Kate Middleton spoke about mental health in a video released a day after Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's interview
- Kate Middleton spoke about the importance of mental health in a video shared on March 8.
- The video was shared one day after Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's interview with Oprah aired.
- Markle and Harry told Oprah their mental health suffered while being a part of the royal family.
Kate Middleton made a virtual appearance and spoke about mental health in a video shared just one day after Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey.
The prerecorded video, which was posted to the royal family's YouTube channel on March 8, shows the Duchess of Cambridge speaking with Jasmine Harrison, the youngest woman in the world to row the Atlantic Ocean solo.
"To do a challenge like this, it needs all the elements and all those positive sides to our mental health and our minds to see a challenge like this through," Middleton said. "And it's rare to see such an amazing display of that through the challenge that you've just done, and it should be really celebrated."
The stigma around mental health is something that Middleton, Prince William, and Harry have been outspoken about since they launched their Heads Together campaign in 2016. According to the Heads Together website, the initiative is meant to "change the conversation on mental health" through fundraising for "innovative new mental health services."
Harry and Markle spoke about mental health during their interview with Oprah Winfrey
In the two-hour CBS special that aired on Sunday, Markle revealed she had suicidal thoughts after she joined the royal family in 2018.
"I was ashamed to say it at the time and ashamed to have to admit it to Harry. But I knew that if I didn't say it - then I would do it," Markle said. "I just didn't want to be alive anymore."
Markle also told Winfrey that she didn't feel supported by the royal family, and that "one of the most senior people" in the royal institution told her she couldn't seek professional help.
"I said that, 'I've never felt this way before, and I need to go somewhere,''' Markle said. "And I was told that I couldn't, that it wouldn't be good for the institution."
Markle added that she also went to the institution's human resources department to ask for help, and even though she was met with sympathy, she was still told no.
"I remember this conversation like it was yesterday, because they said, 'My heart goes out to you, because I see how bad it is, but there's nothing we can do to protect you, because you're not a paid employee of the institution,'" Markle said.
While speaking with Winfrey, Harry said he went to a dark place after Markle told him how she was feeling, and although he wanted to be there for his wife, he was terrified and chose not to ask his family for help.
"I guess I was ashamed of admitting it to them," he said. "I don't know whether they've had the same feelings or thoughts. I have no idea. It's a very trapping environment that a lot of them are stuck in. I didn't have anyone to turn to."
However, Harry has continuously made it clear he's committed to shedding a light on mental health issues. He's currently working with Winfrey on a new documentary series that will focus on mental illness and mental wellness.
"I truly believe that good mental health - mental fitness - is the key to powerful leadership, productive communities, and purpose-driven self," he wrote in a statement shared on Instagram. "It is a huge responsibility to get this right as we bring you the facts, the science, and the awareness of a subject that is so relevant during these times."