The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have said their top priority will be ensuring that frontline workers battling the coronavirus pandemic have access to mental health support during these unprecedented times. Prince William and Kate are backing a new platform, Our Frontline, which will bring together a number of services to provide workers with round-the-clock one-to-one support.
READ: Prince William and Kate mark the Queen's 94th birthday with heartwarming photo
WATCH: William and Kate speak about life in lockdown
Mental health charities including Mind, Samaritans, Shout, Hospice UK and the couple's Royal Foundation have united for the first time to provide a text and call service, as well as online resources and advice to support frontline workers' mental health and emotional being through this challenging time.
The Duke said of Our Frontline: "Over the past few weeks, millions of frontline workers across the UK have put their physical and mental health on the line to protect us all during the Coronavirus pandemic. Every day they confront traumatic situations at the same time as having to contend with their own worries about the risks to themselves and their families. That takes a real toll, and as I've seen for myself through my work with the Air Ambulance, without the right support at the right time the challenges they face will only be greater. Catherine and I, together with The Royal Foundation, will do all we can to support Our Frontline. This work will be our top priority for the months ahead."
MORE: Kate Middleton and Prince William reveal real reason they prefer video calls to in-person meetings
© Kensington PalaceWilliam and Kate have been carrying out royal duties by video calls
William will chair a roundtable call on Wednesday with representatives from the emergency services sector and the NHS, in which he will hear more about the mental health challenges impacting key workers in the UK, and how Our Frontline can support them.
Last week, the Duke and Duchess recorded a special voiceover for Public Health England's Every Mind Matters film, which directs people to coronavirus-related mental health support. William and Kate also spoke about their own lockdown experiences during an interview with the BBC, where they revealed they had been keeping in touch with family via video calls and have been home-schooling eldest children, Prince George and Princess Charlotte, even during the Easter holidays.
Details of how to access one-to-one support and resources are available at ourfrontline.org.
Make sure you never miss a ROYAL story! Sign up to our newsletter to get all of our celebrity, royal and lifestyle news delivered directly to your inbox.
