Prince William closes Pride month with heartwarming short film
The Prince of Wales joked at an iconic LGBT entertainment venue as he commemorated the end of Pride month with a heartwarming short film about mental health.
William, 41, joked that he felt “underdressed” during his visit to London’s Royal Vauxhall Tavern, wearing a cream blazer and pale blue shirt to chat with volunteers from The Mix and Shout, a youth charity.
“I should have worn sequins or some glitter,” he remarked. “Maybe I’ll bring it next time.”
Alexis Caught, who is also an author and podcast host specializing in mental health and wellness in the gay community, happily replied, “Come back Friday night!”
The interview-style video also saw the royal talking to Michael Lister and Sharvari Patil – both 20 – as he asked them about dealing with mental health issues.
The Prince of Wales joked at an iconic LGBT entertainment venue as he commemorated the end of Pride month with a heartwarming short film about mental health
He denounced the “incredible, terrifying” statistic that one in eight young men in the community commits suicide.
“Now we know categorically that sexuality or gender identity is not the cause of mental health problems,” Alexis replied.
“It’s actually experience from the wider world. Experiencing homophobia, discrimination, negative social media discourse, bullying, lack of protection, fear of how you may be rejected by family.
“All those things add to the mental strain.”
The prince also heard about the difficulties that young men in particular can face, especially when it comes to applying for mental health care.
“I think sometimes it’s really hard for young men to handle it,” said Michael.
“You know, young men are very notorious for not wanting to open up, not share, not seem vulnerable.”
‘I think boys in particular find emotions quite difficult, don’t really know how to deal with them,’ William agreed.
The interview-style video also saw the royal talking to Michael Lister and Sharvari Patil – both 20 – as he asked them about dealing with mental health issues. Pictured from left to right: Michael Lister, Sharvari Patil, Alexis Caught and the Prince of Wales
The prince also heard about the difficulties that young men in particular can face, especially when it comes to applying for mental health care
“Strong emotions, no emotions, whatever it may be, find it pretty hard and I think we need to get better there at having an open conversation about these things.”
The father-of-three thanked the volunteers ahead of tomorrow’s Pride parade celebration, adding, “I feel a big party coming on for you!”
“Thanks for your insights about growing up,” he continued.
“I think it will mean a lot to everyone to talk about it and hear it from people who have been through it.”
The Mix and Shout are both charity partners of the Heads Together campaign set up by The Royal Foundation.
Both charities provide free, confidential support to young people who are struggling and feel alone.
William has been vocal in his support of the LGBTQIA+ community for years.
He denounced the “incredible, terrifying” statistic that one in eight young men in the community commits suicide
The Prince of Wales appeared in high spirits as he joined young volunteers for the short film celebrating Pride
He listened intently as volunteers spoke candidly about their mental health experiences and how they sought help
In 2019, the father-of-three said he would wholeheartedly support his children if they were gay, speaking to young people who were ostracized by their own parents for their sexuality.
The future king was the first royal to open on the subject and admitted discussing it with his wife Kate.
He also confessed that he feared his children could also be “persecuted” if they were gay.
When asked about his children, he said, “The only thing I’d be concerned about is how they — especially the roles my kids play — is how that’s going to be interpreted and seen.”
“So Catherine and I talked about it a lot to make sure they were prepared. I think communication is so important in everything, to help understand it you have to talk a lot about things and make sure you support each other and how you go through the process.”
The future king, pictured in the video, was the first royal to speak out on the subject and admitted to discussing it with his wife Kate
The father-of-three ended up thanking the volunteers ahead of tomorrow’s Pride Parade celebration
It comes after a sweet moment yesterday when William was at an agricultural show chatting with a doctor he worked with at East Anglia Air Ambulance.
He admitted that he still craved his time there. When Dr. Neil Berry told him the staff missed him, William replied, “I miss you too.”
The Prince was an air ambulance pilot for two years from 2015 to 2017, flying emergency medical services helicopters for the East Anglian Air Ambulance.
Dr. Berry, 46, who has been with the service for more than 10 years and flies weekly, estimated he had taken between 10 and 50 flights with William.
Recognizing Dr Berry on the Royal Norfolk Show, William joked ‘oh Lord!’, adding that there were ‘some familiar faces’.
“I must say you’re better in your flying suit,” said Dr. Berry, to which the Prince replied, “Thank you very much … a little more useful, I think Neil, probably that’s why.”