The royal family used to be considered very private and cautious. They were particular about what information they let the public know, and tried to present the best image to the people around the world.
But as the next generation grows older, they've made a few changes to the way things have been done in the past, particularly when it comes to their desire to open up.
Both Prince Harry and Prince William have been fairly upfront about their struggles with mental health, and because of this they are often thought of as the most relatable royals.
They haven't been afraid to reveal how hard it has been for them to handle their mother's tragic passing, or even how difficult it can be to deal with the pressure of being a royal.
The good thing is that they seem very aware that they are in a position of privilege and power, so they are using their influence to help normalize and improve the discussions on mental health.
On November 20th, The Duke of Cambridge took part in the "This Can Happen" conference to discuss high pressure environments and how corporate life can effect mental health.
It was the largest corporate mental health conference to have ever taken place in the UK, and with William on the panel it was bound to be a success.
William opened up about how stressful having children really was for him, especially when it came to returning to his high-stress job. He revealed that he started having a harder time leaving his work as a search and rescue pilot, and it started to follow him home, especially when the incidents he responded to involved children.
"The relation between the job and the personal life was what really took me over the edge. And I started feeling things that I've never felt before. And I got very sad and very down about this particular family," he revealed. "You start to take away bits of the job and keep them in your body. And of course, you don't want to share with your loved ones because you just don't want to bring that sort of stuff home."
🗣 Talking #MentalHealth "” The Duke of Cambridge joins a discussion on working in high pressured environments at the 2018 This Can Happen Conference, the largest corporate mental health event ever to take place in the UK. #ThisCanHappen18 pic.twitter.com/jnriPFJTPs
— Kensington Palace (@KensingtonRoyal) November 20, 2018
He explained that the only time he could discuss the pressures of his job was at work, but staff weren't always equipped to handle it.
"So the only place you can talk about it is at work and if you don't necessarily have the right tools or the right environment at work, you can see why things can snowball and get quite bad."
The other members of the panel applauded William for revealing that he had a hard time handling his stress, as it's important to know that all people deal with these issues.
"It's quite something for him, in his position, to say, "˜You're not infallible,'" Neil Layborn said. "People need that inspiration from leaders and they need to hear it from someone like Prince William."
"Just as we look after our physical health, we need to look after our #MentalHealth." "” The Duke of Cambridge, speaking at the 2018 This Can Happen Conference. #ThisCanHappen18 pic.twitter.com/Sa6t2bTKjz
— Kensington Palace (@KensingtonRoyal) November 20, 2018
William continued by stating how he wishes the views on mental health would change. "We all have mental health," he explained. "Just as we look after our physical health, we look after our mental health."
He reveals what he hopes to happen in more workplaces. "What I've noticed is we could really use some more voices in the workplace. Standing up and saying, "˜Yeah, I've been there. I've done that, and I could have done more.' I think setting a culture of this open, understanding, supportive environment in the workplace where HR is a door that people feel they can go to, I think that's really important."
This isn't the first time Prince William has spoken out about mental health and it won't be the last. Teaming up with his wife and brother, the royal family has created the Heads Together foundation which campaigns to end the stigma and bring changes to the treatment of mental health.
Hopefully, as people in positions of power continue to address the concerns of mental health, the entire world will start to become more accepting of the issues that face all people.
As hard as it must be to be open with his struggles, I think we can all appreciate that the Duke of Cambridge has helped raise awareness that no one is immune to stress and mental health issues.
Source - People
