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Prince & Princess of Wales

Duchess of Cambridge sends thank you letter to Telegraph readers for their support

A few weeks ago, readers of The Telegraph raised money for Heads Together, the campaign and charity started by The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry. Now, The Duke and Duchess have sent a heartfelt letter, written by Catherine, thanking the readers and those who donated for their support.

The letter reads, in part: “The Telegraph readers’ support for the Heads Together campaign has been fantastic. William, Harry and I are working to change the conversation on mental health from one of stigma and fear to one of support and openness.”

She added: “Your generosity will make a big difference in the lives of so many people. Thank you so much and Merry Christmas.”

The Telegraph backed the Heads Together campaign as part of their 2016 Charity Christmas Appeal along with the Blue Cross and the Roald Dahl’s Marvellous Children’s Charity. Mental health, particularly the health of youth, are of great importance for the young royals. The campaign was established to bring awareness, support, and services with those struggling with mental health issues. Heads Together was named the Charity of the Year for the 2017 Virgin Money London Marathon.

Under the Heads Together name, there are eight partner charities it collaborates with, and Mind and the Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families are two of these charities. The three royals hope that through this campaign, people will feel comfortable discussing their mental health. They also hope that they’ll feel at ease asking and seeking help from their families, friends and mental health professionals.

One area of great significance for Prince William is focusing on the mental health of males between the ages of 20 and 40. The Duke has spoken at length about the problem of male suicide, which he has seen the effects of as an air ambulance pilot.

The Duke once said about mental health and the rate of male suicide attempts in the UK: “Someone told me five people a day try to kill themselves.

“I was just blown away by the statistics. For both of us, the mental health piece has got lots of aspects. It’s such a big issue that we need to do something about it. We feel it’s been raised higher up the ladder. It’s suddenly bubbling just under the surface. Now we need to get up to the next level, to the surface.”

The Duchess of Cambridge also said: “I wouldn’t hesitate to seek help if Charlotte or George had mental health problems.”

In a video released earlier this year to promote Mental Health Week, The Duchess elaborated on this by saying that both she and The Duke feel that “every child deserves to be supported through difficult times in their lives.”

She added: “Through my work in areas like addiction, I have seen time and again that the roots of poor mental health in adulthood frequently stem from unresolved childhood issues. This needs to change.”

Heads Together and its fellow charities support those struggling with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), mainly suffered by veterans. It also assists those struggling with anxiety and depression or who need cognitive behavourial therapy (CBH) to help them overcome their obstacles.

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