Watch Prince William and Prince Harry open up about grief to Kate Middleton

‘It’s very easy to run away from it’

heads together campaign
(Image credit: REX/Shutterstock)

‘It’s very easy to run away from it’

Heads Together is a charity launched by Prince Harry and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge in 2016, campaigning to raise awareness and fight the stigma around mental health issues.

As a sponsor of yesterday’s 2017 London Marathon, the Royals released a video of Prince Harry and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge speaking candidly about mental health and the need to discuss it.

As part of the Heads Together campaign, the three royals opened up about their own personal experiences and struggles with mental health.

‘I do think it’s incredible how strong and how you’ve been able to cope really,’ Kate told the Princes, referring to the death of their mother, Princess Diana. ‘I put that down to your really early years and childhood experience but also the relationship that you’ve got, you’re amazingly close.’

Speaking about how he and his brother are uniquely bonded because of what they went through, Prince William explained: ‘It’s very easy to run away from it…to avoid it the whole time. Even Harry and I over the years have not talked enough about our mother’, to which Harry agreed, ‘No, never enough.’

‘I always thought to myself what’s the point in bringing up the past? What’s the point in bringing up something that’s only going to make you sad?’ explained Prince Harry. ‘It ain’t going to change it, it ain’t going to bring her back. And when you start thinking like that it can be really damaging. [William] always said to me “you have got to sit down and think about those memories.”’

As the two Princes spoke about losing their mother, Kate Middleton opened up about the struggles of motherhood.

‘Having a child, particularly your first child, is such a life-changing moment,’ she explained. ‘Nothing can prepare you for that.' She continued: 'Remember the first few days with little George? You have no idea what you’re doing.’

The video showed the royals in a different light, making them more relatable and encouraging everyone to speak up and have a conversation about what they’re going through.

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‘Having asked others to start conversations on mental health with their friends and families, they wanted to show that they are taking part as well,’ a spokesperson for Kensington Palace explained about their decision to film the clip. ‘They hope the film shows how positive a conversation on mental health can be.’

Jenny Proudfoot
Features Editor

Jenny Proudfoot is an award-winning journalist, specialising in lifestyle, culture, entertainment, international development and politics. She has worked at Marie Claire UK for seven years, rising from intern to Features Editor and is now the most published Marie Claire writer of all time. She was made a 30 under 30 award-winner last year and named a rising star in journalism by the Professional Publishers Association.