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Prince Harry and Meghan Markle went head to head with Prince William and Kate Middleton Tuesday, as the warring couples associated themselves with mental health campaigns and initiatives on both sides of the Atlantic on World Mental Health Day.
Harry and Meghan were in New York, where they were the stars of a glossy mental health conference at Hudson Yards, while William—described by Harry as his “arch-nemesis” in his memoir Spare—and Kate hosted a youth workshop on the subject in Birmingham in England’s Midlands.
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The two sides’ differing styles were immediately apparent in their dress codes: Kate wore a yellow jacket from chain store L.K. Bennett while Meghan took to the stage in New York in a dramatic white off the shoulder blazer that wouldn't have looked out of place at an awards ceremony.
The Daily Mail said that Harry and Meghan arrived in a convoy of seven blacked-out vehicles; last time they were in New York they ended up in a yellow taxi at one stage as they sought to evade paparazzi in a chase they were accused of describing in exaggerated terms when they said it was “near catastrophic.”
Neither couple shirked from evoking the most extreme consequences of breakdowns in mental health: Kate wore star earrings that the Mail said were made in memory of a teenager who killed herself aged 17 earlier this year after battling depression, while Meghan spoke to the parents of children who had taken their own lives as a result of negative experiences online.
Meghan, according to a report in The Hollywood Reporter, said during an Archewell-sponsored panel discussion on social media: “People are getting hurt and people, specifically children, are dying.”
Harry and Meghan embraced several parents who have lost children in this way at the end of the discussion.
At the beginning of the talk, according to footage posted by The Hollywood Reporter, Harry said: “I can’t start without thanking all the parents, the mothers and fathers that have been here today, for being with us physically here today but being on this journey for the last year and creating this community of shared experience. We know it’s not easy for you guys to be here, so thank you very much.”
Meghan then said: “A year ago we met some of the families, and at the time, it was impossible not to be in tears hearing their stories because it's just that devastating. As parents, though our kids are really young, 2 1/2 and 4 1/2, but social media isn't going away and by design, there was an entry post that was supposed to be positive and create community but something has devolved and there's no way to hear that and not try to help these families have their stories be heard.”
Harry added: “I think for us, for myself and my wife, with kids growing up in a digital age, the priority here is to again turn pain into purpose and provide as much support as well as a spotlight and a platform for these parents to come together, to heal, to grieve and to also collectively focus on solutions so that no other family anywhere has to go through what they’ve been through.”
Meghan said, “Being a mom is the most important thing in my entire life — outside, of course, being a wife to this one," she said, indicating Harry. "But I will say I feel fortunate that our children are at an age, again quite young, so this isn't in our immediate future, but I also feel frightened at how it's continuing to change and this will be in front of us.”
Meghan Markle, left, and Prince Harry participate in a panel held during Project Healthy Minds' second annual World Mental Health Day Festival and The Archewell Foundation Parents' Summit: Mental Wellness in the Digital Age.
Mike Segar/ReutersHarry said, “There’s a reason why there’s no one else working in this space because [of] the size and the power of these [tech] companies. I think people are scared and feel helpless.” He urged platforms: “Stop sending children content that you wouldn’t want your own children to see. I think that’s a very simple request, and it’s an easy fix.”
William and Kate were the star attractions, meanwhile, at the U.K. forum for young people entitled “Exploring our Emotional Worlds.”
Kate, who rarely speaks at length in public, even gave a speech. The Daily Mail appeared to have been briefed that she was “personally keen to speak at the event.”
Kate said: “For just as we need to restore, protect, and invest in our planet, so we must also restore, protect, and invest in the communities, relationships and people living on it. We believe that starts with you, our young people, but it also means all of us. Because when you think about it, we can each shape the world in which we live. So, we know, like you, that simply talking about mental health is just not enough. Because although many more conversations are now taking place, it is now vital we spend more time focusing on how we talk about our mental health – and crucially; What are we are going to do, to build positive, preventative solutions to one of today’s toughest challenges.”
Kate Middleton, left, and Prince William speak to young people as they participate in a forum for young people on World Mental Health Day.
Kirsty Wigglesworth/Pool via ReutersShe said: “William and I continue to be inspired to see young people, like you all here today, leading the charge…As a generation, you value and talk more about your mental health than any before you, something we truly admire and applaud.”
“Both learning about the world and learning about how to be happy and thrive within it, should go hand-in-hand, “ she added. “So, if we talk about mental health with this in mind, it need not have so many negative connotations. We can choose to see our emotional worlds and mental wellbeing in a different light, we can normalize it and recognize it as something we all have, and require, as human beings.”
Town & Country reported that William was asked onstage what tools he uses for positive mental health. “For me, just general maintenance, general mental wellbeing. Things like walking, fresh air, getting away from screens is a big deal,” he replied. “Having a laugh. Humor for me is a big deal – I love to laugh. You’ve got to look at the lighter things in life sometimes to feel good. Time with my friends, time with my family. Things like that really matter to me.”
Although all four have actually been long term campaigners on the issue, their well-publicized enmity allowed critics on social media to accuse them of cynically exploiting the issue to tactically outmanoeuver each other.
