Kensington Palace has made a major announcement with the launch of an important new project. An eight-minute film, released on Friday to mark World Mental Health Day, also coincides with the launch of a National Suicide Prevention Network by the Prince and Princess of Wales’s Royal Foundation, which aims to transform suicide prevention across the UK.
Backed by more than 20 organisations and a £1million donation from The Royal Foundation, the initiative aims to deliver lasting change in how suicide is understood and prevented across the four nations over an initial three-year period.
The network has been founded on the hope and belief that by working together, we can do much more to prevent the 7,055 deaths that are caused by suicide in the UK every year. Chaired by Professor Ann John, an expert in the prevention of suicide and self-harm and consultant in public health medicine for Public Health Wales, it will work over the next three years to identify the root causes of suicide, provide accessible support for everyone, and foster greater collaboration, innovation and action.
In a heartbreaking clip from the film, released by @kensingtonroyal on X, Prince William sits down with Rhian, who tragically lost her one-year-old son in 2012. Just five days later, her husband Paul took his own life.
In the clip, Rhian told William: “I was quite surprised by it. I’d never been touched by suicide. It was something that happened on the news. No one would talk about it.”
William then asked her what she would say to her husband. She replied: “‘Why didn’t you speak to me?’ I ask myself that every single day. He was absolutely devastated, he did keep blaming himself.
“But I would just like to sit him down like this and say ‘Why didn’t you come to me?’ Because he’s missed out on just so much joy. And we would have been ok. I think that’s the hardest thing, we would have been ok.”
PAPYRUS, one of the charities involved in the project, commented on the post: “We are so proud to be a part of this initiative, working alongside The Royal Foundation of the Prince and Princess of Wales and pioneers, helping to bring support to those who need it most [purple-heart emoji].”
Fans also heaped praise on the couple, with one commenting: “Thank you Prince and Princess of Wales for highlighting such a taboo subject that touches all people from all walks of life. You are both doing such wonderful work [red-heart emoji] [white-heart emoji] [blue-heart emoji].”
Another wrote: “Wonderful to see the kindness and empathy. Human [clapping-hands emoji].”
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‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.express.co.uk ’
