Prince William has been assisting those with mental health issues during this lockdown period, by secretly volunteering for a mental-assist hotline. His wife, Princess Kate, has also been actively a part of this, helping to “check in and chat” calls for those who are self-isolating or vulnerable.
The Duke of Cambridge has been a volunteer for Shout, UK’s first-ever counselling hotline, launched in May 2019 by the Royalty of Kensington Palace. There has reportedly been a £3 million investment gone into this by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge as well as Sussex, courtesy of the Royal Foundation.
“I’m going to share a little secret with you guys, I’m actually on the platform volunteering,” Prince William told Shout team members during the video call that took place last month. These calls have been an integral part of the Royal Voluntary Service’s National Health Service Volunteer Responders program, which was set up to support the National Health Service and those vulnerable to Covid-19.
This is not the first time that the Duke has taken action in terms of preserving mental health, since in 2018, he had launched a Mental Health at Work program. In the past, he has also spoken about coping with the loss of Princess Diana, his mother, at a young age, in a documentary by BBC, regarding mental health.