental health.
The programme, called Football, Prince William And Our Mental Health, will be shown on 28 May.
William says: “You can’t be ashamed of your mental health. You’ve got to be able to look it in the eye and go ‘I’m gonna deal with it, here we go’.
“It’s about feeling confident enough to say ‘things aren’t great’. It’s okay not to be okay”.
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Jason Knauf, chief executive of The Royal Foundation of The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, said: “As we feel the effects of COVID-19 on the nation’s mental health, we will need to support one another more than ever. We will all need to feel more confident in reaching out for support if we need it and checking in on our loved ones.
“By bringing together the power of radio and social media, we’re delighted to help people connect to one another, and to access reliable, trusted information and resources from our charity partners.
“These remarkable projects from Radiocentre and Instagram show that, despite being apart, no-one needs to face these challenges alone.”
Siobhan Kenny, chief executive of Radiocentre said: “It is so apt in this most extraordinary of times that the entire radio industry is uniting behind the Mental Health Minute.
“We are delighted to be able to use the unique power of radio to highlight this important message to millions of listeners and to continue our support for Heads Together.”
Adam Mosseri, head of Instagram, said: “Instagram has always been a place for people to support each other, and now more than ever people need that support.
“We hope this collaboration with Heads Together on our new Guides tool will further open up the conversation around mental health and give people ways to discover wellbeing tips and recommendations from people they trust, admire, and follow.”
William and Kate have made mental health support a priority in recent weeks as the focus of their royal work adapted during the coronavirus pandemic.
They have voiced a Public Health England campaign and over the weekend a volunteer from their crisis text line Shout took over their Instagram to share stories and answer questions.
