British royals lend their stature to raise mental health awareness. In doing so, Prince William, Prince Harry and Dutchess Kate Middleton broke the royals' "stiff upper lip" culture.
Prince William supported by both Prince Harry and the Duchess of Cambridge Kate Middleton made the brave pronouncement against the "stiff upper lip" tradition. Prince Harry already admitted having shut down his feelings after Princess Diana's death. Shortly after, the older of the Wales brothers spoke against the royal practice in support of mental health awareness.
"There may be a time and a place for the 'stiff upper lip' but not at the expense of your health," Prince William, the Duke of Cambridge and the eldest son of Prince Charles and Princess Diana said in a statement.
Apparently, even the royals are not immune to mental health issues. When Prince Harry had a breakdown, it was his brother Prince William who prodded him to acknowledge the situation and to seek help. Prince William also said that the stiff upper lip culture won't be passed on to Prince George and Princess Charlotte as he and Duchess Kate plan to raise their children in a more relaxed and open environment when it comes to emotions.
William spoke to Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) in order to help raise awareness for mental health issues that hinders adults to live their lives to the fullest. The royals also support the Heads Together campaign. The campaign aims to raise awareness about the stigma linked to mental illness. William also participated in a video call with Lady Gaga for the Heads Together campaign.
"Over the past year we have visited a number of schools together where we have been amazed listening to children talk about some quite difficult subjects in a clear and emotionally articulate way, something most adults would struggle with," William said.
This year, even the London Marathon supports the campaign by using the same as the appeal for the annual event. William says his background as an emergency helicopter pilot exposed him to the reality of suicide in young men. William hopes that by supporting the Heads Together and CALM campaign, they can help those who needed help and struggling with mental health issues.