Prince William will not be outdone by his little brother! Prince Harry took part in a lengthy and interesting discussion to a podcast about his own mental health, and how his grief following his mother’s passing manifested itself in anxiety and stress in his adult life. Now William is talking about mental health too. It’s all part of William, Kate and Harry’s charity/foundation conglomerate Heads Together and their focus on “one big issue,” which is mental health.
First up, William made a video with Lady Gaga and how I wish it was William in RuPaul drag-race styles singing “Bad Romance.” No, it’s not that. William and Gaga chatted over FaceTime about mental health. I swear I’m not making fun of this, but when William asks Gaga for a meet-up in October, it does sound like he’s hitting on her, right? Hey, baby. You should come back to my palace to discuss mental health. Don’t worry, my wife is staying with her mum. I’ll show you my dad dancing, girl.
Thanks to Prince William & @heads_together for inviting me to join this important conversation around mental health awareness #oktosay pic.twitter.com/w4RYmw7Llj
— xoxo, Joanne (@ladygaga) April 18, 2017
Gaga is the star of this video – William is not great on camera. Gaga managed to come across as authentic and vulnerable while William… did not. Meanwhile, William and Harry did an interview with CALMzine. Some assorted quotes:
William on no more stiff upper lips: “There may be a time and a place for the ‘stiff upper lip,’ but not at the expense of your health.”
Harry on the need for soldiers to support each other’s mental well-being: “You’ll do anything for each other, scrub each other’s boots, drag each other through the mud, anything. Yet, on the other hand, this support for each other hasn’t included looking after how your buddy is feeling and thinking about things. Hopefully if men see soldiers talking about mental health, it will give them the confidence to do the same.”
William on breaking down taboos: “For too long there has been a taboo about talking about some important issues. If you were anxious, it’s because you were weak. If you couldn’t cope with whatever life threw at you, it’s because you were failing. Successful, strong people don’t suffer like that, do they? But of course — we all do. Catherine and I are clear that we want both George and Charlotte to grow up feeling able to talk about their emotions and feelings.”
I hate that he calls his wife “Catherine” in this interview, and he did the same with the Gaga video. It drives me up the wall! Dear royals: Catherine is not sticking. Everyone still calls her “Kate.” As for the rest of it…maybe it’s just me, but I always find William’s words so hollow when he’s talking about mental health. Perhaps because I just have this idea of him as a tantrum-prone brat who screams at his underlings. He doesn’t strike me as an understanding, caring boss, you know? And that says a lot about him.
Photos courtesy of WENN.
I read the comments on the DM article today. They’re not impressed and they seem to have a problem with the fact that they do it together with a celeb (Lady Gaga in this case).
Yeah they really hate royals and celebs intermingling. It’s off-putting to them, especially if it’s an American celebrity.
I think the DM readers don’t realize that the queen while beloved, is seen as closed off. The young royals have to be celebs or they become irrelevant in this pr world we live in
Some people complain that the young royals act like celebrities, maybe that’s also one of the reasons they are not that happy about it.
TBF there are many UK celebs who are mental health campaigners that they could have worked with. Stephen Fry comes to mind.
Gaga was used clearly for her PR and the opportunity for him to put some gloss over his tarnished image.
SF would have been a better choice than LG.
Or J.K Rowling. She’s been very open about her experiences with depression and grief.
JK Rowling would have been great.
I think Gaga was selected because of the demographic they are trying to target.
I have not watched either video, but I think it is good that they are continuing this work.
Seriously.
I mean THE BIGGEST STAR IN UK MUSIC RIGHT NOW with the kids, Stormzy, just went on record about his struggle with mental health about a month ago. And Bill went with Gaga. Yesterday’s gal and American.
Who are the kids from Brighton? Rizzle Kicks. They’ve made videos about mental health and teamed up with charities. Even I know the hashtag, for heavens sakes (#IAMWHOLE), and I’m old and haggard.
It’s almost as if he doesn’t have a clue…
Stephen Fry never really broke out of the UK and even in the UK I think he very firmly belongs with a certain generation not to mention socio-economic class. JK Rowling is fantastic but is a few years removed from her fame and you still have that generational problem. Personally, I would have preferred to see him with Kendrick Lamar who is also open about his struggles. I think together they could have hit a nice cross section and go cross atlantic too. But Gaga is fine too, she is having a hot year.
I can’t take Kate and Wills seriously. No matter how hard I try, it doesn’t work…
I keep trying though if William misses another major event in HM’s calendar I’ll find it more difficult.
I wrote back in September 2016 crowds bother William. I could see it when they arrived Victoria, BC. It’s a trigger remembering the crowd during his mother’s funeral cortege. He needs to immerse himself in more crowds as hard as it is instead of hiding away in Amner. He knows it and needs more time unfortunately. A strong wife would’ve helped William. Kate is also needy, regretfully.
I can’t fault the sentiment but the execution was poor from his side. He looked awkward and while Harry spoke from the heart, he relied on being propped up by a celebrity who is also a big campaigner for mental health. God imagine the press and impact Harry and Gaga would have had.
I think it’s safe to say whose message had the most impact with people.
Am feeling generous so will say that I feel that William wants to engage but doesn’t know how. He seems tightly wound.
Now I wonder what painful experience we’ll have to endure with Waity? We’re due another copy and paste speech.
He is a charisma-free zone. And always will be. This isn’t even a criticism – it just is. Not all of us are blessed with the charisma gene.
I don’t really buy into the Harry love on this site – he doesn’t put in much more effort than Bill, and I’d never love a royal in any case. But Harry does have the charisma gene and it will make up for insufficient dedication in man hours because charisma improves impact by orders of magnitude.
Bill will never be able to do that and the kindest and best thing #poorjason could do for him would be to tie him to a chair, shout for hours, and make him hear it. Bill is a boring, unprepossessing dullard and he can only go the Anne route of many man hours of dogged work to be a successful royal.
PS: do I vote Green, where my heart is, or Lib Dem because they are second to the Tories in my constituency?
Oh I agree he’s a dullard but he had glimpses of having some charisma when he was younger. I give Harry a pass as he is genuine in his sentiments and that comes across.
Re the general election. Am not sure what to do. My prediction is that the Tories will win easily with Labour imploding. I can see a surprise resurgence of support for the Lib Dems. I also think the SNP will get a slap down. May has made a canny move one she knows she can win.
Sixer, come on! Let us have fun with Harry and Meghan. Join us? These are dark times and frankly, not much happiness has come out of the UK as of late. It’s not like Germany is contributing all that much joy, I know. Which is why I’m obsessing over these two! Let’s pretend they’re about to announce a child out of wedlock and cameras in the delivery room. I need this in my life.
@Sixer you know my sympathies, so grain of salt and all that, but I’d go with your heart. The Lib Dems will do well in London and the South West with all the disgruntled Remainers, but it won’t be enough to make up for the hit that Labour will take. It was a good move by May (and I don’t believe it was spontaneous – she’s not one for spontaneity).
Vote tactically, anything that might hit the Tories.
I’m in a Tory safer-than-safe seat, so it really doesn’t make much of a difference. But I feel I should register a Remain-indicative vote and I really cannot stand the homophobic, flip-flopping Tim Farron. So I think I will vote Green.
We also have local elections coming up and I do actually have candidates to vote for there – we have independents standing who have grouped together because they feel that local government has become infected with cronyism as the council has been Tory run for decades. Not a party political thing but a good governance thing. I am beginning to wonder if this will be a national thing by 2025!
Tina – party politics entirely aside, I’m deeply disturbed by the tone and language used by May in that speech. She spoke as though political opposition was treasonous and continually referred to herself in the singular as some kind of glorious leader who will not tolerate dissent. Have we ceased to even recognise fascist rhetoric when we hear it, I have to ask? I hope I’d say the same thing if it were a left wing leader who made an announcement using language like that and I think it is highly indicative of our lurch into authoritarianism that she spoke that way AND that nobody seems to be calling her on it.
Littlemiss – we will have flying Elvi. Harry and Meghan will adopt seventeen Syrian refugee children and the Queen will ennoble them.
Sixer, don’t even. That’s the dream! Oh my god, I want this wedding to happen so badly. What is wrong with me? I have abandoned all reason (and watching the news) in favor of hours upon hours of Kardashians and smutty books. It’s like I just want to have fun before we all go up in a mushroom cloud. So if these two could get things done before that, that would be great. And maybe Harry can broker world peace while they all travel around the world Brad & Angie style. Before the divorce. With their adorable 21 refugee children and 5 puppies. They will look stylish and beautiful as well. I NEED this in my life.
Also , excuse the language, but Theresa can suck my d*ck. I don’t have the nerve to go through another election this year. Erdogan just about did me in. And yes, her language sounds like a mix of Putin and a toddler. “Nobody supports me, wah wah.” That’s called opposition. Stop crying.
Well, SOMEONE has to broker world peace, for heavens sakes. If Harry did it, I’d become a royalist!
I’ve decided to retreat from national and international politics and put my energy into defending what I can local to me. More chance of success and less soul-destroying!
@Sixer, I don’t disagree about May’s language. I think she was trying to channel Thatcher’s “where there is discord, let us bring harmony.” I do think that she needs a personal mandate to take the country out of the EU. But that is of course not why she called the election, that was a naked power grab, in the face of an opposition vacuum. I do think that it is a real shame that there is no one who can rally the remainers. I would have held my nose and voted for David Milliband, if he had been on offer.
@Sixer: I agree the language used in her speech is worrisome, esp as the Turks have just voted to create a dictator. She has certainly put the cat amongst the pigeons. It has upset the devolved parliaments. Let the mud slinging begin.
On a more positive note – i got my repaired and super fast macbook back today 🙂 Am going to entertain myself by setting it all up again.
Definitely a naked power grab – a six week campaign and no TV debates makes it kinda obvious!
I don’t know where I stand on it to be honest – she does need and should have a real mandate for this godforsaken hard Brexit she’s pursuing. But in terms of the country? More instability. Precious Brexit negotiating time lost in an already unachievable timescale.
It is in no way a patriotic act, is it?
But the language is deeply, deeply disturbing. She might have been trying to channel Thatcher but it sounded a lot more like Erdogan to me.
(Take your silver linings where you can, Betti!)
@Sixer: Many people on my FB feed are saying that this is an opportunity to stop Brexit and while its possible to revoke Article 50 (it would require the approval of all 27 member states and would come with conditions), I wonder if there is any party brave enough to promise it. People are already saying Labour will reverse it, which amuses me considering Corbyn has been a vocal and career long critic of the EU.
Labour is going to do badly (esp with those who are now saying they will not restand for their seats, many are doing it in protest against Corbyn), the best they can hope for is to retain enough seats to form an opposition gov. Sadly I think they will lose that and we’ll see a coalition opposition, maybe Labour and Lib Dems.
Based on the American clusterf#!k of an election, I’d say go with whoever stands the best chance of beating the party you hate the most. Clinton could have won had the third-party voters given her their vote.
On the other hand, if your least favorite party is hands down favored to win then vote with your conscience. Perhaps eventually historians and future politicians will take note.
Typically, I distrust charisma. And charm.
Which should put me fully in Williams corner.
But it does not.
LOL, Suze. I agree, except I’d substitute smarm for charm. I like a little charm. I do not like smarm. At all.
And the Daily Fail headline this morning is where this language gets you.
I say again: fascist rhetoric – WITH A PURPOSE.
Oh please vote tactically, especially if you are in a marginal seat. If the Tories get a huge majority they will be insufferable. Anything to stop the Tories getting a huge majority. Theresa May will probably win, and we will have a Tory government for another four and half years but by then Corbyn will be gone and New labour will be back. But in the meantime we need to make life as tough as possible for Brexiteers.
Because he doesn’t accept critics: he surround himself with yesmen, and nobody will dare to tell him that he and his wife are awful communicators, they have zero media games, and their executions is always poor.
I think in his position he could hire a private tutor to learn how to deal with public speeching, with interview etc. etc.
If I remember correctly (thanks to my Dianalooney mum) his mother trained a lot for the famous interview with Martin Basheer in 1995.
Diana trained in public speaking with Sir Richard Attenborough, the famous actor and director. These 2 can and should do the same. It’s how I learned to improve when presenting and speaking in public. It does wonders for confidence too.
William needs to show a bit of vulnerability to seem authentic but he will never do that, so he will always appear stiff. And frankly he is not a well adjusted 35 year old despite the trappings of marriage and children. He is not happy with his lot in life despite the luxuries and that resentment is seen every time we see him in public. Whatever help Harry got seems to have helped him be more comfortable in his skin and really William should be doing the same. Until William sorts out his own mental health issues, everything he does for this issue will seem inauthentic.
Betti: As Eleanor says, they have to first acknowledge that they are poor comminicators OR simply recognise that all jobs require some training and failing that practise makes perfect.
For now they think they are perfect.
@ aka Betti – could be difficult – Sir Richard is no longer with us! 🙂
LAK: sadly thats so true with these 2 dimbulbs. However, if Harry and Meghan do get married the press with focus on them and paint them as the modern face of the monarchy – they already are better communicators. W&K don’t like competition, esp from Harry, so am sure they will up their press game to compete.
@Spidey – i loved him 🙁 The British film industry misses his vision and talent.
@ Betti – his brother David is my hero and another National Treasure.
David A is wonderful and once rescued my best friend from Kate’s bodyguard, weird but true story.
Totally read/memorised word for word from a script. I’m not sure William could sound genuine if his life depended on it.
I can never tell whether he really cares or not. He always looks so uninterested and as if he doesn’t want to be there/”work”.
Prince Harry had the resources to seek help with his issues. Many children with serious mental health problems – including self-harming and suicide ideation – can’t get that help, or have to wait months to do so. It’s easy to mouth platitudes about Prince Harry, but this UK government has no intention of doing anything that will really help. In fact they are doing everything they can to increase child poverty and restrict social services. And now we have a snap general election. So that the turkeys can vote for Xmas.
I can’t watch it at work but was there anything personal in there? Aside from that, he simply doesn’t have Harry’s charisma. It’s not his fault but it’s becoming painfully obvious that he thinks talking about his cute kids will make up for that. It won’t. Because they’re fine. And unless we think he can relate, coupled with his half-assed attempts at working and his cardboard cut-out wife, will anyone care? Even with Gaga in the mix? This is such an important topic and I hope they can make a difference but man, are they up against themselves here. Yikes.
It was all Heads Together platitudes. He missed all the cues to ask much more searching questions of Lady Gaga beyond informing her he’d read her letter. He is clearly reading from a script, so perhaps the script writers are to blame coupled with an inarticulate person who makes a hash of simple questions and responses.
Agree LAK. It seemed to me that he could hardly wait to get off.
Nothing personal? It was his mother too! OMG
Their mental health campaign just rings so hollow to me. I’m glad to hear Harry come out with a personal experience (although obviously I’m not happy he dealt with the loss of his mother etc) because it puts the campaign into a more personal light. But William acts like “mental health” just means talking to someone when you’re sad and there is so much more to it than that. I feel bad for being negative about it because I think in theory it’s a great thing that they are focusing on mental health, but something about it is kind of flat to me.
The positive for me here is to see men in powerful positions having to discuss mental health in a public forum at all, even if it is staged. I think that is a good sign.
lady gaga’ wig game gives me LIFEEEEEEEEEEE
“We want both George and Charlotte to grow up feeling able to talk about their emotions and feelings.”” But what are you doing to ensure that they can. What are you doing to educate parents/teachers so if someone comes to them they know how to handle it? What happens when they do talk but the waiting list is months long and when they do it get it, 6 weekly sessions isn’t enough? What happens if they’re the type of people for whom talking does no good and they need more help?
Poor Whiny never comes across as being sincere, no matter what he does. Nothing ever seems genuine with him and Kate, in comparison to other royals.
He presents as someone with a lot of underlying issues and could probably do with counselling himself instead of advising others to take it.
Why on earth would they go with a has-been American celeb who stays silent while her fans bully others and tell people to kill themselves? There are so many better and classier celebrities to choose from.
That’s a matter of opinion. Her career is hot right now and she’s pretty well known plus she’s admitted to mental health issues. Obvious choice! I find it hard to believe anyone is criticizing this. People are so frickin mean spirited and small!
I didn’t mean to come across as mean spirited, I just really wonder why they would go for her, considering her bad reputation with the subject. There are plenty of celebrities who are consistent in their behaviour and words, which I cannot say Gaga is. I’m sure she has had mental issues, but she doesn’t take action when it could affect her career, and that shows some bad character IMO
“I’ll show you my dad dancing, girl” LOL. I screamed
Yes, William lacks Harry’s charisma, you cannot buy charisma, Charles has it and so does Phillip. The Queen doesn’t have it, the Queen Mother and Margaret had it. Anne, Andrew and Edward do not have it . Diana had it in bucket loads . Diana and Charles could have been a fantastic couple if they were not in competition with each other. Charles likes people fawning over him, which Diana did not do, whereas Camilla was willing to lick his boots and manipulated him very cleverly. Poor William is a very shy fellow unlike Harry, and he would have been able to do his duties better if he had a wife with more charisma. Unfortunately Isabella Anstruther-Gough-Calthorpe would not have him, William knew that she had charisma and would have been a shining star princess and future Queen, and shy William could have relaxed and basked in all the adoration she would have brought. A smiling confident blonde blue eyed English aristo….just what the media and public want…..
Will’s insistence on “Catherine” is really odd, especially since his own brother has always been known by a nickname (rather than Henry) with no issues whatsoever.
Why should William call her ‘Kate’…the media named her ‘Kate’ and ‘Waity Katy’. She is known as Catherine to her family, and there is no reason why they should change her name for the sake of the media and public.