Why Mental Health could be the saving grace for the Royals

We are really spoilt for choice with surreal YouTube viewings during these times, of course many of these are not good, but one which caught my attention recently was in the form of Prince William sat down with Peter Crouch chatting on the ex-footballers 'That Peter Crouch Podcast'.  In one of the ornate, tucked-away rooms of Kensington Palace, Will and Crouch laughed and joked like a couple of mates on a Sunday afternoon in the pub. With the Prince describing how at school football matches he would have a policeman pretending to have a sniper on the opposing player to prevent them from breaking his legs - injuring a royal unsurprisingly a badge of honour at Eton. 

Of course the Prince still carries an aura around with him. His joking about wanting to watch more football and whether his children will follow in his footsteps in supporting Aston Villa, doesn't seem forced though. It is in fact as natural as 'Crouchy' doing the robot in his prime donning that baggy red England shirt and spiky hair. But it was the promotion of the Prince and Princesses 'Heads Up' campaign, an initiative launched via the medium of football to encourage more people to speak openly about their mental health, that was the most striking note of the conversation. 

At a time where Royal press sways from the catastrophic and national embarrassment of a sullen Prince Andrew to Harry and Meghan's LA exile, the PR Team for the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge must be grateful their job is one of positivity rather than damage-control. That is why seeing Prince William sat with a pint and having had an Indian takeaway delivered part way through the podcast, seemed nothing but good fun. The driver even hilariously leaving a menu for any future orders at the Royal Estate - who knows what security measures this delivery driver might have had to have gone through!

Another platform launched by William and Kate is the Shout helpline, supporting those facing difficulties with their mental health through a free text messaging service. During a lockdown video to volunteers, Will revealed he himself is a trained volunteer and has been supporting its users anonymously. The platform identified how using digital platforms has huge potential to support those struggling with their mental health. The importance of this cannot be underestimated, following a recent YoungMinds report carried out in July 2020, 80% of respondents agreed that the coronavirus pandemic had made their mental health worse. With 31% of respondents who were accessing support before the crisis, no longer being able to access this following the lockdown measures - proving how a tool such as this could be invaluable. 

I've often wondered what a lonely job it must be to be a Royal. The Prince opened up about his own struggles back in 2018, speaking candidly at a This Can Happen event a traumatic incident involving a child during his time at the Air Ambulance took its toll on the Princes personal wellbeing. Describing the growth in his maturity since having children and realising the responsibility he has as a role model. Will, you feel, has like countless of other young men and women across the country been confronted with his own sense of identity through adolescence and up until his now 38 years of age and just how he and his wife can use their platform in the right way. This is what makes them so much more relatable than their contemporaries.

You really do get a sense that Will and Kate have an understanding of how to break the barriers of privilege and actually build a genuine rapport with the British public. Sure, there is always more that could be done, when the commonwealth and monarchy still have so much power, financial and political clout. But it is refreshing to see Prince William and Kate set the right tone by intelligently connecting with communities through media like a popular ex-footballers podcast and launching services that are genuinely accessible to all.