William jokes he is ‘underdressed’ in film for Pride Month
The Prince of Wales appears in a short YouTube film set in the Royal Vauxhall Tavern in south-east London.
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.The Prince of Wales joked that he felt underdressed without sequins or glitter as he marked the end of Pride Month by discussing mental health in an LGBT+ venue.
William spoke of the importance of “mental fitness” in a short YouTube film in the Royal Vauxhall Tavern in south-east London.
The film sees the heir to the throne in conversation with volunteers from The Mix and Shout discussing mental health and support in the LGBT+ community.
The Mix and Shout are both charity partners of the Heads Together campaign which was founded by The Royal Foundation.
Both charities offer free confidential support for young people who are struggling and feel alone.
William chats to 20-year-old Michael Lister, chair of The Mix youth advisory board, Sharvari Patil, a 20-year-old student and volunteer at The Mix, and Alexis Caught, a Shout volunteer who is also an author and podcast host specialising in mental health and wellness in the queer community.
Speaking near the beginning of the film, William joked: “I feel very underdressed today in the Royal Vauxhall Tavern. I should have come with some sequins or some glitter. Maybe next time I’ll bring it.”
The prince talks to the trio about their own mental health journeys in the LGBT+ community.
They discuss the importance of ensuring people look after their “mental fitness” and why checking in on others and supporting those in your community is vital.
William commented on the importance of having an open conversation and how emotions can prove more difficult for men.
“I think guys particularly find emotions quite difficult, don’t quite know how to deal with them – strong emotions, no emotions, whatever it might be, they kind of find it quite hard.
“And I think that’s why we’ve got to get better at having an open conversation about these things,” he said.
William thanked Michael, Sharvari and Alexis for their insights and told them it will mean “an awful lot to everyone” to hear from them.