7 times royals openly discussed about mental health

Considering the royals must always stay on top of their game and must never let their guards down, it is humbling to see them open up about the trials and tribulations they face on a daily basis. Given the nature of their job and the duties they must perform, it is no surprise that the British Royals also have their moments of sadness and despair. While Princess Diana was one of the first royal members to break the ice around mental health discussions, her children and their spouses have continued her legacy and addressed the long existing elephant in the room.

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Princess Diana's wedding into the royal family sure caused an exciting stir amongst the public, but what came thereafter was neither known nor acknowledged by many. In her famous appearance on BBC's Panorama interview in 1995, she opened up about a lot of things, including her experience with post-natal depression.

She says, "I was unwell with postnatal depression, which no one ever discusses, postnatal depression, you have to read about it afterwards, and that in itself was a bit of a difficult time." "I received a great deal of treatment, but I knew in myself that actually what I needed was space and time to adapt to all the different roles that had come my way," she added.

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The royals of today have also taken up the task of spreading mental health awareness in and around the world. By talking about his experience with 'despair and sadness' during his time as an air ambulance pilot, Prince William normalized the stigmas around mental health discussions. In an interview, he said, "You see many sad things every day that you think life is like that. You're always dealing with despair and sadness and injury. The attrition builds up and you never really have the opportunity to offload anything if you're not careful."

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In a recent documentary, the Duke of Cambridge in conversation with former professional football player, Marvin Sordell, opens up about the whirlpool of emotions he felt at the time when he lost his mother. William says, "Having children is the biggest life-changing moment, it really is." "And I agree with you, I think when you've been through something traumatic in life - and that is like you say, your dad not being around, my mother dying when I was younger - your emotions come back in leaps and bounds because it's a very different phase of life," he added.

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The Duchess of Cambridge, like her husband, has often advocated the need to encourage mental health discussion not just amongst adults but children too. For too long we have been embarrassed to admit when our children need emotional or psychiatric help, worried that the stigma associated with these problems would be detrimental to their futures," she once said. In order to tackle the situation, she has stated, "With the right help, children have a good chance of overcoming their issues while they are still young and can have the bright future they deserve.”

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In 2017, Prince Harry opened up about his mother's death and its impact on his mental health for the first time. He said, "I can safely say that losing my mum at the age of 12, and therefore shutting down all of my emotions for the last 20 years, has had a quite serious effect on not only my personal life but my work as well." He also goes on to mention how boxing helped him overcome all the anger he had suppressed within himself.

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In an interview with Tom Bradby, Meghan Markle expresses the discomfort she felt by the constant invasion of her space by the press when she became a new mum. She said, "Look, any woman, especially when they're pregnant, you're really vulnerable, and so that was made really challenging."

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The trio, Prince William, Kate Middleton and Prince Harry, in order to end the mental health stereotypes, launched a "Heads together" campaign, funded by the Royal Foundation. At the launch ceremony, the Duchess of Cambridge, "Too often, people feel afraid to admit that they are struggling with their mental health." "This fear of judgment stops people from getting the help they need, which can destroy families and end lives. Heads Together wants to help everyone feel much more confident with their everyday mental health, and to have the practical tools to support their friends and family," she added.

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