Prince William has raised some concerns over calling healthcare frontliners as "heroes" in this fight against coronavirus. The Duke of Cambridge shared his fears for their mental health in the documentary Football, Prince William And Our Mental Health, which aired on BBC.
The royal said that the hero tag could put a burden on the healthcare workers as they need to appear strong and brave for the public. While the Duke of Cambridge acknowledged that those in the frontlines are indeed the superstars of this pandemic, he's also concerned that such a perception and label will alienate them from seeking help, if they are struggling with mental health issues.
Prince William said that the frontliners should "come to this in one piece" and not broken by their experience as they save patients or watch people die because of COVID-19. He said that the public has to be prepared with a different mindset about mental health as the world has changed in so many ways in the last few months.
The second in line to the British throne hopes to break down the stigma surrounding those who have mental health issues. Over the years, he has been encouraging people to seek help and to not be ashamed if they need to deal with their emotions if they feel not OK at times.
Prince William is also pushing for increased mental health support in his country as the global pandemic is bring unprecedented changes. He said that people are uncertain, anxious and scared and he sees the problems of coronavirus as far-reaching. Everyone needs to be prepared, especially mentally and emotionally prepared, in the days ahead as lockdown measures have been eased without a vaccine against the virus.
Meanwhile, the U.K. has been cheering on their frontliners for the last 10 weeks with the campaign Clap for Carers. Prince William, Kate Middleton and their children -- Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis -- also joined in the campaign, stepping out of their front door at Anmer Hall every Thursday night to clap for the frontliners.
But Annemarie Plas, who thought of the initiative, said that the 10th and final clap, which happened on May 26, would be the last across the U.K. so that it won't be politicized. Plas said that she doesn't want the narrative to change and bring a negative meaning thus the initiative will be ending at its peak.
