Prince William has gained a new patronage during a visit to the Duchy of Cornwall.
The Prince, who is also the Duke of Cornwall, announced that he has become the patron of We Are Farming Minds, a mental health charity supporting the mental health of farmers in the Herefordshire area.
“We are beyond thrilled to announce that HRH The Prince of Wales is now the Patron of We Are Farming Minds,” the charity shared on social media.
“When We Are Farming Minds was founded, the goal was to support the mental wellbeing of farmers and break the stigma around seeking help. To now have the backing of [Prince William] feels just incredible and it means so much to us and the farming community of Herefordshire and beyond.”
William was on hand for an inaugural event, Next Generation Duchy, for sixty young farmers in Cornwall that aimed to help them learn more about business and the importance of taking care of their mental health. As part of the event, his patronage of the mental health charity was announced.
According to Kensington Palace, William’s patronage “builds on the Duchy of Cornwall’s rural mental health strategy, launched in 2023, which aims to make the Duchy the leading provider of mental health support to all its tenants. The strategy is designed to prioritise farmers’ mental health, and de-stigmatise the issue within the agricultural sector.”
William also met with Kaleb Cooper and Charlie Ireland, both of whom star in Clarkson’s Farm on Amazon. A film crew followed the Prince around for a future episode, and William revealed that Prince George is a fan of the show, telling his father that he should warn Cooper “to mind his language.”
The heir to the throne spoke with Vick Hope from BBC’s Countryfile, for a separate episode that will air later in the year, telling her in part: “I know in the farming world you live, sleep, breathe, everything, but try to find a way to come away from it, otherwise you’ll find yourself talking about the same thing that bothers you on a day-to-day basis. And it goes round in circles.”
Prince William wrote on social media: “Such an enjoyable afternoon with the next generation of Duchy farming tenants, as they look ahead to their future as young farmers. Thanks to Kaleb Cooper and Charlie Ireland for joining us, and also to @VickNHope and We Are Farming Minds for the great discussion on mental health in the farming industry.”
