Though their charitable endeavors are now officially separate, the Cambridges and Sussexes have joined forces once again to lend their voices to a powerful new mental health PSA.
As part of a new initiative with Britain’s National Health Service (NHS), the Fab Four provided narration for the short film alongside a number of U.K. TV personalities, actors and sports stars, including Gillian Anderson, Glenn Close, and former cricket player Freddie Flintoff.
Every Mind Matters, which is backed by a coalition of mental health charities including the Royal Foundation’s Heads Together initiative, is a new online program that aims to help people take simple steps to look after their mental wellbeing and support others'. The Special website will enable people to create a personalized action plan that recommends tailored self-care actions to help deal with stress, boost mood, improve sleep and feel in control.
“Everyone knows that feeling when life gets on top of us,” says Prince William in the opening moments of the video. “We feel stressed, low, anxious or have trouble sleeping,” adds Prince Harry. “We think there is nothing to be done, nothing we can do about it.”
Duchess Meghan continues after her husband to introduce Every Mind Matters, adding, “There’s a new way to help turn things around.” Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge, then picks up the prompt from her sister-in-law to explain how the program works.
The powerful PSA was produced by Notting Hill and Love Actually director Richard Curtis and directed by British photographer Rankin. A 60-second version was released today but British households will see the full two-and-a-half minute version at 8:45pm on all major TV networks, Monday evening.
Each royal recorded their own audio individually in early September, with Curtis — a mental health advocate himself — visiting them at their homes at Kensington Palace and Frogmore Cottage in Windsor. The evidence-based program follows 18 months of planning which includes input from clinical and academic experts and British mental health charities. Eight in 10 people have experienced early signs of poor mental health in the past year, including feelings of stress, anxiety, low mood and trouble sleeping.
Watch the Cambridges and Sussexes' joint 60-second PSA above.
Omid Scobie is BAZAAR.com’s Royal Editor at Large and has covered the lives and philanthropic work of the younger members of the British Royal Family for over eight years. As well as spearheading exclusive coverage of major royal milestones (including the weddings of both the Cambridges and Sussexes), Scobie has traveled extensively with Harry, Meghan, William and Kate on their engagements in the U.K. and around the world. As ABC News’s Royal Contributor, Scobie is a regular on Good Morning America and host of the network’s forthcoming podcast, The Heir Pod.
