Prince William, Kate and Prince Harry joined forces to deliver a powerful speech on mental health on Tuesday. The royal trio were attending a briefing at the Institute of Contemporary Art in London to outline the next phase of their Heads Together campaign.
William, Kate and Harry emphasised the need to tackle stigma and change the conversation on mental health. The Duke of Cambridge kicked off proceedings, saying: "Mental health matters to each and every one of us. It matters just as much as our physical health."
Prince George and Princess Charlotte's dad urged people to talk and ask for help when they need it. "Talking to someone else is a positive and confident step to take – but for too long it has been a case of 'Keep Quiet and Carry On'. As a result, too many people have suffered in silence for too long, and the effects of this can be devastating," he said.
William continued: "It is no exaggeration to say that conversations – simple conversations – can be life-changing: in a workplace, in your kitchen at home, with a friend, family member or colleague. And that's what Catherine, Harry and I want to do – we want more people to be having those conversations."
The royal trio were promoting their Heads Together campaign
His wife Kate, who looked lovely in a floral Erdem number, reiterated William's message that 2017 is the "tipping point" for mental health.
"We have seen that two heads are better than one when dealing with a mental health problem," she said. "Yet, the challenge that so many people have is not knowing how to take that first step of reaching out to another person for help. Admitting that they are not coping. Fear, or reticence, or a sense of not wanting to burden another, means that people suffer in silence – allowing the problem to grow larger and larger unchecked."
The Duchess then spoke about her, William and Harry's hopes for people to start having more conversations about mental health, particularly in the lead up to the London Marathon in April. This year Heads Together has been chosen as the Charity of the Year for the 2017 Virgin Money London Marathon.
"What Heads Together is proposing is that in the weeks leading up to the Marathon, our campaign will showcase people from all walks of life, talking about the life-changing conversations that have helped them with their mental health challenges," said Kate. "We hope that these real-life examples will serve as encouragement to others to do the same."
"We have seen that two heads are better than one when dealing with a mental health problem," said Kate
Harry joined in, saying: "It has been unbelievably encouraging to see that attitudes towards mental health across the country are beginning to change. In the past, the phrase 'mental health' would be translated to mental illness. But thankfully that is changing!"
"We are all wired differently," he said. "We all have mental health; and we'll say it again and again and again, if you want to be fit, healthy and set yourself up for success then your mental fitness is absolutely as important as your physical fitness. Everyone would get help for a broken leg, so why not seek help for an issue that could hamper you and others around you."
Harry concluded by making an appeal to his audience. "Every single one of you in this room can help too," he said. "You are all role models and highly respected people in your industries - the way you talk about mental health will have a profound effect on millions of people, whether you're speaking from personal experience or encouraging those around you to do the same.
"So please could I encourage you all to have a conversation with the Heads Together team, who are here today, and share your ideas. We need as many people as possible – famous or not – who can help showcase what it's like to have a conversation with a friend, family or stranger. All your ideas are welcome."
"Mental health matters to each and every one of us," said William
The royals met a range of attendees at the briefing, including the Heads Together charity partners and representatives from the media, technology, business and voluntary sectors.
William spoke to rapper Professor Green, who opened up about his own experiences with anxiety. After their meeting the musician said: "I've always had anxiety. Before I knew it was anxiety I used to tell my nan that I had a bellyache. Later in life my dad took his own life and so did his brother. I know a lot of people who have suffered a hell of a lot due to mental health issues so it's something that means a hell of a lot to me.
"We see being sad or being scared as a vulnerability but there's a real strength to be taken from being honest about how you feel. People think that being hard is being strong and it's quite often the opposite. The image of masculinity is one of being hard but being hard and being strong are two completely different things. That's what I want to get across to people. The conversation that I had with William we were saying the same things to each other about how there is that common misconception between being hard and being strong and they are two completely different things."
William, Harry and Kate launched the campaign last year in partnership with eight leading mental health charities and three founding partners.