The Duke of Cambridge has hosted a video call with leaders of the entertainment and events sector in Liverpool to hear how the pandemic has affected their business as the city adapts to living under the toughest coronavirus restrictions in England.
William spoke with Natalie Haywood who runs Leaf on Bold Street, an independent tea shop and bar, as well as wedding and event services, and star music producer, DJ Yousef, on October 19th 2020.
Natalie Haywood told reporters afterwards that, “William was extremely empathetic to our situation and really wanted to listen to what is actually happening on the ground. He was very focused on the wellbeing of things and spoke of the mental health catastrophe Britain will face if people aren’t allowed to experience social aspects of their lives. Yousef told him that music, socialising and being with friends is absolutely central to dealing with people’s mental health and William absolutely agreed with that.”
Natalie Haywood’s business has already been forced to cut the number of employees, with 40 staff members out of 200 being made redundant. She said that restrictions, which have placed Liverpool in the Tier 3 lockdown, have placed a burden on businesses and said ”this will be absolutely catastrophic.” Tier 3, the toughest restrictions in England, only allow bars and restaurants to open if they are serving ”substantial meals” and households are not allowed to mix while eating there.
Yousef posted on his Instagram account, “[William] wanted to know what’s happening in Liverpool and up & down the country in terms of the real world difficulties with COVID-related job losses in the events & hospitality industry and asked about the stress on the street, and the growing mental health issues, all completely unfiltered.”
Yousef continued, “He seemed genuinely interested and concerned and although recorded this wasn’t for a PR sound bite. It was just a discussion. He promised to take our concerns directly to Parliament. When I began DJing over 20 years ago, I never thought I’d be invited to speak to the future King about how to help save the rave. Crazy day.”
A royal aide told reporters after the call that William and Kate have been so focused on the mental health impact of this pandemic because of how it is affecting people in many different ways.
“It’s clear that different parts of the country are feeling the effects in different ways. The Duke has been spending a great deal of time speaking to, and where he can, meeting communities across the country that have been affected. The mental health of the nation is always a priority. And it will only be in the coming months that we see how acutely this is being affected by what is happening.”
