His Royal Highness the Duke of Cambridge, who celebrates his 38th birthday today, recently made his first public appearance since the coronavirus lockdown. The Duke of Cambridge stepped out to visit the frontline workers at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Norfolk to talk about their mental health. This comes as no surprise, as the royal has been a passionate advocate for mental health awareness and support for several years.
Together with his wife, the Duchess of Cambridge, the Cambridges have started numerous programs focused on bringing awareness and practical support for people dealing with mental health crises. In 2019, Prince William launched the “Heads Up” campaign to promote the mental well-being of football athletes, and he encourages sports stars to be more open with their struggles. During a Zoom call for the government’s Mental Health and Elite Sport Action Plan, the Prince expressed what a “unique opportunity” the campaign is in creating “lasting change” and “embedding a mentally healthy culture across the sport.”
View this post on Instagram
In April, the royal couple started the initiative Our Frontline to provide 24/7 access to mental health support for all frontline workers. And on a Zoom call with volunteers for the Shout 85258 program, another mental support text-messaging service set up by the Cambridges, Prince William revealed that he had not only been trained as a mental healthcare volunteer, but had secretly been volunteering on the platform himself.
View this post on Instagram
Not even a global pandemic can stop England’s future king from his passionate endeavors to raise awareness and continue to make mental health a priority for all. Happy Birthday (and Happy Father’s Day), Prince William.
