William talks mental health with Lady Gaga, and George & Charlotte with CALMzine

The Duke of Cambridge and Lady Gaga have recorded a FaceTime conversation about mental health as part of Heads Together’s #oktosay campaign. During the chat, the pair spoke about being open about mental health, as well as Prince William’s hopes for Prince George and Princess Charlotte.

Prince William spoke to Lady Gaga about mental health (Royal Family)

William asked Lady Gaga to get involved with the mental health conversation after she wrote an open letter last year, revealing she has Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

In the video call, posted on the Royal Family’s Facebook and Twitter accounts, William and Lady Gaga – real name Stefani – discussed ending the stigma around mental health. The video is part of a series of talks – with the hastag #oktosay – between real people who faced mental illness, including celebrities.

The Duke said from his study: “It’s so important to break open that fear and that taboo”, and invited Lady Gaga for a “meet-up” when she visits the UK this October, to discuss what more can be done.

Lady Gaga, speaking from her kitchen in LA, said that people with mental health problems were “not hiding anymore”, despite there still being “a lot of shame attached to mental illness”.

In addition to the FaceTime chat, William has spoken to ‘Campaign Against Living Miserably’ (a charity dedicated to preventing male suicide). He said that while “there is a place for the stiff upper lip”, it should not come at the “expense of mental health”.

Lady Gaga spoke to Prince William about mental health from her kitchen (ROyal Family)

The Prince told the magazine, “Catherine and I are clear that we want both George and Charlotte to grow up feeling able to talk about their emotions and feelings. Emotional intelligence is key for us all to deal with the complexities of life and relationships.”

He went on to speak about his personal experiences, and said he hopes his children will feel more able to speak about their mental health, than previous generations.

The news comes just a day after Prince Harry revealed that, it had not been until his late 20s that he had processed the grief of losing his mother at the age of 12 in 1997.

Harry also said that he had endured two years of “total chaos” and had come close to a “complete breakdown”, and that it was his brother William and other close friends and family, who encouraged him to seek professional help.

CALMzine spoke to the brothers for their latest edition, out now.

This year’s London Marathon is hoped to be the ‘mental health marathon’, as the Royal Foundation’s Heads Together project has been chosen as its charity for 2017. William, Catherine and Harry will attend the race to cheer on runners and hand out medals.

Share this

1 comment

Casandra Sanders Tue 02 May, 2017 - 12:07 am

I want to tell my story so bad. I went from being a employ to mental illness. Can we please talk I think my story can change a lot even stop the idiol of suicide… it doesn’t have to happen, with time your thoughts can change. Thank you for your consideration. I love you all for you’re efforts.

Reply

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.